Monday, April 24, 2006
Lost Star
Our solar system may have misplaced a companion star, or so the Binary Research Institute thinks. They're always in the last place you look, aren't they?
# posted by Chris Roberson @
3:40 PM
Comments:
<< Home
Fascinating. I'd really like to talk to an astronomer about why we haven't noticed our companion star. I'd guess it must be a dim dwarf, and is sitting there in various photographs, being one of millions that nobody has ever done a parallax test on.
Paul, I'd have to read Cruttenden's book "Lost Star of Myth and Time" to know for sure, but my impression is that the theory holds that the companion star used to be there, but isn't anymore. Perhaps it "migrated", or maybe it was just dismantled by a Vogon Constructor Fleet.
It looks like The Binary Research Institute is mostly the pet project of Cruttenden, who isn't actually an astronomer; he's a former investment banker. His bio says he "has put forth the "Binary Model" to better explain the Precession of the Equinox, the little- understood, third motion of the Earth." The precession of the equinoxes is pretty well understood, I'd say; most astronomers don't feel the need to posit a companion star in order to explain it.
Another note: most astronomers believe that Sedna's highly elliptical orbit is evidence of a close approach of another star in the distant past. However, Cruttenden "believes that Sedna's unusual orbit is something indicative of the current solar system configuration, not merely a historical record." Cruttenden appears to be alone in this belief.
From the press release for Cruttenden's book: "Modern science, and ancient texts, myth and folklore, agree that this binary relationship of the two heavenly bodies may well be the cause of the Dark and Golden Ages of man." The Dark and Golden Ages of man? This is not astronomy.
From the press release for Cruttenden's book: "Modern science, and ancient texts, myth and folklore, agree that this binary relationship of the two heavenly bodies may well be the cause of the Dark and Golden Ages of man." The Dark and Golden Ages of man? This is not astronomy.
Ted, I can always count on you! Thanks for the update. The whole thing sounded quite a bit wonky to me. Still, it would have made good grist for stories. Oh, well...
Post a Comment
<< Home
