a different OR from the artichoke fields

Liam had an assignment for 8th grade science, to get out of town and
look at the sky nekked eye for at least 20 minutes, write down his
impressions and look for some specific things like Rigel and
Betelgeuse, any planets, satellites.

We headed out before dinner to a spot in the fields west of Salinas
that we'd used 6.5 years ago, when I first put the binocs on a
tripod, pre-scope. About a half magnitude better than in the yard, 10
minutes away.

The kid had a chance to see the sky from a fresh vantage point,
following his own lead. He was intrigued at the colors of the
brighter stars nekked eye, being long accustomed to going first to
the scope. He saw green in Sirius, and once again found the value of
the scientific method - write down what you see not what you think
you should see. Afterward, he said he was most intrigued to see the
Double Cluster nekked eye, and to look at Thuban.

Thuban is that bright star halfway between Mizar and the end stars in
the Little Dipper, Kochab and Pherkad. When the Egyptians were
building the pyramids they aimed the foundations at Thuban, on
account of it being the Pole Star at the time.

We really had fun doing this together. What a kid. Y'all will be
amazed to see him when he next shows up at the haunts. He's taller
than me, pushing 6 feet.

Back to work,

DDK

-- 
Jamie Dillon <*> speech pathologist
jamie_dillon@No-Spam
" ... " - Harpo Marx