George Carruthers (1939–2020)

MAY I refer Sir S. Wilks to the simple and beautifully written autobiography of James Ferguson, F.R.S., self-taught mechanician and astronomer? I will quote a passage.

Considering the desiccation cracks in the earthen sites,the crack initiation conditions,propagation characteristics and unstable propagation conditions of the desiccation cracks are discussed based on the section of Moon Bay Wall in Sanxingdui. The research results help reveal the cracking law of soil sites and have guiding significance for the engineering practice in earthen sites protection. The drying test is carried out for the soil of Moon Bay Wall. The sample water loss process is recorded by electronic balance. The cracking and expansion process of the crack is obtained with image analysis technology. The displacement field and strain field of the cracking process are obtained by digital image correlation technology. The results show that the surface defects of the sample reduce the tensile stress required for cracking. The smaller the distance between the defect and the boundary,the smaller the critical defect dimension of the crack initiation. Therefore,the crack is more likely to be generated near the boundary of the sample. According to the theory of fracture mechanics,considering the influence of water content on the soil properties,the crack unstable propagation need to meet the condition that the increase rate of stress intensity factor to water content should be greater than the fracture toughness. Theoretically,the calculation method for critical length of crack unstable propagation is derived,and the method is initially verified with measured data. As the water content decreases from 45.6%to 29.1%,the ratio between the critical length of the instability propagation to the width of the sample is reduced from 0.109 to 0.024. The lower the water content,the easier the crack enters the instability stage,and a small defect in the crack can trigger a rapid crack expansion. When protecting the surface of soil sites,the work should focus on repairing large-scale defects distributed in the boundary area of soil layers,should regularly monitor the surface of the soil sites. Once cracking is found,the cracks and their nearby defects should be timely repaired to prevent crack instability expansion.

The moon in close-up: a next generation astronomer's guide

There were many scholars having made discussion about Su Shi's Ode of Red Cliff. And this work has also been selected as a teaching material of Chinese Language subject of senior high school students. The main reasons behind them are that the piece of work is a literary work, and is also a historical record. Nevertheless, in the aspect of literature, it is read from the viewpoint of appreciation; and in the aspect of historical record, it is an exploration of the old facts. Overall speaking, the frame of mind of Su Shi still cannot be seen from the work.Speaking of the term ”frame of mind,” Su Shi's work of Ode of Red Cliff is a reflection of the soul of a person in poor situation, who let his mood extend far and outward. What is expressed are the reflection of hearts of the people in the world and the dilution of personal depression. Speaking of the reflection of hearts of the people in the world, it is a free galloping of soul. No need to pay efforts for fame, and no need to pay efforts for wealth, a person liberates his mind and lets himself be carefree as much as possible. This is just as what Zhuang Zhou called, ”sitting in forgetfulness” in the harmony of human and nature. And speaking of the dilution of personal depression, it is an extreme expansion of thinking. It refers that when general people encounter a mishap, they must feel difficult to free themselves from grief. But the people with highly expanded thinking can turn the grief in their hearts to be sublime of love, and change the original anxious and worrying mind to be refreshed and clear situation. For the sublime of affection and the situation of clarity, if a person is not broadminded or does not have great intelligence, the person cannot achieve them at all. And the person, Su Shi, could overcome his sorrow. From here, we can imagine his broadmindedness and thorough thinking.Besides, between the Heaven and the Earth, some things are changeable, and some things are unchanged. No matter things are changeable or unchanged, taking the moon for example, the moon is after all still the moon. The full moon or the crescent moon is merely the turning wheel of the moon. It is known that the main body of the moon is normal, and its being full or crescent is a phenomenon. The constantly changing phenomena of its main body will finally unite to become one. Therefore, it is not necessary to care about the main body or the phenomenon. If a person does not care about details of things, all the things existed are just a phenomenon, and phenomenon can never leave all the things existed. In this way, flowers bloom, water flows, and everything goes back to the nature. Then, what argument will there be? Just because Su Shi did not have any argument with anybody, he had ”realization.” Just because of his ”realization,” he had things to express. Just because he had things to express, no matter how difficult the situation was, it did not bother his heart at all. Therefore, the words ”do not know” in the line, ”Do not know that the East was already white” are the summary of the sublimed and penetrated realization of his frame of mind. Hence, reading the work in this way, we can fully understand the reasons of his writing the work, Ode of Red Cliff.

Decision about first day of qamariyah months, especially in regard to worship (Ramadan, Shawwal, Zulhijjah) is determined by the appearance of the new moon. When the sun sets and the moon is above the horizon, which is an indication that the new moon has been there. But in reality, Ulama differ in determining whether the initial first day of qomariah months shall be based rukyat (observe of moon appearance) or can be based hisab (calculation). This is not apart from understanding dalil (reason based on Prophet exemplary).

Abstrak Traditionally, the first day of each month is the day (beginning at sunset) of the first sighting of the hilal (crescent moon) shortly after sunset. Beside that, the astronomical new moon times and dates are already computed exactly for thousands of years backward and forward. Some nations have used the lunar phase cycle as the basis for their calendars. In a majority of Nadlatul Ulama (NU), oppose the use of calculations, on the grounds that the latter would not conform with Muhammad's recommendation to observe the new moon of Ramadan and Shawwal in order to determine the beginning of these months. This Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, prefers to utilize the method called imkanur rukyat , which requires a clear, visible sighting of the moon. In the other side, Muhammadiyah organization sets the first Ramdhan based on mathematical and astronomical calculations known as hisab wujudul hilal . This article focuses to discuss further about how Muhammadiyah sets the first day of Hijrah calendar.

Illustration from The Village Astronomer, translated from German by Matilda Wrench (1852). (Wertheim and Macintosh, London)

Why it's time to resurrect a centuries-old prize

El articulo analiza la contribucion de Julian de Luna y de la Pena al debate sobre el aumento del pauperismo en las primeras etapas de la revolucion liberal, el cual se ha asociado al termino de “cuestion social”. Dicha contribucion se sintetiza en su Tratado de Economia Politica, un documento inedito elaborado en la primera mitad del siglo XIX, que ha llegado a nuestros dias gracias a su conservacion por su nieto, el astronomo y escritor Mario Roso de Luna. En el tratamiento de esta cuestion, Julian de Luna estuvo profundamente influenciado por las aportaciones de Malthus sobre las Poor Laws y sus implicaciones negativas para la generacion de riqueza, y tambien por el pensamiento de Alvaro Florez Estrada en lo que respecta a la propiedad privada de la tierra, aspectos estos que fundamentan el sustrato principal del pensamiento del autor con relacion al proceso de generacion de riqueza.

Crescent visibility importantly depends on some variables such as; Sun-Crescent elongation (ArcL, arc of light), Crescent relative altitude due to Sun (ArcV, arc of vision), moon age, and moon lag (briefly Lag only). Furthermore , relative position of Sun due to ecliptic can affects Crescent position and its visibility. There is two significa nt ly relative position of Sun i.e. Summer Solstice which happens on June 21-22, and Winter Solstice which occurs on December 21-22. In this paper, it will be discuss ed about what is minimum limit of Crescent visibility on those phenomena. Writer used data from 68 BMKG data (2008-2015), 295 Yallop data (1861-1992), and 36 Caldwell data (1987-2012), but they are used when Summer and Winter Solstice only. It can be concluded that the minimum limit of Crescent visibility are, ArcL = 10°30’00”, ArcV = 9°30’00”, moon age 20 hours 24 minutes, lag 58 minutes 48 seconds and Crescent width 0,24 arc minutes on June 26, 1987 at latitude 42°42’00” South and longitude 84°30’00” West, occured 4 days after Summer solstice.

Este trabajo analiza el mito de la Media luna en Pedro Páramo y las connotaciones que tiene en relación a lo masculino, lo femenino, la fertilidad y la muerte. Para descubrir cómo en esta novela quedaron grabados dos aspectos del ser mexicano.

Watching a Partial Eclipse Which way does the eclipse travel? Relative to Earth, the Moon and Sun are moving at slightly different speeds, which means the Moon’s shadow sweeps across the Earth’s surface from west to east at about 2000 miles an hour, a...

In an excursus to his article on “The Early Sasanians” in BSOAS., xi, 42 sqq., S. H. Taqizadeh has given a full and illuminating discussion of the Manichæan two-day fasts which preceded the feast of the Bema. All hitherto known about these fasts is contained in a passage in the K. al-Fihrist, 333, 28–334, 1, which runs as follows:—As regards the fasting—(1) when the sun is in Sagittarius and the moon is full, they fast two days without break,(2) then when the New Light appears, they fast two days without break,(3) after this, they fast two days when the moon is full (and the sun is) in Capricornus,(4) then when the New Light appears and the sun is in Aquarius and eight days have passed of the (lunar) month, they fast for thirty days, but break the fast each day at nightfall.

Convection within the Moon could explain several phenomena, including perhaps the occurrence of maria on the near side but not on the far side.

Owners Prof. Dr. Hasan IBICIOGLU (Rector of Suleyman Demirel University) Prof. Dr. S. Nilay KESKIN (Dean of Engineering and Architecture Faculty at SDU) Chief Editorial Board Prof. Dr. Ata Utku AKCIL SDU Dept. of Mining Engineering, Isparta, TR Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay YIGIT SDU Dept. of Computer Engineering, Isparta, TR Co-Editoral Board Ress. Assist. Ali GUNES SDU Dept. of Computer Engineering, Isparta, TR Ress. Assist. Erdal AYDEMIR SDU Dept. of Industrial Engineering, Isparta, TR Editorial Advisory Board Prof. Dr. Abdullah AVEY SDU Dept. of Civil Engineering, Isparta, TR Prof. Dr. Mustafa KUŞCU SDU Dept. of Geological Engineering Isparta, TR Prof. Dr. Osman IPEK SDU Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Isparta, TR Prof. Dr. Rasit ALTINDAG SDU Dept. of Mining Engineering, Isparta, TR Prof. Dr. Zeynep B. SEYDIM SDU Dept. of Food Engineering Isparta, TR Prof. Dr. Ziya GENCEL SDU Dept. of City&Urban Planning, Isparta, TR Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gulin BEYHAN SDU Dept. of Architecture, Isparta, TR Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Nuri DOLMAZ SDU Dept. of Geopyhsical Engineering, Isparta, TR Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selcuk COMLEKCI SDU Dept. of Elc. & Com. Engineering, Isparta, TR Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay YIGIT SDU Dept. of Computer Engineering, Isparta, TR Assist. Prof. Dr. Gultekin OZDEMIR SDU Dept. of Industrial Engineering, Isparta, TR Assist. Prof. Dr. Sibel KAPLAN SDU Dept. of Textile Engineering, Isparta, TR Assist. Prof. Dr. Sibel YILDIZ SDU Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Isparta, TR Dr. M. Yunus PAMUKOGLU SDU Dept. of Enviromental Engineering, Isparta, TR