This is one of a series of postings of important classical music dates, from the 17th century to the present. Included are the date and location of the birth and death of composers, and the premiere date and location of the first public performance of works. When the premiere date and location is unknown, the Continue reading "Classical Music Timeline: 1760s"
Did you know that both Venus and Neptune have orbits around the Sun that are more circular than the orbit of the Earth? In fact, Venus has the most circular orbit of all the major planets in the solar system. Here are the current orbital eccentricities of these three planets. Venus 0.007 Neptune 0.010 Earth Continue reading "More Perfect Than Earth"
I watch very little television—almost entirely documentaries and news—but I must admit that every once in a while I like to dip into happier times through my living-room Atavachron to watch episodes from two 1960s television series starring the much-beloved 6 ft. 5 in. actor Fred Gwynne (1926-1993). The first is Car 54, Where Are Continue reading "Fred Gwynne"
As of this writing, three objects have been discovered that have passed through our solar system coming from interstellar space. 1I/ OumuamuaDiscovery Date: 2017-10-19Perihelion Date: 2017-09-09 (40 days after perihelion)Perihelion Distance: 0.26 AUIncoming and Outgoing Speed: 26.4 km/sDimensions: approximately 115 m × 111 m × 19 m, or 230 m × 35m × 35mObject Type: asteroid? Continue reading…
Here is how you can easily generate some common international characters on your computer keyboard. Character Macintosh Windows Comments á Á Option-e a (or A) Control- a (or A) Acute accent à À Option-` a (or A) Control-` a (or A) Grave accent ä Ä Option-u a (or A) Control-Shift-: a (or A) Umlaut å Continue reading "International Characters on Your Keyboard"
A massive foreground object such as a galaxy or a galaxy cluster (including, of course, dark matter) can brighten and magnify a distant object. This is called gravitational lensing. Light from the distant object radiates out in all directions, but the massive foreground object bends some of these light rays towards the observer that normally Continue reading "Gravitational Lenses and Caustics"
Since moving to Tucson almost four years ago, my biggest complaint has to do with the terrible drivers and lack of enforcement of traffic laws. Here s what I ve noticed. Speeding Other Forms of Aggressive Driving I ve frequently experienced Other Unsafe Driving Behaviors City Life Makes People Crazy? As a person who has lived most of Continue reading "Terrible Drivers, No Enforcement"
There are three stable (non-radioactive) isotopes of the element oxygen: All the oxygen in our solar system was forged in stars that existed before the birth of our Sun. The fusion processes that create oxygen from lighter elements require both high temperature and pressure. These conditions exist deep within a star. Different isotopes are created. Continue reading "Oxygen Speaks with an Accent"
If you haven t yet read Making Democracy Count: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation by Ismar Volić (Princeton University Press, 2024) I strongly recommend that you do, especially if you live in the United States. It truly is an epiphany, one of the most important books I have ever read. And don t let Continue reading "Towards a More Perfect Democracy"
If you have a neighbor with a dusk-to-dawn insecurity light or a glare bomb that happens to be turned on while you re engaged in astronomical pursuits, I have come up with a solution. In the photo above, you will see a Uline 6 6 Welding Screen Shade 8 (H-4610S8). The Shade 8 black vinyl Continue reading "Block Your Neighbor s Light"