Last night, just after midnight, I was out in our back-garden trying to get our family pet rabbit in. The rabbit has the whole garden to munch in during the day - but yesterday evening our dog, Mike, got in the back garden and chased the rabbit - who immediately took flight and hid behind the shed.
So there I was, wandering around tha garden and bathed in beautiful moonlight. Looking up, I could see that the moon appeared to be full, and that there were a few back-lit clouds streaming across the sky. It was a stunning sight. The fields and trees around my house had that mysterious gloaming half-light - there and not there. I love that. You can see why, before the advent of effective lighting, the full moon was an opportunity to travel safely. ("The Lunar Men" by Jenny Uglow is a fascinated read, by the way).
This morning, quite by chance, I read an article about the 'Harvest Moon' on the BBC website. The only thing that I knew about a Harvest Moon was that it was the title of an LP by Neil Young. A Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox (September 24th) and was used by farmers to extend the day when harvesting. And this year the Harvest Moon and the Equinox coincide. The article also says that the next time that they will coincide will be 2029. So not quite once-in-a-life-time, but clearly not-very-frequent.
[Incidently, since you ask, I did manage to get the rabbit safely into her hutch for the night. White rabbits, apart from being famous for disappearing down holes, are quite easy to see under a full moon!]
Friday 24 September 2010
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Restless Universe
OK - It's a bad title - it should really say 'Restless Me', but that doesn't sound half as interesting. But then everything is restless if we get down to the dimension of atoms - everything is just a jiggling mess with no apparent structure.
Anyway, back at the human dimension, I am restless. I've registered, I have my desk organised, I have almost planned my time. But the course (sorry, 'Module' - new Open University terminology - must get used to that) doesn't start for another TWO MONTHS. And that's why I'm restless.
To fill the late evening void I still have my habit of reading - although I'm now directing that in the direction of science and future studies. I picked up Stephen Hawking's new book yesterday ("The Grand Design") and am enjoying that. It sits on my shelf next to his other famous book 'A Brief History Of Time' - which I had trouble getting hold of when it was first published. Being an avid Radio Four listener for years, I used to listen to the Sceince programmes whenever I could and make notes (sad, isn't it). On one broadcast they reviewed a new book 'A Brief History...'. I hadn't heard of the book (nor had anyone else apparently) but I was familiar with the work of its author, Hawking, having read articles about him and his research in the Omni Magazine that I used to read in the late 1970's. So the following day I went to my local bookshop and asked for a copy. They hadn't heard of it either, but they did order a copy from the publisher for me. And I read it. I won't claim to have understood it all - and there were some pretty wild concepts to get the head around, but I did find it fascinating. The book later found itself in the Times Bestseller list for quite some time, so I dare say that there must have many other people who also found it fascinating. But it's still there on my shelf a first print run from the first edition. I'm not sure, but I'll guess that the publishers did not expect it to sell a huge amount and probably that first print run was not that big.
Tonight I'll read a bit more. I already know that Philosophy is dead - Stephen Hawking told me that yesterday in his book. It's been replaced by science.
Anyway, back at the human dimension, I am restless. I've registered, I have my desk organised, I have almost planned my time. But the course (sorry, 'Module' - new Open University terminology - must get used to that) doesn't start for another TWO MONTHS. And that's why I'm restless.
To fill the late evening void I still have my habit of reading - although I'm now directing that in the direction of science and future studies. I picked up Stephen Hawking's new book yesterday ("The Grand Design") and am enjoying that. It sits on my shelf next to his other famous book 'A Brief History Of Time' - which I had trouble getting hold of when it was first published. Being an avid Radio Four listener for years, I used to listen to the Sceince programmes whenever I could and make notes (sad, isn't it). On one broadcast they reviewed a new book 'A Brief History...'. I hadn't heard of the book (nor had anyone else apparently) but I was familiar with the work of its author, Hawking, having read articles about him and his research in the Omni Magazine that I used to read in the late 1970's. So the following day I went to my local bookshop and asked for a copy. They hadn't heard of it either, but they did order a copy from the publisher for me. And I read it. I won't claim to have understood it all - and there were some pretty wild concepts to get the head around, but I did find it fascinating. The book later found itself in the Times Bestseller list for quite some time, so I dare say that there must have many other people who also found it fascinating. But it's still there on my shelf a first print run from the first edition. I'm not sure, but I'll guess that the publishers did not expect it to sell a huge amount and probably that first print run was not that big.
Tonight I'll read a bit more. I already know that Philosophy is dead - Stephen Hawking told me that yesterday in his book. It's been replaced by science.
Sunday 19 September 2010
S194 - Astronomy Newbie
I recently signed up for S194 "Introducing Astronomy" with the Open University. I had a two year break from my degree studies and am using S194 as a gentle way back. Although I count my self a 'newbie' when it comes to astronomy, it's been something that fascinated me since I was a kid - I can even name a few constellations, list the order of the planets and so on. Not really astronomy but just reeling off lists of half-remembered facts. So I am looking forwards to a more serious approach to the subject, to a better understanding of the universe.
And on the journey I'm hoping to prove Frank Zappa wrong - unless I really screw up in which case I'll prove him to be right.
If anyone is interested, I do have a blog of my general Open University studies - a blog that I have kept for 4 years or so.
And on the journey I'm hoping to prove Frank Zappa wrong - unless I really screw up in which case I'll prove him to be right.
If anyone is interested, I do have a blog of my general Open University studies - a blog that I have kept for 4 years or so.
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