Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Astronomical objects/Archive1

"The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one can not live in a cradle forever" ~ Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

The purpose of this wiki-project is to create, improve and standardize articles for astronomical objects, which includes notable objects that exist outside of the Earth. The templates to list basic information, along with guideline reccomendations, are given below.

Overall footer

 * Template:Astronomy-footer - General subfields within astronomy

Useful Templates
When filling in scientific data, you may find the following templates useful:
 *  $$  which produces: $$ used thus: 500 $$ km. (Avoid using it in a link, though: it looks bad)
 *   which produces:  used thus:  5.97 kg , which gives 5.97×1024 kg.

Planets and moons
This page is where work is being done to come up with a generic table template to be used for organizing a list of facts about various astronomical bodies such as planets, natural satellites, and maybe also smaller bodies such as asteroids and comets (though I suspect that both asteroids and comets will be better served by having their own template design).

Most of these entries should be measured in SI units. Some of them, however, should have more "human-accessible" units, in addition to SI units. I've indicated some cases with a second unit name in brackets. In the case of times (orbital periods, rotation), I think it best to give all periods in days for comparison purposes, and provide a translation (in parentheses) into years, days, hours, etc.; whatever is most appropriate for the duration being described.

Oh, and compared to table templates for things like the elements, I think that this template should be considered somewhat more flexible. Moons with no atmosphere whatsoever could skip the atmospheric composition section entirely, for example (though atmospheric density would still be listed). Moons also wouldn't have their orbital radii listed in AU, since AUs are such large units. For planets, use "perihelion" and "aphelion" instead of "periapsis" and "apoapsis."

In the case of "number of moons" and "is a moon of", only one of these rows will be used by any given object. There aren't any moons with moons (yet), though perhaps "co-orbital with" might be a useful row to add in a few cases.

A set of colours for use in the 2-column headers of this table:

On orbital characteristics: The orbital circumference should be computed from the semi-major axis using Ramanujan's approximation for ellipses. The ratio of that circumference to the period then gives the average orbital speed. The minimum and maximum speeds follow from Kepler's laws: $$v_{max} = 2\pi a^2 \frac{\sqrt{1-e^2}}{T a (1-e)}$$ and $$v_{min} = 2\pi a^2 \frac{\sqrt{1-e^2}}{T a (1+e)}$$. Note that, by convention, all orbital parameters are given in the primocentric reference system (heliocentric for the planets).

On physical characteristics: The surface area and volume of non-spherical objects (e.g. moonlets, asteroids) must use the proper ellipsoid formulae, because even slight departures from sphericity will make a large difference, particularly for the area.

On the subject of obliquity: Obliquity is the angle between the object's axis of rotation and the normal to the plane of its orbit. Do not confuse this with the Tilt listed in the JPL pages, which is a measure of the angle between the local Laplace plane and the primary's equatorial plane. In fact, most inner moons have synchronous rotations, so their obliquities will be, by definition, zero. Outer moons simply have not been seen from close up enough to determine their true obliquities (although Phoebe, recently seen by the Cassini probe, is an exception; see Talk:Phoebe (moon) for the derivation of its obliquity).

Conversion log
Still to be done:
 * For Neptune:
 * Nereid

Done:

Planet Template
Template: Planet

The above fields need incorporating into this template.

Footers

 * Template:Footer SolarSystem - Planets in our Solar system
 * Template:Mars Footer - Mars' natural satellites
 * Template:Jupiter Footer - Jupiter's natural satellites (condensed)
 * Template:Jupiter Full Footer - Jupiter's natural satellites (exhaustive)
 * Template:Saturn Footer - Saturn's natural satellites (condensed)
 * Template:Saturn Full Footer - Saturn's natural satellites (exhaustive)
 * Template:Uranus Footer - Uranus's natural satellites
 * Template:Neptune Footer - Neptune's natural satellites
 * Template:Pluto Footer - Pluto and its natural satellites

Useful sources

 * JPL's SSD, Natural Satellite Physical Parameters
 * JPL's SSD, Planetary Satellite Mean Orbital Parameters
 * Solarviews
 * The Nine Planets

Minor planets (asteroids, comets, Kuiperoids, etc)
The example on the far right is the recommended table format for minor planets &mdash;note the recommended unit links. It is generated by the Minor Planet template. The template has an optional astron argument whose default value is helion; this allows its use to describe asteroid moons, as in the S/2000 1 example.

Urhixidur wrote a nifty Windows tool that can greatly facilitate preparation of these. The most recent version can be downloaded from http://www.bigfoot.com/~D.U.Thibault (at the bottom of the page, under the heading "Delphi 7 and Wikipedia").

A more compact form of this with just the orbital elements is on the near right Minor planet (note the lower case 'p'). The two are incompatible at the moment, something which Nicholas intends to fix one day.

A few short-hand templates are useful when dealing with asteroids with provisional designations. They are Template:mp, Template:mpl, and Template:mpl-. Mpl ("minor planet link") is used to write a link, like so   =, whilst mp ("minor planet") saves you from typing &lt;sub>&lt;/sub> if you'd rather not: <tt>  </tt> =. Mpl- is used with numbered asteroids that have kept (so far) their provisional designations: <tt> </tt> =  instead of.

Footers

 * Template:MinorPlanets Footer - Minor planets
 * Template:MinorPlanets Navigator - Minor planet sequential navigator
 * Template:PeriodicComets Navigator - Periodic comet sequential navigator
 * Template:Footer TransNeptunian - Large Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)
 * Template:TNO - Small list of TNO-related topics

Particularly useful are MinorPlanets Navigator and MinorPlanets Footer. Scroll down beyond the table to the right to see examples of these.

Comets
As discussed above, comets might be served better by a different template. Here is a suggestion for Comet we can toy with until we are happy with it. Awolf002 00:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Starbox tree
The position of Alpha Centauri.
 * colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:Position_Alpha_Cen.png|250px]]
 * colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:Position_Alpha_Cen.png|250px]]

! style="background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Observation data Epoch J2000
 * Constellation
 * Centaurus
 * Right ascension
 * 14h 39m 36.2s
 * Declination
 * -60&deg; 50&prime; 8.2&Prime;
 * Apparent magnitude (V) 
 * 0.01
 * -60&deg; 50&prime; 8.2&Prime;
 * Apparent magnitude (V) 
 * 0.01
 * 0.01

! style="background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Spectral Characteristics
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Spectral type
 * G2 V
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * U-B color index
 * 0.24
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * B-V color index
 * 0.65
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Variable type
 * N/A

! style="background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Astrometry

! style="background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Physical Characteristics undefined
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Mass
 * 1.10/0.91 M☉
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Radius
 * 1.23/0.87 R☉
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Luminosity
 * 1.57/0.51 L☉
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Temperature
 * 5,800/5,300 K
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Metallicity
 * 130-230% Sun
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Rotation
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Age
 * 5-6 &times; 109 years
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Metallicity
 * 130-230% Sun
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Rotation
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Age
 * 5-6 &times; 109 years
 * style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Age
 * 5-6 &times; 109 years
 * 5-6 &times; 109 years

! style="background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Visual binary orbit
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Companion
 * Alpha Centauri B
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Period (P) 
 * 79.92 years
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Semimajor axis (a) 
 * 17.515"
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Eccentricity (e) 
 * 0.516
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Inclination (i) 
 * 79.24&deg;
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Node (Ω) 
 * 204.87&deg; (ascending)&deg;
 * - style="vertical-align: top;"
 * Periastron epoch (T) 
 * 1955.56

! style="background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Other designations This table is composed of the following sub-templates:
 * colspan="2" | &alpha;1 Cen, CP -60&deg; 5483 A, Gliese 559A, FK5 538, HD 128620, HIP 71683, HR 5459, LHS 50, SAO 252838, YPC 3309.00
 * }
 * }
 * Starbox begin
 * Starbox image
 * Starbox observe
 * Starbox character
 * Starbox astrometry
 * Starbox visbin
 * Starbox detail
 * Starbox catalog
 * Starbox end

References: 

Short star template
This template is for stubby star articles, and should be replaced with the full template when the article is expanded.
 * starbox short

Footers

 * Template:ConstellationsListedByPtolemy - Ptolemy's constellations
 * Template:ConstellationList - Modern constellations
 * Template:ConstellationsRoyerAltered - Constellations altered by Augustin Royer in 1679

Extrasolar planets

 * Extrasolar Planet

Supernovae
Template: Supernova

This is a table template that should be used for supernovae. It automatically assigns the article to Category:Supernovae.

Star Clusters
Template: Cluster

''Sample table for M22. Please modify and improve as needed.''

The template is for open and globular clusters.

Galaxies
Template: Galaxy

This example table should be edited and used for galaxies.

Notes: Please see List of galaxies to find galaxies that do not yet have infoboxes/factsheets. Please categorise your galaxy in a subcategory of Category:Galaxies

Galaxy cluster
'''Template: Galaxy cluster

This example table should be edited and used for galaxy groups, clusters, clouds, and superclusters.

Types

 * Compact galaxy...: in a small setting (possibly colliding)
 * Loose galaxy...: separated (sometimes in several constellations)

Planetary Nebulae
Template: Planetary nebula

This example should be copied and used for all planetary nebulae. See List of planetary nebulae for articles on planetary nebulae. Please place new planetary nebulae on this list, and categorize in Category:Planetary nebulae, the category of its constellation, and the category of its catalog (ex:Category:Messier objects).

Diffuse Nebulae
Template: Diffuse nebula

This example should be copied and used for all diffuse nebulae. See List of diffuse nebulae for articles on ddiffuse nebulae. Please place new diffuse nebulae on this list, and categorize in Category:Diffuse nebulae, the category of its constellation, and the category of its catalog (ex:Category:Messier objects).

Dark Nebulae
Template: Dark nebula

Currently (2005) there are only two dark nebulae on Wikipedia, see List of dark nebulae.

Useful links

 * List of asteroids
 * List of galaxies
 * List of Messier objects
 * List of NGC objects
 * List of planetary nebulae
 * To view changes made in the last 24 hours to astronomy pages on Wikipedia click here

Participants
In alphabetical order:
 * AMcWhatever I can do to help...
 * Ardric47 I am by now probably a de facto minor participant, having done some lists and things with sourcing.
 * Awolf002. Count me in! Up to now I just worked on biographies (crater eponyms) and this project looks good.
 * Eric Forste (talk) I feel as if this is the first wikiproject I've joined, so I'm gonna sign my name to it. All y'all that got this thing started up could go ahead and sign yours above mine (or we could just follow the alphabetical convention). Right now I'm working in a sandbox on adding the infobox to Proteus and then I'll be working on Nereid if no one beats me to it.
 * Eurocommuter Contributing to trans-Neptunian-related articles, especially with diagrams and solid references (but offering arXiv preprints).
 * Hurricane Devon (  Talk  ) I'll do galaxies and exoplanets.
 * JamesHoadley (talk) It seems I'm helping out at the moment, so I may as well put my name down. Mostly I work on solar system planets and moons, deep sky stuff (nebulae, galaxies) and spacecraft (not in this topic).
 * Jyril. I've been creating asteroid and extrasolar planet articles for a long time. (Why I haven't signed earlier?)
 * Nicholas. I'm here too.
 * RJH (talk). Finished up the lunar craters; now working on propagating starbox template and some of the crater eponym bios.
 * shaggy Mostly working on cleaning up articles on trans-Neptunian objects and centaurs. Also, creating articles for notable TNOs and centaurs.
 * siafu Working on maintaining the pages on the planets recently.
 * Uber nemo (talk). I'll sign my name alphabetically. I am currently working on galaxy stubs and infoboxless articles.
 * Urhixidur (talk). I've been banging away at asteroids, mostly.

Pages needing attention
Pages needing attention/Mathematical and Natural Sciences/Astronomy

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