Here’s a table of all known star systems within 15 light years (ly) of our Solar System. I will endeavor to keep this list up to date, so please post a comment here if anything needs to be corrected or added.
There are 41 star systems1 within a volume of
Assuming that these 41 star systems are uniformly distributed within a sphere of radius 15 ly, the average distance from any star to its nearest neighbor is given by
So, even though it seems that 41 star systems within a distance of 15 ly from our Solar System is a lot, the volume of 14,137 cubic light years is not that small, and the average distance between any star and its nearest neighbor is about 3.94 ly. Our nearest neighbor is Proxima Centauri, which at a distance of 4.24 ly is quite close to the 3.94 ly average distance derived above.
I’ve lived in Tucson, Arizona for ten months now, and I have to tell you, it is no fun driving here at night. While it is a joy living in a city that for a change isn’t horribly overlit and that takes light pollution seriously (though that is starting to erode), it is often hard to see at night because of the many vehicles on the road with blinding headlights. In recent years, this has become a huge problem throughout the U.S., and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) needs to act quickly and decisively to deal with this dangerous nuisance.
Not only have headlights gotten brighter and bluer (which makes glare much worse), many vehicles have multiple sets of headlights, including “fog lights” that are anything but. High-profile vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs are especially bad when it comes to causing blinding glare for smaller, less extravagant vehicles. Jacked-up pickup trucks are the worst, and there are a lot of them here.
When one of these headlight-offensive vehicles is heading towards you, it makes it difficult to see the road ahead. It is especially hard to see pedestrians and bicyclists. Pavement markings are also harder to see because of the glare from the oncoming vehicle, especially when those lines are badly faded and in need of re-painting (as they often are here).
Tucson has far too many busy intersections without a protected left turn, and if you find yourself in a left-turn lane being stared down by a headlight-offensive vehicle in the opposite left-turn lane, the glare blinds you so much that it is difficult to see oncoming vehicles in the through-traffic lanes.
When a headlight-offensive vehicle comes up behind you and, as they often do, practically rides your bumper because driving at or near the speed limit isn’t fast enough for them, you’re hit with their intense glare in all three rear-view mirrors. This makes it harder to see the road ahead, and you have to slow down—which tends to aggravate them more than they already are. If you’re lucky, they can pass you—though sometimes they will illegally cross a double yellow line to do it.
Because of all these intense and unregulated vehicle headlights, I now avoid driving at night whenever possible.
Sure, headlights like these helps the perpetrator see better so they can drive down the road at night exceeding the speed limit (which is seldom enforced here, by the way), but everyone else—drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians—is blinded.
What are the specific problems with modern vehicle headlights that need to be addressed, and what are the solutions?
Problem: The average vehicle’s total headlight lumen output (and individual headlight luminance) has dramatically increased in recent years, causing a corresponding increase in discomfort and disability glare for everyone else.
Solution: Headlights would not have to be so bright if speed limits were lower at night on many city streets and thoroughfares, and if the posted speed limits were actually enforced.
Solution: Implement adaptive driving beam (ADB) technology that uses sensors to detect oncoming traffic and adjusts the projected beam pattern to allow plenty of light for the driver without blinding other motorists. (ADB is widely used in Europe, but is not yet legal in the United States.)
Problem: Light-emitting diode (LED) and High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights emit more light at the blue end of the visible spectrum than traditional warm-white or yellowish halogen headlights do, and these bluer lights result in significantly greater visual discomfort and impairment for other drivers.
Solution: Limit the amount of blue light that headlights can produce.
Problem: Poor headlight aim leads to dangerous glare for others.
Solution: Require regular headlight aim inspections and adjustments. Anytime a vehicle’s suspension is lifted, require headlight aim to be adjusted downward accordingly.
I’d like to close this article by quoting one of the many insightful comments in the Comments section of the New York Times article listed under References below.
Like everything else, it is no longer about the collective good and the laws that protect it. Individualism now rules—individual freedom. Headlights have become a First Amendment issue—an element of free speech.
And they have become part of the conservative anti-government backlash. Laws regulating headlights are seen as government intrusion into personal freedoms. It is seen by many to be like the COVID mask issue. Too many people think personal freedom trumps everything else–even collective health and safety.
And there is a free-market aspect to this. Manufacturers are looking for ways to add features to cars that will make them more attractive to buyers. They know the lights are unsafe, yet they put them on their vehicles.
America has lost all common sense.
Michael Evanston, IL | June 9, 2021
Mark my words, if we keep heading down this path of excessive individual freedom (read: selfishness) without significant responsibility for the common good (that means everybody, not just your tribe), it will be our undoing. The United States will become a miserable place to live for the majority of us for at least a generation. I’m not hopeful that we can turn this around in time. Too many of us are “asleep at the wheel” and too easily swayed by misinformation and propaganda.
In 2023, the best dates and times for observing the zodiacal light are listed in the calendar below. The sky must be very clear with little or no light pollution. The specific times listed are for Tucson, Arizona (32° 16′ N, 111° 03′ W).
Here’s a nicely-formatted printable PDF file of the zodiacal light calendar:
The best nights to observe the zodiacal light at mid-northern latitudes occur when the ecliptic plane intersects the horizon at an angle of 60° or steeper. The dates above were chosen on that basis, with the Sun at least 18° below the horizon and the Moon below the horizon being used to calculate the times. An interval of time of one hour either before morning twilight or after evening twilight was chosen arbitrarily because it is the “best one hour” for observing the zodiacal light. The zodiacal light cone will be brightest and will reach highest above the horizon when the Sun is 18° below the horizon (astronomical twilight), but no less.
If you are interested in calculating the angle the ecliptic makes with your horizon for any date and time, you can use the following formula:
where I is the angle between the ecliptic and the horizon, ε is the obliquity of the ecliptic, φ is the latitude of the observer, and θ is the local sidereal time (the right ascension of objects on the observer's meridian at the time of observation).
Here’s a SAS program I wrote to do these calculations:
Here’s a comprehensive list of live classical music performances in Tucson for the year 2024 where the program of composers and works has been published. I will keep this Excel document regularly updated. Please post a comment if anything should be added or changed.
I’ve included a column called “Dave’s Faves” which notes the works I am already familiar with and that I highly recommend. This is subjective, of course, but I hope this will help some of you in deciding which concerts to attend.
Happy Listening!
Link below is an Excel file (.xlsx). Last Updated: December 23, 2024
Music for Listeners is a series of short courses for high school students and adults presenting the works of composers from a listening enjoyment rather than a music theory perspective. Each course presents the life and music of a composer chronologically and is taught by lifelong classical music enthusiast David Oesper.
Music for Listeners
Classical Music Courses in Tucson, AZ
Classical Music Exploration Club
If you live in the Tucson metro area and would like to get together each month to listen to and discuss recordings of favorite classical music pieces we love and would like to introduce to others, I hope you will consider joining:
Each meteor shower is identified using its three-character IAU meteor shower code. Codes are bold on the date of maximum, and one day either side of maximum.
Some additional events have been added to the calendar from Sources of Possible or Additional Activity, Table 6a, p. 27). I used the following abbreviations for the Table 6a events that do not have a standard three-character meteor code:
BA* = 2016 BA14 46P = 46P/Wirtanen
Here’s a printable PDF file of the meteor shower calendar shown below:
What are the best songs Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr recorded after The Beatles? As a lifelong Beatles enthusiast, here are my favorites.
I have purchased all the songs below, but to avoid possible copyright issues, I’ve tried to link to other sources wherever possible. When I could not find an advertising-free source without objectionable video content, I have provided an .mp3 (lossy) audio file from my own record collection. Since my choice for the YouTube videos would have been to include a single static photograph, you may find the video content provided by others to be distracting as I do. In that case, I’d suggest listening to the audio without looking at the videos. It is much better that way, to immerse yourself into the music.
My take on the best songs of each of The Beatles in their post-Beatles career will be presented in chronological order of their release date.
Paul McCartney
Maybe I’m Amazed (April 1970)
This is arguably the best song of Paul McCartney’s entire solo career. Full of musical surprises, as always with McCartney, we can expect the unexpected. The lead guitar solo in the middle and again at the end of the song is incredibly good and deeply moving. This song is “All Paul” but it is nice to hear Linda McCartney on backing vocals as well.
Adrian Allan in Paul McCartney After the Beatles: A Musical Appreciation writes “…tonal ambiguity lies at the heart of Maybe I’m Amazed” and “In this song, perhaps more than any other, McCartney proves his worth as a versatile and skilled multi-instrumentalist, possessing an intuitive understanding of the expressive capabilities of piano, bass, lead guitar, and drums.”
In my opinion, this original studio version of the song is far better than the 1976 live Wings version that was released as a single. That version is slower, longer, and the singing more embellished.
Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey (May 1971)
Who else besides Paul McCartney could produce such a wonderful pastiche? The only other contender that comes to mind is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (Freddie Mercury).
Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey demonstrates that McCartney is an amazingly inventive songwriter, and this is another of his best songs that is tonally ambiguous. In this song, McCartney, the “man of a thousand voices”, adds the dialing of a (now) old-style telephone to his vocal sound effects library.
George Martin wrote the orchestral accompaniment, which was performed by the New York Philharmonic with McCartney conducting.
As Jayson Greene wrote in 2012, “Every single second of this song is joyously, deliriously catchy, and no two seconds are the same.”
I Am Your Singer (December 1971)
This song features interesting electric guitar tremolo effects, a consort of recorders (as in the musical instrument), and some pleasant solo and harmony singing by Linda McCartney. The phrase “sing, singing my love song to you” is a nostalgic throwback to the early Beatles.
Little Lamb Dragonfly (April 1973)
This musically sophisticated and lyrically childlike tender ballad was inspired by a newborn lamb in distress on McCartney’s farm, and was originally intended for a children’s film. Three different key signatures, 12-string & acoustic guitars, and lush orchestration by George Martin and performed by the New York Philharmonic make the whole 6+ minute endeavour an auditory treat.
The Pound Is Sinking (April 1982)
This delightful musical pastiche is reminiscent of Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey.
Fine Line (September 2005)
This catchy, upbeat, and bluesy song leads off the amazing album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, in my opinion his best since McCartney in 1970. And like that album, McCartney plays almost all of the instruments on every song.
Friends To Go (September 2005)
Paul McCartney was thinking about and musically inspired by George Harrison—who had died a couple of years or so earlier—when he wrote this propulsive, delightful song. McCartney’s vocal style is reminiscent of Harrison on his final album, Brainwashed (2002, posthumous).
Promise To You Girl (September 2005)
This song began its development as a bluesy piano tune, and add to that some lavish harmonies, two fantastic lead guitar solos, and more McCartney magic, and you have the makings of another great McCartney song.
Mr. Bellamy (June 2007)
This is another creative McCartney musical pastiche, in the tradition of Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey and The Pound Is Sinking.
John Lennon
Isolation (December 1970)
The raw emotion Lennon expresses in this song and his poignant lyrics—perhaps even more relevant today—is incredibly moving. I just love his double-tracked vocals here, especially “you’re just a human, a victim of the insane.” John Lennon plays piano and Hammond organ, Ringo Starr plays drums, and Klaus Voormann, bass guitar.
Imagine (September 1971)
I think this is the most important song that John Lennon ever wrote. It is a masterpiece. It is a prayer for humanity, not to our imaginary gods. Yoko Ono was hugely influential in its development.
Gimme Some Truth (September 1971)
Here is one of the best political protest songs ever written. As Lisa Wright wrote, “Scorn never sounded so good.” It is enjoyable to fantasize about what penetrating songs John Lennon would have written about politics during the Trump era. George Harrison plays a great slide guitar solo.
Aisumasen (I’m Sorry) (November 1973)
A deeply personal song about vulnerability and regret. This song ends with a remarkable guitar solo by David Spinozza. This song features great bass guitar playing by Gordon Edwards, too.
(Just Like) Starting Over (November 1980)
This is the first song on Double Fantasy, Lennon’s first studio album of original songs in six years. (Just Like) Starting Over was released as a single on October 23, 1980. Less than seven weeks later, Lennon would be dead. His murder so devastated millions of people (including me) that at least three people died by suicide. I will never forget the moment I heard the news. My wife and I were then living in an apartment in Ames, Iowa, and while I was listening to a phonograph record of Alexander Borodin’s Symphony No. 2, I received a phone call from my friend John Salzer informing me of the horrific news.
(Just Like) Starting Over is a 1950s-style rock ‘n’ roll song where Lennon emulates the vocal styles of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. Even though his voice is slightly flat in a few spots, it does not detract from the song at all.
George Harrison
Isn’t It A Pity (November 1970)
This is arguably the best song of George’s solo career, and certainly the most profound. Clocking in at over seven minutes long, this hypnotic song features the largest number of musicians ever assembled for a Harrison song. George’s slide guitar parts are amazing. Ringo Starr plays drums.
His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen) (October 1975)
And now, for something completely different. Here is a Monty-Pythonesque comedic tribute to Harrison’s friend, Larry “Legs” Smith, who also adds a spoken monologue to this recording. It’s a fun pastiche, and even includes a “telephone dialing” vocal sound effect that must have made Paul McCartney smile. (See Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey above.) This is the final song on the album Extra Texture (Read All About It).
Save The World (June 1981)
Save The World is an environmental protest song with a serious message but presented in a Monty-Pythoneque humorous way. Perhaps like a nervous laugh, it is an expression of ecological anxiety. Sound effects are effectively used throughout the piece, and at one point, the explosion of a nuclear bomb puts an end to all else. This is the final track on the album Somewhere in England. Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum fame) plays keyboards, and the saxophones, etc. remind me of Savoy Truffle.
When We Was Fab (November 1987)
Musical and lyrical references to The Beatles and Apple Records abound (I Am The Walrus, Taxman, Magical Mystery Tour, and even Badfinger) in this finely-crafted song co-written, co-performed, and co-produced with Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra fame. Ringo Starr plays drums and contributes backing vocals on this very Beatle-ish tune.
Any Road (November 2002)
This folk rock song reminiscent of The Traveling Wilburys is the first track on the album Brainwashed, released posthumously. Performers are George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, and Jim Keltner. Gotta love George’s slide guitar.
P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) (November 2002)
Even as his health failed, George never lost his wry sense of humor, and his vocal expressiveness is at its very best on this and the other songs on Brainwashed. The guitar playing in this song is fabulous. Once again, performers are George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, and Jim Keltner.
Rising Sun (November 2002)
This one’s classic George Harrison, with great guitars and string arrangement by Marc Mann. George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, and Jim Keltner are the performers on this one, too. Thank you, George Harrison, for all that you gave us. And thank you, Jeff Lynne, extraordinarily talented musician and producer that you are, for working with him.
Ringo Starr
Easy For Me (November 1974)
Harry Nilsson wrote this haunting, poignant ballad for Ringo, and Ringo sings it perfectly. Lincoln Mayorga is the pianist, and Trevor Lawrence & Vini Poncia wrote the strings arrangement, conducted by Richard Perry.
King of Broken Hearts (June 1998)
This Beatle-ish song was written by Ringo, Mark Hudson, Dean Grakal, and Steve Dudas. George Harrison plays slide guitar and the string arrangement is by Graham Preskett.
Instant Amnesia (March 2003)
Here we have a fantastic rocker, again written by Ringo, Mark Hudson, Dean Grakal, and Steve Dudas. This song is delightfully Lennonesque, with even a mention of Instant Karma—except for the unexpected yet cool middle section. Highlights are great drumming by Ringo and a lead guitar solo by Steve Dudas.
Elizabeth Reigns (March 2003)
This whimsical song referencing Queen Elizabeth II and the British monarchy was written by Ringo, Mark Hudson, Gary Burr, Steve Dudas, and Dean Grakal. For me, it brings back memories of Sexy Sadie. At the end of the song, Ringo laments, “well, there goes me knighthood”. Sir Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) did receive his knighthood in 2018 after all, administered by Prince William.
For Love (January 2008)
Written by Ringo and Mark Hudson, this song reminds me a little of John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over, particularly the call and response vocal harmonies.
Harry’s Song (January 2008)
We’ve come full circle with Ringo, from a song written by Harry Nilsson to a song about Harry Nilsson. This bouncy number was written by Ringo, Mark Hudson, Gary Burr, and Steve Dudas—the performers of this song.
Eris was discovered on January 5, 2005 by Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David A. Rabinowitz. Its orbit is more eccentric and more highly inclined than Pluto’s, and it is almost as large as Pluto, having a diameter that is 97.9% that of Pluto. Eris last came to perihelion on July 23, 1699 when it was in the constellation Virgo shining at a magnitude of 14.8, well beyond the reach of any telescopes existing at the time.
Pluto, Eris, and Satellites – Sizes and Orbital Distances to Scale
Eris has an orbit that is so eccentric (e = 0.44) that it actually spends some time each orbit closer to the Sun than Pluto is during the outer reaches of its orbit. Pluto’s aphelion distance is 49.31 AU, and Eris will be closer to the Sun than that for 99 years, from 2208 to 2307.
Eris is closer to the Sun than Pluto’s average distance of 40.70 AU for 43 years, between 2236 and 2279. Eris again reaches perihelion in 2257, when it will be 38.09 AU from the Sun.
Eris has an orbit that is tilted at nearly a 45° angle with respect to the ecliptic. This takes it through some interesting constellations during its 559-year orbital period. Here is its upcoming travel itinerary.
Upcoming Travel Plans for Eris (not subject to change1)
1 Unless the constellation boundaries are redrawn due to precession or other considerations
In Greek & Roman mythology, Eris is the goddess of strife and discord. 500 years hence, in 2522, Eris will once again be in Cetus, as it is today. But where will we be? What kind of life will our great-great-great-great great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great great-great grandchildren have in 2522? Here are some of my hopes for 2522.
There will be no more wars, no weapons of mass destruction.
There will be no need for guns, and no one will have them.
Violence will not be tolerated, nor will society glorify it or dwell on it in any way.
Individuals who “cross the line” and violate others through the use of physical violence will be psychologically re-engineered so they will live productive and fulfilling lives without being a threat to others. This neutralization of violent tendencies must be accomplished humanely and in a way that does not violate the individual’s essential humanity.
The Earth will be treated as the oasis it is.
Money will no longer exist, nor will it be needed.
Though no one alive today is likely to ever see any of these things, that in no way excuses us from working substantially towards these goals. To do anything less is a dereliction of moral duty.
I receive enough solicitations in the mail from non-profit organizations to fill a 10-ream paper box every couple of months. I don’t think I have ever seen it this bad. I know that needs are great and worthwhile causes many, but giving $25 to an organization supporting cause xyz should not result in a dozen other organizations supporting similar causes mailing me multiple times each year.
There has to be a better way. Catalog companies had to solve this problem decades ago because of the expense of printing and mailing catalogs to existing and prospective customers. You mail your best customers often, those who don’t spend much or purchase infrequently less often, and prospective customers maybe once in a great while.
If the U.S. Postal Service continues to have financial problems, one source of revenue would be to increase the non-profit postage rate, and that would force many non-profit organizations to use a more sophisticated approach for their mailings.
Why not start now? I’d like to see a non-profit organization established whose sole purpose is to help other non-profit organizations to mail donors and prospective donors efficiently. Let’s give it a placeholder name: Nonprofit Mailing Association (NMA). Each participating non-profit organization would confidentially provide their donor lists and contribution history for each donor to NMA, and NMA in turn would use the data received from your organization and other non-profit organizations to rank-order donors based on likelihood to contribute and amount likely to contribute.
In the marketing business, this process is called “modeling”. Each model needs to take into consideration the amount you give (are you a $25 or $500 donor?), the frequency you give (monthly, 2-3 times a year, annually, or every couple of years or so), and to which non-profits. Other behaviors need to be taken into account. Does the donor tend to support organizations that they seek out directly, or are they more likely to respond to prospect mailings?
This modeling will result in fewer mailings but a lower acquisition cost per donor. From a donor standpoint, hopefully this will stop frequent mailings to individuals who have never donated to an organization. Once a year is often enough. Anything more borders on harassment. Besides, is the average person more likely to look at a non-profit mailing if they receive one in the mail on average each day or ten?
This approach should also apply to political organizations.
Using a more sophisticated approach to non-profit mailings will result in lower mailing and printing costs for the non-profit, and less printed material ending up in the recycling stream or—more often—the landfill.
Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997) spent the first fifteen years of his life on a farm near Streator, Illinois, and then his family moved to a farm near Burdett, Kansas (no wonder he got interested in astronomy!), and he went to high school there. Then, on February 18, 1930, Tombaugh, a self-taught amateur astronomer and telescope maker, discovered the ninth planet in our solar system, Pluto. It had been nearly 84 years since the eighth planet, Neptune, had been discovered, in 1846. And it would be another 62 years before another trans-Neptunian object (TNO) would be discovered.
Clyde Tombaugh was 24 years old when he discovered Pluto. He died in 1997 at the age of 90 (almost 91). I was very fortunate to meet Prof. Tombaugh at a lecture he gave at Iowa State University in 1990. At that lecture, he told a fascinating story about the discovery of Pluto, and I remember well his comment that he felt certain that no “tenth planet” larger than Pluto exists in our solar system, because of the thorough searches he and others had done since his discovery of Pluto. But, those searches were done before the CCD revolution, and just two years later, the first TNO outside the Pluto-Charon system, 15760 Albion (1992 QB1), would be discovered by David Jewitt (1958-) and Jane Luu (1963-), although only 1/9th the size of Pluto.
Pluto is, by far, the smallest of the nine planets. At only 2,377 km across, Pluto is only 2/3 the size of our Moon! Pluto has a large moon called Charon (pronounced SHAR-on) that is 1,212 km across (over half the size of Pluto), discovered in 1978 by James Christy (1938-). Two additional moons were discovered using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 2005: Hydra (50.9 × 36.1 × 30.9 km) and Nix (49.8 × 33.2 × 31.1 km). A fourth moon was discovered using HST in 2011: Kerberos (10 × 9 × 9 km). And a fifth moon, again using HST, in 2012: Styx (16 × 9 × 8 km).
Pluto has been visited by a single spacecraft. New Horizons passed 12,472 km from Pluto and 28,858 km from Charon on July 14, 2015. Then, about 3½ years later, New Horizons passed 3,538 km from 486958 Arrokoth, on January 1, 2019.
Only one other TNO comparable in size to Pluto (or larger) is known to exist. 136199 Eris and its moon Dysnomia were discovered in 2005 by Mike Brown (1965-), Chad Trujillo (1973-), and David Rabinowitz (1960-). It is currently estimated that Eris is 97.9% the size of Pluto. Not surprisingly, in 2006 Pluto was “demoted” by the IAU from planethood to dwarf planet status. (Is not a “dwarf planet” a planet? Confusing…)
My take on this is that Pluto should be considered a planet along with Eris, of course. The definition of “planet” is really rather arbitrary, so given that Pluto was discovered 75 years before Eris, and 62 years before TNO #2, I think we should (in deference to the memory of Mr. Tombaugh, mostly) define a planet as any non-satellite object orbiting the Sun that is around the size of Pluto or larger. So, by my definition, there are currently ten known planets in our solar system. Is that really too many to keep track of?
There is precedent for including history in scientific naming decisions. William Herschel (1738-1822) is thought to have coined the term “planetary nebula” in the 1780s, and though we now know they have nothing to do with planets (unless their morphology is affected by orbiting planets), we still use the term “planetary nebula” to describe them today.
In the table below, you will find the eight “classical” planets, plus the five largest TNOs, all listed in order of descending size. (The largest asteroid, Ceres, is 939 km across, and is thus smaller than the smallest of these TNOs.)
You’ll see that the next largest TNO after Eris is Haumea, and that its diameter is only 67% that of Eris.
I’ve also listed the largest satellite for each of these objects. Venus and Mercury do not have a satellite—at least not at the present time.
It is amazing to note that both Ganymede and Titan are larger than the planet Mercury! And Ganymede, Titan, the Moon, and Triton are all larger than Pluto.
Largest Objects in the Solar System
Object
Diameter (km)
Largest Satellite
Diameter (km)
Size Ratio
Jupiter
139,822
Ganymede
5,268
3.8%
Saturn
116,464
Titan
5,149
4.4%
Uranus
50,724
Titania
1,577
3.1%
Neptune
49,244
Triton
2,707
5.5%
Earth
12,742
Moon
3,475
27.3%
Venus
12,104
N/A
N/A
N/A
Mars
6,779
Phobos
23
0.3%
Mercury
4,879
N/A
N/A
N/A
Pluto
2,377
Charon
1,212
51.0%
Eris
2,326
Dysnomia
700
30.1%
Haumea
1,560
Hiʻiaka
320
20.5%
Makemake
1,430
S/2015 (136472)
175
12.2%
Gonggong
1,230
Xiangliu
200
16.3%
Should any other non-satellite objects with a diameter of at least 2,000 km be discovered in our solar system, I think we should call them planets, too.
It seems to me that so-called “Smart TVs” just give you more of the same: corporately-curated, pay-to-subscribe, advertising-supported television.
I’d like to be able to create my own “channels” from websites and services that I choose. My channels would include:
PBS Passport
medici.tv
Curiosity Stream
NASA TV
C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, C-SPAN3
Currently, I access these (with the exception of the C-SPAN channels*) by selecting the content I want on a laptop computer which I’ve connected to my television.
It would be nice to have the web browser built into the television and a TV remote that includes a keyboard (real or virtual) and a touchpad (or arrow keys) to navigate website menus and enter text into search boxes. That way you could dispense with the connected laptop.
It would also be nice to be able to automatically and securely log in to each website by simply clicking on the channel icon. No apps to download, configure, or install.
Does such a television even exist?
*Access to C‑SPAN, C‑SPAN2 and C‑SPAN3 online and in the C‑SPAN Now app is currently limited to cable and satellite TV customers.
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