Comments on: The “Astronomical Unit” May Need an Upgrade as the Sun Loses Mass

By: How to Get Six Pack Fast

How to Get Six Pack Fast — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:14:54 +0000

After reading through the article, I feel that I really need more info. Can you suggest some more resources please?

By: Isaac NO.

Isaac NO. — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:39:35 +0000

How about using the transformation speed from IR to microwave, the distance would then be measured from any fixed spot in space, and then relate to any certain spot that would be appropriate to use, such as the center of our galaxy for a directional guidance f.e.?
Then you would only have to concern yourself about if the centre would stay fixed for eternity….that shouldn`t be a big problem in the measurable future at least!

By: saito

saito — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:53:57 +0000

if it’s true….that means this universe will be ‘game over’ in many years later?

By: Richard Holland

Richard Holland — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:49:03 +0000

Excuse me, but I need to provoke a riduculus argument: some web sites are suggesting that our planet is experiencing an orbital variance, and that the AU is actually decreasing! This could be the true cause of global warming. Our global rotational speed has decreased by 1/4 second, and our magnetic shield is growing weaker (both symptons of a changing AU). I’m wondering if anyone is trying to calculate changes in the AU. It could be important!

By: Keith Atkin

Keith Atkin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:35:40 +0000

There is a very simple answer to all this terrible confusion and worry over the AU.
Get rid of it, along with the light-year, and the parsec , and replace them all with the metre and and its multiples. e.g. the gigametre and terametre are ideal for solar system distances, while the petametre, exametre, zettametre and yottametre will take us to the stars and furthest galaxies. Solved!

By: ron

ron — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:13:45 +0000

Is there a tolerance associated with the AU? If so, would this make the loss of mass unimportant?

By: Burzycki.org - Tech and Interesting Facts

Burzycki.org - Tech and Interesting Facts — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:36:01 +0000

[...] The “Astronomical Unit” May Need an Upgrade as the Sun Loses Mass February 07th, 2008 | Category: Contributors, Astronomy The Sun is constantly losing mass. Our closest star is shedding material through the solar wind, coronal mass ejections and by simply generating light. As the burning giant begins a new solar cycle, it continues to lose about 6 billion kilograms (that’s approximately 16 Empire State Building’s worth) of mass per second. This may seem like a lot, but when compared with the total mass of the Sun (of nearly 2Ã—1030 kilograms), this rate of mass loss is miniscule. However small the mass loss, the mass of the Sun is not constant. So, when using the Astronomical Unit (AU), problems will begin to surface in astronomical calculations as this “universal constant” is based on the mass of the Sunâ€¦ (moreâ€¦) [...]

By: pantzov

pantzov — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:56:13 +0000

i’ll never look at the AU the same way again

By: Brack the barbarian

Brack the barbarian — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:23:23 +0000

Sorry to be hogging this but no-one yet has answered Ralph and Steen’s point about a ‘massless’ object feeling the effect of the sun’s gravity. The essential misunderstanding Ralph is in your reference to ‘Newtonian’. In Relativity a massive object (like the sun) bends time and space around itself. All other objects, whether they have mass or not, will feel the effect of this bending. Indeed, this was one of the first predictions of Einstein’s theory to be checked out and it was found, during the course of an eclipse, that light (which is massless) does indeed bend when it passes close to the sun.

By: justsomeguy

justsomeguy — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:03:48 +0000

Why we measure the distance from the sun to us in ‘AU’ instead of light seconds is merely a reflection on our stubborn vanity. Man will ever be the measure of all things.