Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news-peer.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!europa.netcrusader.net!209.249.97.47!remarQ-easT!rQdQ!supernews.com!remarQ.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: lazio@spacenet.tn.cornell.edu Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.answers,news.answers Subject: [sci.astro] Welcome! - read this first Followup-To: poster Date: 24 Nov 1999 12:22:16 -0500 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Lines: 116 Sender: jlazio@adams.patriot.net Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: Summary: This posting describes the sci.astro newsgroup, with references to other astronomy newsgroups. It should be read by anyone who wishes to post to the sci.astro newsgroup. X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.5/Emacs 20.3 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu sci.astro:262096 sci.answers:10925 news.answers:171587 Archive-name: astronomy/sci-astro-intro Posting-Frequency: weekly Last-modified: $Date: 1999/11/04 02:01:19 $ Version: $Revision: 3.3 $ URL: http://sciastro.astronomy.net/ ------------------------------ Subject: Introduction sci.astro is a newsgroup for the discussion of astronomical topics. This post documents the topics generally accepted as appropriate for sci.astro as well as guidelines for posting in this group. New readers (as well as more experienced ones!) are encouraged to review this material with the hope that it will maximize their use and enjoyment of sci.astro. This post is an extract of the material found in the sci.astro FAQ. The FAQ is posted on a regular basis to the newsgroup sci.astro. It is available via anonymous ftp from , and it is on the World Wide Web at , , and . A partial list of worldwide mirrors (both ftp and Web) is maintained at . (As a general note, many other FAQs are also available from .) The material in this document was contributed by Philippe Brieu , Walter I. Nissen, Jr. CDP , and Steven Willner . ------------------------------ Subject: What are the astro newsgroups about? There are eight groups in the sci.astro hierarchy: sci.astro Astronomy discussions and information. sci.astro.amateur Amateur astronomy equipment, techniques, info, etc. sci.astro.seti The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) sci.astro.fits Issues related to the Flexible Image Transport System. sci.astro.hubble Processing Hubble Space Telescope data. (Moderated) sci.astro.planetarium Discussion of planetariums. sci.astro.research Forum in astronomy/astrophysics research. (Moderated) sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe Visual observing of artificial satellites By default, everything that is related to astronomy/astrophysics and is NOT covered by one of the other sci.astro.* groups is acceptable for posting in sci.astro. If something belongs in one of those groups, then it does NOT belong in sci.astro and should NOT be (cross)posted there. In particular, this includes all amateur observations, hardware, software, and trade (see sci.astro.amateur). The sci.astro hierarchy is NOT the appropriate forum for * metaphysical discussions (try alt.paranet.metaphysics); * astrology (alt.astrology); or * creationism (talk.origins for that). This is a science group, not one for religion, sociology, or philosophy (even of science). In addition, a number of topics related to astrophysics are better suited for other groups. For instance, elementary particle physics should be discussed in sci.physics.particle (but discussions of astronomical consequences are welcome in sci.astro). Likewise for photons and the speed of light (sci.physics). Finally, all space related issues (e.g. spacecraft and faster than light/time travel) have a home in the sci.space.* hierarchy (but astronomical results from space missions are welcome). ------------------------------ Subject: What are the guidelines for posting on astro newsgroups? Ask yourself: Is this post about the science of astronomy? Will many of the thousands and thousands of readers here, people interested in the science of astronomy, find it of personal benefit? Has somebody else recently posted a similar article? If your query or comment is unique and concerns astronomy, post; otherwise, either there is probably a better newsgroup for your post or your question has already been answered. If you will follow this group for a month or so before posting here, you will greatly reduce the likelihood that you will participate in making the newsgroup less productive and friendly and then end up regretting it. If you are new here, it is likely that any question you have has already been asked. If so, its answer is probably in one of the FAQ files. Check out the newsgroups news.answers, sci.answers, and news.announce.newusers, or ask your local help file or administrator to point you toward the FAQs. Alternately, it may be in a Usenet archive such as DejaNews, . If you become really frustrated, pick on one of the more helpful posters here and send e-mail (not a post) politely asking for some help. Conversely, if your question is novel and not in a FAQ, readers will likely be intensely interested in considering it. Certain topics repeatedly come up and lead to lengthy, loud-mouthed discussions that never lead anywhere interesting. Often these topics have extremely little to do with the science of astronomy. Experience also shows that when messages are cross-posted to other groups, followups very seldom are appropriate in sci.astro. If you do ask a question, please consider writing up the answer for a FAQ file. New entries to the FAQ are always welcome! Moreover, there are a number of common rules for all newsgroups. If you are a new Usenaut, please visit the newsgroup news.announce.newusers for an introduction to the Usenet.