Re: What is "retrograde orbital motion?"

In article <EV3tg.21610$O35.15103@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Pieter Litchfield <pvcl@*nospam*plitch.com> wrote:
Since we can "postpone" a meeting, maybe we could 'prepone" a meeting too.

No - it must be pro-poned.... :-)

"Bill Owen" <wmo@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:44B41082.2010508@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:49:37 -0700, Bill Owen <wmo@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for that parenthetical remark. I've
been trying to convince the "flight-dynamics people" here at JPL of
this for years. Even some of the astronomy types have succumbed to
"prograde". Sigh.


Nothing wrong with "prograde". I'm an orbital dynamicist, and that's
what I use. The pairing of "prograde" and "retrograde" works very
nicely, much better than using "direct", IMO.

Word usage changes, and you can spend all the time you want trying to
convince people to use your choice of words, but language will still
evolve. Prograde has been with us about 40 years now, and it looks like
it will be with us for a while.

You have some valid points here. I have no doubt that in another 50 or
100 years, very few people will remember that the *original* word for
the antonym of "retrograde" was "direct". Language changes, and usually
those changes are for the better.

But I'm still gonna stick with "direct". :-)

-- Bill




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Relevant Pages

  • Re: What is "retrograde orbital motion?"
    ... Since we can "postpone" a meeting, maybe we could 'prepone" a meeting too. ... Nothing wrong with "prograde". ... Word usage changes, and you can spend all the time you want trying to ... convince people to use your choice of words, ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: What is "retrograde orbital motion?"
    ... been trying to convince the "flight-dynamics people" here at JPL of ... Nothing wrong with "prograde". ... Word usage changes, and you can spend all the time you want trying to ... convince people to use your choice of words, ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: What is "retrograde orbital motion?"
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    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: What is "retrograde orbital motion?"
    ... Even some of the astronomy types have succumbed to ... Nothing wrong with "prograde". ... Word usage changes, and you can spend all the time you want trying to ... convince people to use your choice of words, ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: What is "retrograde orbital motion?"
    ... Sigh. ... Nothing wrong with "prograde". ... Word usage changes, and you can spend all the time you want trying to ... convince people to use your choice of words, ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)