Re: CONCULTURE: First thoughts on Ayeri calendar system

Carsten Becker wrote:

> I don't know any astronomer. A Physics teacher might help, but it sounds
> like a hell of much Physics, so ... I'm not that good at Maths and
> Physics,
> you know.
This is my problem too :-((( However, the lessons, data/advice and formulae
at
http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/courses/builders/lessons/Vless.html might
be helpful.  It doesn't venture into multiple-moon systems (except to say
IIRC that they're complicated), but does give useful info for a single-moon.
The  math required was certainly within my humanistic capabilities (a very
pleasant surprise).
(It doesn't deal with tides etc., or climatology either, which is
unfortunate.)

2-3 years ago, the List had a member (Tom Tadford(?) Little, IIRC-- need to
look it up in the Archive) who was knowledgeable about astronomy; he may be
lurking, or available in some way. These two latest contributors appear to
be knowledgeable too, and I wonder if they're willing to offer any help---

> On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 19:16:57 -0500, Erich Kummerfeld <elk03@...>
> wrote:
> >
> >Having two moons instead of one will do very, very strange things to the
> >tides
> >of your planet, if it has water.  When the moons align there will be
> >incredibly severe high and low tides which would likely be cataclysmic,
> >so
> >some sort of interesting ecological system would no doubt evolve at the
> >shorelines to take advantage of this.  The two moons would also do
> >strange
> >things to the currents in the oceans.  If you want to develop a realistic
> >world then you should calculate not only the moons distances and their
> >periods, but also their masses and the effect each individually would
> >have on
> >the oceans.
I've posited two moons for my planet Cindu, but have never been able to do
much about their orbits. One is larger than our moon, farther away; the
other very small and irregular in shape-- perhaps a captured asteroid, or a
chunk broken off from the main moon. IIRC the easiest idea was that it
orbited the main moon. (I think--hope!-- I still have the figures, derived
with the help of the Cal State site mentioned above)
------------------------------------------
> On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 01:45:52 +0000, Simon Richard Clarkstone
> <s.r.clarkstone@...> wrote:
>
> >3-body systems are chaotic and hence (in the general case) not stable.
> >Generally, the smallest of the three bodies ends up either hitting
> >something or getting flung away.
Uh-oh.

   Either one moon would be too small/far away
> >to be easily seen, or the moons would form a pair, and hence stay close
> >to one another in the sky (interesting but not what you are
> >describing)....
Probably relevant to my proposed system.......
>
 Find an astronomer to help with
> >all the difficult bits, being at university helps. (but I don't even
> >know if you're 8 or 80)
Well, make that "18 to 70" for Carsten/me, respectively...:-) Neither of us,
alas, seems to be near a university. It appears we could both profit from
some good help and advice-- if either of you gentlemen are so inclined. Do
you know of anything useful (intelligent-amateur level) that's on-line?

Since this is basically Off-Topic, best if we discuss privately.

I did work my way thru the Cal State course website, but the results may
have got lost in the course of computer changes, virus disasters et
al....will have to look.

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