Re: interesting pic for a classroom exercise?

["Daniel L. MacIsaac" <Dan.MacIsaac@NAU.EDU>]

>   I took the angular diameter of the sun to be 0.50 degrees, which is pretty c
lose as an average value.  That makes the tip-to-tail angular length of the plan
e about 5.18 min., or 0.0863 degrees.  The angle in degrees plugs into the small
-angle formlua to give the distance.
>   The other neat things in this picture are the prominences around the edges a
nd some flares in the face.  One prominence near the left edge I calculate to be
 about 23, 000 miles high.  Lots of good things to use this picture for.  Thanks
 for passing it along, Stefan.
> Rondo Jeffery
>
> > > > jeglin@4PI.COM 01/26/01 02:16PM >>>
> > > The length of the MD-11 is 200'11" or 202'2", depending on which
> > > engine it has.  That probably isn't as important as whether it is
> > > viewed at a slight angle rather that perfectly edge on in the photo.
> > > Taking the length as 200 feet, and assuming the view is close enough
> > > to edge on, the distance I caluclate is 25 miles.

Stefan:

Please consider sending your wonderful picture (it's great:
http://perso.club-internet.fr/legault/s010113.jpg
and the a summary of this PHYS-L discussion
as a contributed note to The Physics Teacher.  Contributor's info is
found under publications at http://www.aapt.org/  and if it helps I
I have three publications stemming from PHYS-L discussions that were/are
accepted for publication (thanks for helping my career, ladies & gentlemen).

I'll be using your picture in my PHY111 class when we hit angular measure.
Thanks again, and I strongly urge you to publish both the photo and your
analysis; I KNOW TPT would be interested...

Dan M

Dan MacIsaac, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Northern AZ Univ
danmac@nau.edu          http://purcell.phy.nau.edu         PHYS-L list owner