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Binocular Universe
 | A lifelong amateur astronomer, Phil Harrington was bitten by the "astronomical bug" when he was assigned to watch the total lunar eclipse of April 1968 as a homework assignment.
"Once in a Blue Moon." We have all used that phrase at one time or another when talking
about something that only happens on rare occasions. Astronomically
speaking, today's definition of a "Blue Moon" refers to the second
Full Moon occurring in the same calendar month. The kite-shaped pattern of stars that we know as Boötes (pronounced Boh-oh-teez) is one of the
oldest constellations in the entire sky. Some say that it dates
back to ancient Babylon, when they were used to depict the god Enlil, patron
god of farmers. Others trace it to Sumeria, where it represented
"The Man Who Drove the Great Cart" (our Big Dipper).
Ten years
ago, I gave a talk at an astronomy convention in western PA called Astroblast.
Astroblast is hosted each year by the Oil Region Astronomical Society, based in Franklin. One of
the other speakers that year was Eric Fischer from Allison Park, PA, who gave a
fascinating presentation entitled "If Sherlock Holmes Observed Artificial
Satellites." |
