No. 265 February 2005
MEASUREMENT OF THE DISTANCE OF A STAR Since antiquity astronomers have been studying the cluster of stars known as the Pleiades and within that cluster there is a star known as Atlas. The question is of distance, and according to the NASA Press Release 2004-26, Astronomers Measure Distance to Well-Known Star, (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2004/26.cfm ). “Atlas, according to the team’s decade of interferometric measurements, is somewhere between 434 and 446 light years away from Earth.” Astronomers have been using the Mount Wilson stellar interferometer at the Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories, to observe Atlas and it companion star splittering. This unique technique of splitting, when combined with other orbital period and orbital mechanics information, data, and calculations, allowed the astronomers to calculate the distance between the two bodies and their distance from Earth. Interferometry is a new technique which vindicates the continued use of current stellar models for measuring the distance of stars, and paves the way for future use of the Keck interferometer. In 2011, NASA will launch the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM Mission) which will provide astronomers with a new method of measuring the distances of planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. NASA’s SIM PlanetQuest website http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/SIM/sim_index.html is where you find all the latest information about measuring in outer space. There is even an interactive Virtual Interferometer which will allow you to practice measuring the distance of a celestial body.
WEATHER STATIONS: ALL THE FACTS Everyone listens to, reads, or watches weather reports. How many have thought about the weather stations which collect the weather data. How many know where the stations are located? How many know how to find them? What do you know about the U. S. weather stations? Do you know the location of the weather closet to you? Do you know how many stations are in your state? Kentucky has 569. Do you know how many stations collect and provide weather data? How about the first and last dates of operation (i.e. Period of Service)? The National Climatic Data Center, which rightfully claims to be the “World’s Largest Archive of Climate Data” http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html has an option entitled “Find a Station.” which links to Locate Weather Observation Station Record (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/stationlocator.html ). This location tool allows varied ways to identify any weather station. Selecting a State (Kentucky) and then County (Boone) will identify all the Stations in that county. The Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport which is the Covington/Cincinnati International Airport (City) Station started in March 15, 1947, but the Verona City Station has no data. There is also a link to Locate Weather Station (http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?WWDI~getstate~USA ) which provides Lists (for) States, Cities, Counties, [State level] Regional Climate Divisions, and Stations which can be pulled-up. The List Stations provides access to a list of all the Stations (by city/name) for every State and the District of Columbia. To add to the varied lists and Stations information, at each station listing, when it is “highlighted as a link” a click on the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport entry http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwDI~StnSrch~StnID~20008500 , there is a Complete “multipage” set of facts and information about that stations and its weather data. This is a most valuable site for weather information.
KIDS AND INJURIES As Kids age 19 and under grow up and learn about the world they get injured. “Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for U.S. children.” Most accidents and injuries are occur in the home where toddlers fall off furniture, tumble down steps, drown in the bath tub, get burned, cut, ingest small objects, fall off swings, out of trees, and off bicycles. Home is a dangerous place in that it is residential injuries which occur most frequently to children, and authors of this study want to update and expand upon the earlier study which was done in the 1980s. “The purpose of this study was to estimate the rate and severity of and trends in unintentional residential injury for U.S. Children <20 for 1993-1999. Of the 8 pages the six pages of statistics, analysis, and observations make for informative reading as to the different ways kids can get injured and why parents should do more to reduce the number of kids’ injuries. The authors SYOPSIS is very helpful as is their 48 item list of references. The researchers who are on the staff of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital conclude the article with a plea for the reduction of injuries through the “focus on home safety interventions.” Their familiarity with children could be the reason they don’t call for the total elimination of residential injuries since that would be almost impossible, or would it? The article “Residential Injuries in U.S. Children and Adolescents” by Kieran J. Phelan, Jane Khoury, Heidi Kalkwarf, and Bruce Lanphear Public Health Reports V. 120, No. 1, January-February 2005, pages 63-72 (HE 20.30:120/1) is available in many Federal Depository Libraries.
COLLEGE WORTH YOUR TIME? In 1840? In 2004? Yes, if you academically qualify, can afford about $20,000 over a four year period, you can get a college degree. Getting admitted to a college, surviving all the work, and graduating is worth all the effort. People with only a high school diploma earn an average of $27,915 per year, but people with a Bachelor’s degree earn $51,206. The individuals with an advanced degree make an average of $72,602 per year, and people without a high school diploma average only $18,734. The Census Bureau’s Educational Attainment in the United States: 2004 (http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/education/cps2004.html) has 14 different tables which reflect the geography, age, race, sex, ethnicity, education levels, and income information for education Americans age 25 and over. The data shows that 85 percent of this population has completed at lease high school, and 28 percent have at lease a bachelor’s degree. The Census Bureau Press Release College Degree Nearly Doubles Annual Earnings, Census Bureau Reports, http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/004214.html provides detailed highlights of the Detailed Tables of the main report and links to both the Detailed Tables and the Summary Table. Also available is an historical picture of our American ancestors whose education and income levels also varied from State to State and Region to Region from 1840 to 2000 as they do in 2004. Income and Education of the States of the United States: 1840-2000 by Scott Baier, Sean Mulholland, Chad Turner, and Robert Tamura is 66 pages of history. Issued as Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Working Paper 2004-31 (November 2004), this paper is on the Bank’s website http://www.frbatlanta.org/publica/pubs_pubrouter.cfm?pub_type=WORKING%20PAPERS&pub_year=2004. The historical information about the education of the residents of each state for 160 years complements the 2004 data. How does the income and education level of each State in 2004 compare with its 1940-2000 data. Are the States and Regions who were historically considered educational leaders still leaders? Are the historically educational laggard states or regions still laggards?
WORK-LIFE EARNINGS Earlier we saw the Bachelor’s degree can enable someone to earn about $51,206 annually, and that an advanced degree can bring annual earnings of $72,602. What would be the projected earnings for each of these individuals? Per the Census Bureau’s concept of “Synthetic” estimates of work-life earnings, if the typical work-life of an individual is from age 25 to 64, what would how much money could he expect to earn during his work-life. The synthetic work-life estimates are based on 1997-1999 earnings data taken from the March 1998, 1999, and 2000 Current Population Surveys. The 1999 “present value” earnings for specific occupations are then estimated for the 40 year work-life period. The 1999 annual average annual earnings figures included $25,900 for high school graduates, $45,4000 for college graduates, and $99,300 for professionals such as doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, and dentists. During the 40 year work-life a high school graduate can expect, on average, $ 1.2 million, a bachelor’s degree will bring $2.1 million, people with a master’s will earn $2.5 million, a doctoral degree will bring a $3.4 million income, and professional degrees will bring $4.4 million. The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings, issued July 2002 by the Census Bureau ( http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf) is one of the latest sources of “the average total earnings adults are likely to accumulate over the course of their working lives.” The Census Bureau Press Release Census Bureau Report Shows “Big Payoff” from Educational Degrees http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/000311.html highlights the content and provides a link to our work-life earnings report.
COUNTRY INFORMATION: ONE-STOP ELECTRONIC SHOPPING Designed as a comprehensive source of information on foreign countries for government officials and citizens abroad, the Department of the Army produced as series of Area Handbook Country Studies. There are over 100 paper volumes for about 101 countries and regions found on some depository libraries shelves under D 101.22:. “Each study offers a comprehensive description and analysis of a country’s or region’s historical setting, geography, society, economy, political system, foreign policy, and national security. Countries not included in the paper series are Canada, United States, France, the United Kingdom, and several other Western, and (selected) African Nations. Many studies were revised, updated, and a new edition released electronically, but the latest edition of each country study varies throughout the paper series. The release of the electronic version by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress has now made this series available online. At the Country Studies home page http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html you can select any of the (over) 100 Country Studies now available on this website. There is a Frequently Asked Questions link for more information, and the website includes a Choose a Country Profile option http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles.html. The Country Profiles, currently for about 30 countries will increase in number and will be updated annually or as needed. The Profiles are actually updated summary versions of the Area Handbook Series. For example, the Russia Country Profile dated September 2004 updates the July 1996 edition of the Russia Area Handbook. All the titles are available as PDF files to be viewed or downloaded.
RELIGIOOUS HISTORY AND THE AMERICAN COLONISTS In 1515 David van der Leyen and Levina Ghyselins, were Dutch Anabaptists who were killed by the Catholic authorities in Ghent, because of their religious beliefs. In sixteenth century Europe, “In the name of Jesus Christ, Catholics killed Protestants and Protestants killed Catholics; both groups harassed and killed dissenting coreligionists.” In 1607, the British settled the Virginia and other colonies in the name of religious freedom. Although the establishment of the thirteen colonies was a major step toward freedom from religious persecution, many of the old world prejudices were carried over to the new world. The religious prejudice of conflicting groups were brought to the colonies occurred at various times were recorded. Religious conflicts were recorded in an oil painting depicting some followers of the Church of England persecuting two Anabaptists in the 1778 Virginia colony. This and other documented incidents of religious conflicts are shown in the June 4, 1998 opening of an exhibition at the Library of Congress Exhibition: Religion and the Founding of the American Republic. Did you know that in Kentucky, the year 1800 was the beginnings of America’s revivals and evangelical religions. From 1607 to 1835, there were about twenty religious sects established in the 13 colonies. Old sects such as the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church were carried over into Virginia and Maryland. Other new religions such as the Mormons, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church were started and Kentucky was the historical origin of religious revivals and the evangelical dominance in America’s religions. In case you missed the exhibition, there is a written version. For all who missed the 1998 exhibition, there is a companion volume. Religion and the Founding of the American Republic by James H Hutson. This is a 163 page volume which relates America’s religious history from 1607 to 1835 as found in the historical artifacts housed in the Library of Congress.
March 30, 2006
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