I’ve just had an email invitation to subscribe to a journal called ‘Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics’, with a lovely note that they hope it will serve my research needs. I’m at a loss to think of how it possibly could; maybe at some conference years ago I filled in a card saying I had some vague interest in astrophysics.
Anyway, what is Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics? It sounds impressive. I’m guessing it must be the study of fluids on planets / starts other than Earth. Now, that research would make for a good field trip. Can you imagine the application for funding – I just need a few billion dollars to take a trip to Jupiter to look at flow patterns in its atmosphere.
On the more realistic assumption that such (experimental) studies are made via telescope and the odd space probe, it’s actually quite impressive just how much we can deduce about other planets, the sun, etc, without actually going there. A bit like those annoying friends who think themselves experts on your holiday destination without ever setting foot in the place.