How dark is the night sky beyond our solar system?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

AA Institute - 21 Jul 2004 17:31 GMT

O.K. your thinking shouldn't I be posting this question to an
Astronomy or Science group somewhere?!
Well I have a reason why I'm coming to you photographic experts on
this group with a dark room simulation request. Here goes.

I have produced an astronomy paper (the first of its kind in fact!)
which quantifies the brightness of a star filled sky as seen from a
hypothetical location around 2.2 light years away from the Earth and
the Sun. That total sky brightness is estimated to be 1/300th of a
full moon in illumination. Expressed in astronomical brightness
measure on the *magnitude* scale, this comes to -6.5. The full moon
shines at -12.7 in the night sky, so working out the brightness
ratios, I get 1/300th of a full moon as my net figure for the cosmic
night sky. That's darker than the darkest nights we experience on
Earth...

Question: Is it possible to simulate that *minute* 1/300th of a full
moon illumination inside a photographic dark room? Is there a
professional <hi-tec> kind of photo studio where you can adjust the
level of dark room illumination that can match my estimated cosmic sky
illumination?

If anyone is feeling suitably mathematically/scientifically oriented
and wants to look at my paper, its here:-

http://uk.geocities.com/aa_spaceagent/restricted/interstellar.html

Only serious replies, please.
Rgrds
AAI

Reply to this Message

jjs - 21 Jul 2004 18:12 GMT

> [...]
> Question: Is it possible to simulate that *minute* 1/300th of a full
> moon illumination inside a photographic dark room? Is there a
> professional <hi-tec> kind of photo studio where you can adjust the
> level of dark room illumination that can match my estimated cosmic sky
> illumination?

There is nothing unique about a photographic darkroom. It's simply a dark
room. If you know the candle-power and if there is a meter which is
sensitive enough you can illuminate the dark room to 1/300th full-moon. Of
course, there is the issue of evenness of illumination but you didn't ask
that.

You really should consider consulting professional astronomers.

Reply to this Message

Gregory W Blank - 22 Jul 2004 00:16 GMT

> > [...]
> > Question: Is it possible to simulate that *minute* 1/300th of a full
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> You really should consider consulting professional astronomers.

Most Darkrooms are "NOT" completely dark.......therefore
over time if one could measure relative light accumulation,.....
which one can do by measuring the films density one realizes that any
exposure value could/can be achieved relative to the baseline fog
for a given film. A small crack or hole in a darkroom wall will eventually
fog film. A central point light source relative to the dimensions of the room
should yield even illumination.

BTW the Universe is not truely Dark, if one includes all the electromagnetic
energys that bypass human eyesight,.....my theory (although NOT an astronomer)
is that the energy is equal to or greater than the antimatter that may hold such forces
in their respective places.

Signature

LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

Reply to this Message

jjs - 22 Jul 2004 12:34 GMT

> [...] my theory (although NOT an astronomer)
> is that the energy is equal to or greater than the antimatter that may hold such forces
> in their respective places.

By golly, Greg I think you may have stumbled onto the best description of
Usenet content - it's composed of anit-matter.

Reply to this Message