Astronomy/Expert Profile

Courtney Seligman

U.S.
On Vacation
returns 11/30/2009
Expertise

I can answer almost any question about astronomy and related sciences (such as physics and geology). I will not answer questions about astrology and similar pseudo-scientific rubbish.

Experience in the area

I have been a professor of astronomy for nearly 40 years, and am working on an online text/encyclopedia of astronomy.

Publications

(too long ago to be relevant)

Education/Credentials

I received a BA in astronomy and physics, and MA in astronomy, both from UCLA. I was working on my doctoral dissertation when I started teaching, and discovered that I preferred teaching to research.

Awards and Honors

(too long ago to be relevant)

Average Ratings

  • Rating N/A
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  • Number of Questions (in Past 24 Hours) 0
  • Max Questions to be Asked (in 24 Hour Period) 5
  • Total Questions (since joining AllExperts) 236
  • Volunteer Since 2008-08-05
  • Prestige Points 2660

Recent Answers from Courtney Seligman

2009-11-03 Lunar rilles:

If such a thing had ever occurred, we should see immense cracks where things were put back together, or strange juxtapositions of very different terrains, as we do on Miranda (one of the moons of Uranus)

2009-11-02 Lunar rilles:

I read the answer I believe you're referring to, and the page you linked to. The latter makes a compelling argument that current theories of rill/rille formation may be wrong; but that doesn't mean that

2009-10-27 expansion of the universe:

It is correct that the objects we now see as they were 13.7 billion years ago are now much farther away. BUT THEY ARE NO LONGER PART OF THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE, and how fast they are now moving away from

2009-10-26 expansion of the universe:

The problem is your units (and a probable decimal place error). The "observable" Universe is 13.7 billion light years in radius, not 13.7 billion parsecs. Dividing by 3.26 light years per parsec yields

2009-10-12 Big Bang Theory:

There wouldn't be any reflected wave, because that requires a surface to reflect off of, and no such surface would have existed at any time during or after the Big Bang. As the Universe grew there would

 

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