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It is a tradition in the BAA Christmas meeting for Nick James to round off his Sky Notes with quotes from the press describing astronomical objects in terms of giraffes and pandas etc. This came to mind this morning when I was reading the BBC news item on the giant iceberg A23a and encouraged to think of it as a credit card. It is not only astronomy which is blessed with such comparisons!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67694164
The Christmas meeting was the first I have been able to attend for a while, and I should like to thank the organisers and presenters for a splendid and most enjoyable event. Each talk was highly illuminating as well as entertaining. Great to finish with a wine and a get together too. I hope Nick was not altogether serious when he said that he is abandoning the giraffes and pandas though 🙂
To be fair, the credit card analogy in that BBC report is to explain the proportions of the iceberg, not its size. I think this is conceptually useful. It’s like the explanation of lunar crater morphology Patrick Moore tended to give, as being ‘more like dinner plates than soup bowls’. Whereas the giraffes/pandas thing is just silly (and obviously just a jape by one particular writer for the Jerusalem Post).
Anyway, I am, glad John enjoyed the meeting. I have had many comments of appreciation for the drinks party afterwards. Thanks to Hazel Collett and Marie-Louise Archer for organising it. I hope we will do the same next year.
David Arditti
President
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