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   rec.arts.sf.written      Discussion of written science fiction an      448,027 messages   

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   Message 446,241 of 448,027   
   Michael F. Stemper to Cryptoengineer   
   Re: (ReacTor) STARS MOVE   
   18 Oct 25 08:50:42   
   
   From: michael.stemper@gmail.com   
      
   On 03/10/2025 10.10, Cryptoengineer wrote:   
   > On 10/3/2025 10:21 AM, James Nicoll wrote:   
   >> Here Is Your Periodic Reminder that Stars Move   
   >>   
   >> STARS MOVE! STARS MOVE! STARS MOVE!   
   >>   
   >> https://reactormag.com/here-is-your-periodic-reminder-that-stars-move/   
      
   With respect to footnote 5, I need to be pedantic and point out that "light   
   year" is not a metric unit. And, of course, astronomers don't use it, outside   
   of popularizations. They use parsecs, which aren't metric either. The closest   
   astronomers get to metric (or at least, to SI) is their use of "cgs" units.   
      
   > My favorite 'stars move' anecdote relates to the Pleiades.   
   >   
   > They're known in the West as 'the seven sisters', daughters of Pleione,   
   > though that is quite likely a retcon of an older meaning.   
   >   
   > They're mentioned in mythologies all over the world, nearly always as   
   > seven connected people.   
   >   
   > This is despite the fact that, to nearly all watchers, there are only   
   > six stars visible. Many of the legends have some way of accounting for   
   > this, giving a reason why one person is gone.   
   >   
   > Note that the Subaru logo has only six starts - 'Subaru' is the   
   > Japanese name for the formation.   
   Something very similar to the changing number of visible stars in a   
   cluster (including the name not matching) is a vital clue in _Foundation   
   and Earth_ (or maybe it was _Foundation's Edge_?)   
      
   --   
   Michael F. Stemper   
   Always use apostrophe's and "quotation marks" properly.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)   

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