THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
70 Falmouth Street      Portland, Maine 04103
(207) 780-4249      usm.maine.edu/planet
43.6667° N    70.2667° W  Altitude:  10 feet below sea level Founded
January 1970
2021-2022: XLV
             "This world is but a canvas to our imagination."
                                                      -Henry David Thoreau


THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Monday, November 22, 2021
Astronomical Grumblings

Oh, crumb.
A bit of a tempestuous teapot controversy has been brewing within the
planetarium pools lately and we thought it prudent to do a cannonball
within it so as to calm the waters. This latest discord pertains to the
last partial lunar eclipse: the one we missed because of, naturally, clouds
and train. It was the longest partial lunar eclipse since February 1440!
Moreover, we'll have to wait until Feb 2669 to experience a longer partial
lunar eclipse. That, believe it or not, is the crux of the controversy. As
soon as media outlets broadcast that remarkable little factoid, murmurings
became audible within the hallowed domes of the planetarium Universe. (We
heard them down here by virtue of the open, but inaccessible, portals that
connect all star domes.) One gripe in particular, which issued forth into
all domes from an indeterminate location, caught our attention;

"Only the beaniest of the bean counters pay attention to these timings. I
can't stand the media hype!"

Well.
What can we say as we, ourselves, emphasized this aspect of the eclipse?
Actually, our response is simple: Promulgating information that many
consider to be captivating is hardly a transgression and certainly not a
cause for grumbling. Astronomy is, and should always remain, an ecstatic
enterprise. In fact, that is at the core of any planetarium's governing
philosophy: sheer rapture. Every time a patron visits any planetarium, the
cosmos is delighting in its own reflections. Take our humble theatre for
instance: the aluminum comprising the dome, the copper foil within the star
projector, and the oxygen flowing through the insufferably long winded
presenter's lungs share the same stellar progenitor: the supernova that
exploded nearly six billion years ago. Material that, itself, arose out of
the infant Universe's primordial energies.
Miraculously, the atoms are reveling in themselves in whatever way they
choose to do so.

While the cosmos exists in and of itself, each person's perception of that
cosmos is unique. Throughout the years, I have spoken to thousands of
patrons who have shared segments of their private Universes with me. To
some, the sky is a swarm of black holes meandering through the galaxy. To
others, the firmament is a mythological tapestry depicting epics from the
most ancient sources. And, to some, it is merely a smattering of orbs
jostling each other in an incomprehensible manner.

So, to many, the notion of a partial lunar eclipse that will last longer
than any since the mid 15-th century is fascinating and as such engenders a
deep, albeit fleeting, sense of satisfaction. It makes one feel connected,
however remotely, to a time period so distant as to seem almost mystical.
And, yes, the time difference is a matter of minutes or even seconds.

Here's a perfect example: In August 2003, the Southworth Planetarium played
host to immense crowds who wanted to see Mars because on August 27, 2003,
it came closer to Earth than it had been in the previous 60,000 years! The
red planet reached *perhelic opposition*, a time when it was at opposition
around the same time it reached perihelion, the point of least distance
from the Sun. And, yes, it truly didn't look much different from the
following perihelic opposition on July 27, 2018 which, itself, will look
essentially the same as the following perihelic opposition on September 15,
2035! And, though memories are now blissfully vague, I recall similar
grumbings then by those in the astronomical community who were exasperated
by the "silly hype."

Hype makes many people interested in the types of celestial phenomena that
wouldn't ordinarily pique their curiosity. So, heaven love hype, especially
if it casts a brighter light onto the heavens. After all, humans are
intensely alive beings who thrive on excitement. If that excitement can be
put to the service of astronomy which, as we mentioned earlier, is all
delight and ecstasy, well, so be it. We're all in our own private Universe,
anyway. Revel in yours and leave others to do the same, especially since
our modern world certainly has more than its fair share of grumbling
already.

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