The Alpha Centauri stellar system is described in all of the books and
articles I've read as being 4.3 light years away, not 4.2 light years. --
Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: "Philip S Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 2:08 AM
Subject: [USMA:36016] Re: Metrication matters 32 and Metrication matters 33
Dear Pat
Thanks for notifyinmg us of your newsletter - very interesting, especially
the piece on energy units. I think your long list makes the point very
effectively as to why it's important to phase out obsolete and unnecssary
units of measurement. Global warming is an important issue and one that
suffers a great deal from poor understanding by those with the power to
change things.
A couple of minor points:
The URL needs to be http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter i.e. it
doesn't work without the www in front (or it didn't for me)
In section 3 Oddities you've got "The nearest star to the Earth is 4.2
light years away"
That's a popular trick question - the correct is answer is about 150
gigametre. I refer of course to the Sun.
BTW there is another point I'd add to your discussion in that section. Why
do people keep on quoting interplanetary distances in billions of km?
(when they're not using the pathetically inadequate mile that is) What's
wrong with Mm, Gm, Tm etc? I think it's a hang-over from old pre-metric
habits where they had nothing bigger than a mile (or league maybe) which
are only suitable for terrestrial distances.
Regards
Phil Hall
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Naughtin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 9:39 AM
Subject: [USMA:36015] Metrication matters 32 and Metrication matters 33
Dear All,
For those of you who like to read the 'Metrication matters' newsletter on
the web, it is now at http://metricationmatters.com/newsletter down near
the
bottom with all of the other back copies of 'Metrication matters'.
I just realised that I made a mistake and forgot to post last month's
'Metrication matters 32' so I have fixed this error and both 'Metrication
matters 32' and 'Metrication matters 33' are now on the same web page at:
http://metricationmatters.newsletter
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
PO Box 305, Belmont, Geelong, Australia
Phone 61 3 5241 2008
Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online monthly newsletter,
'Metrication matters'.
You can subscribe by going to
http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter
Pat is the editor of the 'Numbers and measurement' chapter of the
Australian
Government Publishing Service 'Style manual for writers, editors and
printers'. He is a Member of the National Speakers Association of
Australia
and the International Federation of Professional Speakers. He is also
recognised as a Lifetime Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist
(LCAMS)
with the United States Metric Association. For more information go to:
http://metricationmatters.com
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