Recently
Week of Nov. 29 -- Dec. 5, 2009
With the holiday season racing toward us like an out-of-control train, it won't be long before we begin seeing and hearing ads to have a star named after someone special.
Now, I'm a huge proponent of the free enterprise system, but, much like P.T. …Read more.
Week of Nov. 22-29, 2009
Anyone frequenting singles bars back in the '70s has surely heard the question "What's your sign?" And while most of us know the answer, not many know what it actually means. It's really quite simple.
The sun's annual path through the …Read more.
Week of Nov. 8-14, 2009
Anyone who has ever gazed at a dark sky for more than a few minutes has almost certainly seen a burst of light appearing out of nowhere that disappears just as quickly.
We call such a startling phenomenon romantic names like a "falling …Read more.
Week of Nov. 1-7, 2009
Now that autumn is firmly set into place, I've been sorting through my closet in search of warmer clothing to get me through the winter. I don't know why it is, but I always seem to find one fewer coat hanger than there are pieces of clothing in the …Read more.
more articles
|
Week of Nov. 15-21, 2009There are few sights more beautiful than the glistening stars and planets on a clear, dark rural night. But just where do all those heavenly bodies go during the daytime? And why can't we see them when the sky is bright? As I'm sure you already know, the answer is rather simple. Everything still lies overhead but isn't visible because the daytime sky is overwhelmed by sunlight — the ultimate in light pollution. Seeing anything against this bright blue sky is like trying to watch a film with the theater lights still on. The contrast between the subject and screen is so low that our eyes are incapable of making out details. The same is true in the daytime sky. The difference, however, is that if we know just where to look, we can often see some of the brightest celestial objects while the sun is still up. Monday, Nov. 23 provides us a good opportunity to give this a try. On that afternoon, we'll be able to find the first quarter moon in the southeastern part of the sky and, as the sun descends lower, it will appear more toward the southern sky. Not far below the moon on that afternoon lies the bright planet Jupiter. On that afternoon, Jupiter lies about 3 or 4 degrees to the south of the first quarter moon. To find it, make a fist and hold it up at arm's length. The width of your fist — from the thumb to the little finger — is about 10 degrees, so Jupiter will lie about one-third or one-half of a fist below the moon. Of course, it'll appear quite faint against the bright blue sky, so you'll probably need binoculars to spot it. Another way to locate Jupiter might be to aim binoculars at the moon in the first place and then slide them downward until the moon just leaves the top of the field of view. Jupiter should then appear very near the center. After you find Jupiter, remove the binoculars and see if you can spot it with the unaided eye. This can be challenging until the sun sets and the sky begins to darken, but if you know just where to look, you should be successful. To find out more about Dennis Mammana and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
