Comments on: The Goldilocks project http://snarkmarket.com/2010/5822 The stomping grounds of Tim Carmody, Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson. It's a long-running conversation about media, journalism, technology, cities, culture, design, books, music, movies, the future and the past. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:20:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Matt Penniman http://snarkmarket.com/2010/5822/comment-page-1#comment-12043 Matt Penniman Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:28:33 +0000 http://snarkmarket.com/?p=5822#comment-12043 A great visual, and it got me thinking about orbits. Perihelion is the point of greatest distance from the sun (in the earth's orbit), and aphelion the point of closest approach. If it feels like we've been particularly close to the sun this week, we have; aphelion was July 6 at noon. According to the ever-helpful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsis" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>, the terms for closest and farthest orbital points change with respect to the body being orbited, although there's a generic form (periapsis and apoapsis) as well. While project engagement will never be as regular as orbital mechanics, perhaps it is useful to identify your own moments of closest approach -- knowing that after this, it will be time to pull back your involvement -- and farthest distance -- where you must circle back in, or else fly away. A great visual, and it got me thinking about orbits. Perihelion is the point of greatest distance from the sun (in the earth’s orbit), and aphelion the point of closest approach. If it feels like we’ve been particularly close to the sun this week, we have; aphelion was July 6 at noon.

According to the ever-helpful Wikipedia, the terms for closest and farthest orbital points change with respect to the body being orbited, although there’s a generic form (periapsis and apoapsis) as well. While project engagement will never be as regular as orbital mechanics, perhaps it is useful to identify your own moments of closest approach — knowing that after this, it will be time to pull back your involvement — and farthest distance — where you must circle back in, or else fly away.

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