Re: The 12th Planet is Diffuse?

Article: <[email protected]> 
Subject: Re: The 12th Planet is Diffuse?
Date: 17 Apr 1998 13:26:58 GMT

In article <[email protected]> Paul Campbell
states:
> As an observer, I'd define diffuse to mean the light was spread out 
> over a large area. As an example the Andromeda Galaxy is listed
> in ECU as magnitude 3.4, yet in looking at this object it appears 
> dimmer to the naked eye. This is because , according to ECU, it's
> dimensions are 178' X 40'. Perhaps we are only getting half the
> story, I suggest you provide us with the angular size of the (as 
> yet unseen) 12th planet as seen from the Earth, Nancy. I would be
> interested to see if the zetas could calculate this!

(Begin ZetaTalk[TM])
Diffuse has an obvious meaning.  Spread about.  Clearly magnitude is
not completely dependent upon the area spread about in, as a smaller
area would result in a more visible magnitude, etc.  We use the
comparison of a star because stars are NOT as large in diameter as they
seem.  The intense pinpoint of light may represent the star, but the
halo of diminishing light surrounding the star, which most people
assume IS the star, does not represent the body of the star.  Thus, for
a close-in object, one which does not present the visual pattern that a
star presents, the consistent distribution of light from the surface
could be described as diffuse.  In this case, diffuse mean consistent
over the area.

As to the angular size, we believe you have had this presented to you
during this recent discussion.  It is SMALL, being outside the orbit of
Pluto, and would appear at this time smaller than that pip, Pluto, does
to you today.
(End ZetaTalk[TM])