Light Pollution

  “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God.” – Psalm 19:1a This verse is inscribed on the gable of the “pink clubhouse” at Stellafane in Springfield, Vermont, the birthplace of modern-day amateur astronomy. However, the night sky does not appear very glorious if it is spoiled by light pollution… the collective glow of ground lighting, scattered upwards onto the sky.… Continue reading

Sizes of Earth and the Sun

  We always hear of “astronomically large numbers,” but who can really wrap their brains around these concepts? Curious people wonder how do scientists arrive at such numbers…. Finding the distance to Venus is easy. Anyone can visually measure Venus’ maximum elongation. If you then draw a right triangle and crunch a couple numbers on a calculator, you can quickly… Continue reading

  TRIO: VENUS, MARS & THE MOON… The brilliant Evening Star VENUS has been blazing in the evening sky. The red planet MARS has been drawing closer to Venus, as it prepares to disappear into the sunset. Soon thereafter, Mars will move behind the Sun in its orbit, as seen from Earth. Venus and Mars come together TONIGHT, the evening… Continue reading

Ash Wednesday

  People often wonder why the dates of Easter and Ash Wednesday and other feasts are different each year. These are “moveable feasts” that are fixed by the cycle of the Moon’s phases. Easter (or properly, Pascha) is essentially defined to be the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the first day of spring, which is different every… Continue reading

Friday the 13th???

  “Friday the 13th” is an old superstition that needs to pass. Instead of fearing “bad luck” on this day, and attributing every stubbed toe to some mystical influence, we should instead: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” –… Continue reading

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