Cosmologist 'discovers' Mars

[noswonky]

Cosmologist Peter Dunsby of the University of Cape Town has reported on 'The Astronomers Telegram' (http://www.astronomerstelegram.org) his discovery of a 'bright optical transient' in the area near M8 and M20. I include an image of his report and a followup posted within an hour of the first.

Link to the original report: http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=11448

Click 'Next' to see the followup.

[StuTodd]

That is fantastic :lol:

[LewisM]

He'll have sore cheeks for ages after that, plus a few egg splatters to clean up :lol:

[Shano592]

Oh that's gold.

An easy one to miss though, because it wasn't there previously ...

[LewisM]

I wonder if it was a transient...

Oh yeah, planets were once called Wanderers...likely transient to that region :lol:

[PeterM]

12 more days and it would have been rather funny ... April 1st.
The fact that it made an Atel is beyond belief.
While on the "transient" should "they" attack while close by ...oh Mr T! If only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPMmC0UAnj0

[astroron]

I have had a very very very experienced astronomer call me up to ask about the very same thing,I was at first incredulous that such a person would not even check a planesphere, Ephemeris astronomy 2016 which was the year when he rang me.
He also didn't know were Saturn was either.:shrug:
It has happened previous to that by a guy who has a public outreach observatory.
Just amazing really that astronomers don't know were the planets are
Sad really:sadeyes:
Cheers

[LewisM]

Ron, I know quite a few astronomers who have never looked through a telescope, let alone own one! They are interested in the theory, not the practice.

I know Brian Cox bought a TOA-130 AFTER visiting with some mates in Canberra :)

[astroron]

Lewis,The first person I am talking about is very experienced Amateur astronomer
And has many many hours under his belt at the telescope.
The second has a public observatory and does paid astronomy shows.
I know quite well that professional astronomers may not have telescopes etc,but A few that I know got their interest in Astronomy from very young being amateur astronomers
One such professional astronomer who was at Siding Spring observatory used to come up here at Cambroon as a boy and use my telescopes. :)
Cheers:thumbsup:

PS On reflection,I should be proud they they chose to ring me to check:D

[OICURMT]

Last time I checked, Stellaium was free, along with a zillion Android/Apple apps... and I'm sure every astronomer has a smart phone by now, NO telescope needed.

Sound incredibly irresponsible to not check before spewing out an alarm.

[beren]

:D oh man , gold .....hope his peers go easy on him



In one of his Docos he had a Vixen atlux mount set up, wonder if it was his

[astroron]

On a lot of his shows,including the sky at night and others were he is out under the stars he has a SCT with him.
I'm sure he was an amateur astronomer besides being in a band. ?

[PeterM]

Ft

Agreed, and that is the concern here, not at all that he didn't know what was in the Sky at the time, that can be forgiven. Geez I would be hard pressed without checking.

I can understand some over eagerness to report but that has to be held back while diligence is applied.
To go straight to an Atel and announce it ..AND with credential certification given is beyond me.

BOSS has had 178 announcements through CBETS & Atels, we are looking at faint stuff and to date not one wrong report. Indeed, even before Greg Bock and I announced the SN in NGC5128 (sn2016adj) we went through the pain and process knowing full well that it might be announced by someone else before us.

The late great Brian Marsden would be turning in his grave.
In 1997 he chastised 2 amateur astronomers in IAU circulars 6736 & 6737 over sloppy work when they didn't check for minor planets before announcing 2 "supernova" discoveries in one galaxy.

I reckon sloppy use of a very useful tool in the ATels.

[deanm]

How embarrassment..!
Dean

[xelasnave]

If he is a Cosmologist that is understandable ... If an Astronomer that would be difficult to understand.
Alex

[el_draco]

:ashamed:oh dear, oh dear..... :ashamed:
:face:

Must have been looking at the sun to long...
... and there is that water shortage issue....

[Rob_K]

It's the greatest fear isn't it Peter and one that drives you to check and check again. :scared2: There is a funny side to it though and I really feel for Peter Dunsby, hope he gets over it and sees the funny side too. Maybe in future, amateur nova and supernova hunters won't need to feel mortified and ashamed if they report something that turns out to be a known star or asteroid or an LPV or even a cosmic ray strike. They can say "Hey I stuffed up, but at least I didn't do a Dunsby!". :P

Cheers -

[PeterM]

"Hey I stuffed up, but at least I didn't do a Dunsby!". :P

Cheers -[/QUOTE]

Hey Rob, that is THE great one liner that will likely stick for year sand years in Astro circles "I didn't do a Dunsby".

Peter Dunsby is certainly highly credentialed and regarded in professional Astronomy http://137.158.44.70/~peter/Peter_Dunsby/Peter_Dunsby.html

I guess fame finds you where you least expect it.

[el_draco]

[/QUOTE]

Hey Rob, that is THE great one liner that will likely stick for year sand years in Astro circles "I didn't do a Dunsby".

Peter Dunsby is certainly highly credentialed and regarded in professional Astronomy http://137.158.44.70/~peter/Peter_Dunsby/Peter_Dunsby.html

I guess fame finds you where you least expect it.[/QUOTE]

A little dose of humility never hurts anyone...;)

[OICURMT]

Just to close this out...

http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=11449

What stikes me is the following from the original ATel



How could he not see the disk? Guess he was using a 1000mm eyepice... or maybe he was looking through the wrong end? :question:

[PeterM]

"Quote" A little dose of humility never hurts anyone...;

Sorry Rom gotta fart some wind from my arse..... NO humility whatsoever. If you are going to report any Astronomical transient then know how to do it by the rules, know what you are doing and talking about, how it may impact on professional astronomers and valuable telescope time and do it very very well as BOSS do. Or end up looking like a goose or
even worse not being taken seriously/ignored next time you report something. The commitment that goes into this sort of contributing stuff by amateurs ( Supernova, Nova, Comets, Occultation work, double and variable star work, minor planets, superb imaging, highly detailed meaningful recorded visual observations etc) is enormous and costly both time wise an $ wise and I applaud those who take on that challenge. And if that is misinterpreted as cocky or arrogant then that's fine by me..I don't give a toss, been there done that.