Observatory | Observations in Astronomy

Back to the Future II’s All-important Almanac

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Movie watchers tend to get so distracted at the beginning of “Back to the Future II” that they don’t grasp the most important aspect of the film: Grays Sports Almanac. They instead discuss hoverboards and how they haven’t yet been invented. The hoverboard conversation goes nowhere new. It starts with someone sarcastically reminding an acquaintance that hoverboards still haven’t been invented. The other member of the conversation expresses disappointment, and adds that having a hoverboard would be so awesome.

Meanwhile, in year 2015, the movie’s protagonist Marty McFly purchases Grays Sports Almanac, which contains all the major sports scores and statistics from 1950 to 2000. Marty recognizes the financial gain such information could bring. When Marty’s time-travel buddy Doc Brown sees the almanac, he confiscates it and tosses it in a garbage receptacle. Doc tells Marty that he insists the time machine not be used as a money-making vessel.

By now, the viewers have shifted about half of their focus away from the pink hoverboard, and are partially thinking about other items of the future, like flying cars, the odd clothing, thumbprints being used to make purchases and unlock doors, and the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.

Unfortunately, Biff Tannen is still alive in 2015 and he overhears Marty get chewed out about the almanac and time travel. He retrieves the almanac from the trash and takes the abandoned DeLoreon back to 1955. There he visits his teenage self, educating him on how to use the almanac to get rich.

Teenage Biff puts old man Biff’s advise to use, and the riches he earns destroys the lives of Marty and Doc. The pair’s objective shifts to chasing down the almanac and undoing Biff’s damage. Just as the audience is about to grasp the vital nature of the Grays Sports Almanac, though, Marty pulls out the hoverboard, and the viewers are once again hypnotized.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory Tagged With: Almanac, Back to the Future Part II, Biff Tannen, Chicago Cubs, Emmett Brown, Marty McFly, Time travel, World Series

Movie Astronomy

Numerous movies about outer space are release in theaters every year. Some of them are about exploring space. Others deal with preventing an attack by extra terrestrial beings. There are others where a ship on an exploratory or observatory mission encounters something that they must defend themselves against. There is one group of people, who would be heavily involved if any of the aforementioned scenarios ever occurred in real life, that often aren’t featured in prominent roles in these space movies: astronomers.

Astronomers aren’t completely left out, though. Some movies do give them some semblance of the respect their profession deserves. For instance, in the popular 1997 movie, “Contact,” Jodie Foster plays an astronomer of sorts who is obsessed with trying to communicate with extra terrestrials. Eventually she does.

“Deep Impact,” released in 1998, features a young amateur astronomer, Leo Biederman, who notices a strange object in the sky during a star party. He goes to a nearby observatory and notifies Marcus Wolf, a professional astronomer, of his finding. Wolf learns the object is a comet and estimates that it is on a crash-course for earth. Although a car accident claims the life of Wolf before he can alert everyone of the on-coming threat, Leo and Marcus played a big role in preventing the earth from being destroyed. True to real life, the comet was dubbed Wolf-Biederman after its co-discoverers.

A less-known movie astronomer is Roxanne in the 1987 comedy, “Roxanne.” Daryl Hannah plays the title character, an astronomer, who watches a new comet fly over the earth when she isn’t getting wooed by two local fireman. Roxanne’s occupation takes a backseat to the romance, and Steve Martin’s enormous nose, but at least somebody in the movie business is looking out for astronomers.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory Tagged With: Astronomer, Astronomy, Daryl Hannah, Deep Impact, Jodie Foster, Roxanne, Stars, Steve Martin

Band With Named With Astronomy

Sometimes naming a band is like naming a kid. Hours, maybe days, are spent trying to come up with the name that fits perfectly. Choosing a moniker for a musical group might be even tougher than naming a child because of the hundreds of books that are full of thousands of names for humans. Bands don’t have the luxury of merely selecting the option like most. They have to come up with something creative and original. Oh, and like a child’s name, half the people will dislike what you came up with.

A few lucky bands come up with a name instantly, others have to search high and low for something they like. Some go as high as outer space, choosing names containing words from the world of astronomy.

Star is one of the most common astronomy words to appear in band names. A Canadian indie pop group felt merely Stars would be a perfectly suitable moniker. When rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli teamed up to make one album in the late 1990s, they dubbed themselves Black Star.

The name Atmosphere has served independent hip-hop group Atmosphere well. Renowned production duo Pharrell and Chad Hugo do their work under the name The Neptunes, inspired by the furthest planet from the sun. Some use a more generic astronomy word, like legendary East Coast hip-hop crew Digable Planets.

Sometimes a band’s name contains an astronomy-type word, but it is purely by coincidence. Irish indie pop outfit Oppenheimer chose their name because it sounded good. They say the moniker doesn’t come from Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist who is known for playing a crucial role in the Manhattan Project. He also made important contributions to astronomy, most notably to the modern theories about black holes.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory Tagged With: Astronomy, Chad Hugo, Digable Planets, Manhattan Project, Mos Def, Musical ensemble, Neptunes, Talib Kweli

The Joy Of Online Poker

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If you have been to a casino recently, you may have noticed that there are no poker tables with a minimum lower than $5. I have not seen any in Atlantic City, New Jersey and there were very few that I noticed on my trip to Las Vegas. In this economy, very few people have the money to sit at a poker table inside a casino and play the high amounts. For those who enjoy the various poker games, online casino poker games can be a better solution.

Though online gambling is not legal in many states, you don’t always have to play on the US sites. Even if you do, you can play the free poker games and gain practice for the next time you are at a casino. You don’t have to worry about whether other players can tell what cards you have, and there is no need to hide your emotions. It’s a fun and exciting thing to do in your off time, to relax and get away from your everyday life. The best part for regular players on a budget is that you can still find one and two penny tables.

Just don’t keep your online playing mates hanging, and you should follow proper rules when playing online. Stay away from any kind of insulting or abusive gestures in the chat room, and be sure to only take the amount of time you need. Often, other players are just as experienced and if you keep bluffing, they will catch on to you and you will be left without a penny before you know it. As with any other gambling, play smart and do not bet over your head. Be sure to follow all the rules set, and you too will have a joyful and relaxing game.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Comets and Asteroids, General, Observatory Tagged With: Casino, Gambling, Games, Guides, Online casino, onlinepoker, Poker, United States

Jantar Mantar Obervatory

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The Jantar Mantar is actually an observatory though it looks like a palace. It could be called more of a palatial observatory. It was built in the seventeenth century. Part of the commission of 5 astronomical observatories in India by the Maharaja then, Jantar Mantar is now a popular tourist place in India.

Jantar Mantar’s observatories are known by jantar mantars. It was actually the name of the observatory that was taken for the name of the building. The jantar mantars have very good geometric features, which are intriguing and mysterious. Architects, artists, astronomers and the like have been captured with the structure of the observatories in Jantar Mantar.

The Jantar Mantar has a lot of astronomical instruments that have observatory value. In the seventeenth century, the maharaja of Jaipur was delegated the job of revising all the astronomical tables. This need created the Jantar Mantar.
Jantar Mantar was primarily built t o make astronomical tables, which progressed to be used in astrology. Astronomical tables served the purpose to understand and route the ways of the celestial bodies, namely the Sun, Moon, and the other planets.

A giant triangle stands in this building. It was built for tracking the movement of the sun. It is called Samrat Yantra. Standing around seventy feet tall, this triangular structure’s hypotenuse is equi-distant but not intersecting to the line of Earth’s axis.

Recently the Jantar Mantar has been conferred world heritage site status. UNESCO named Jantar Mantar as a site of heritage, and preservation. Making it the twenty-eight addition to the world heritage site list from India, Jantar Mantar stands testimony to the unique ways of ancient India.

The status had made the Rajasthan government to set up a committee that looked into site management. This beautiful observatory will not be restored, and persevered by the government. Apart from this even the UNESCO will monitor the developments in restoration and preservation activities of the government. The Jantar Mantar Observatory is forever.

Filed Under: Observatory Tagged With: Astronomy, India, Jaipur, Maharaja, Rajasthan government, UNESCO, World Heritage Site, Yantra Mantra

Guides are Needed More Than Ever

The more advanced and sophisticated technology becomes, the more we need guides to help us wend our way through life. True, some of these guides only exist to teach us how to use the new technologies. Computers, for example, are constantly changing. Every new computer comes with instructions that teach the owner how to maximize the performance of the computer. What good is upgrading a computer if the owner isn’t taught how to use it?

Guides are also more prevalent for things that aren’t getting revamped or modified. In many instances, a new type of guide is merely being added as a complement to what already exists. Maps are a good example. New York City is where it has always been, and people still have a map stored in their vehicle. They still know how to use the map, and it still shows them how to get to New York. But the map is no longer the only medium that provide directions. Most smartphones include a map application that will provide specific, written instructions on how to get from one place to another. The folded up paper map remains in the glove compartment, though, because it provides a larger perspective of an area, and does not rely on batteries or need a Wi-Fi connection to be put to use.

Even non-electronic guides, often referred to as books, have become more common. Despite the constant avalanches of technology, guide books continue to be published. Increased sophistication has made brought increased awareness of the things that need to be fixed or improved. Often times a less-confusing, more user-friendly explanation of how to keep up with the ever-changing world is desired. Many of guides fit these requirements have titles that contain derogatory words, such as dummies or idiots, that can be incredibly humbling,but also extremely helpful.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory Tagged With: Business and Economy, Guide, Guide book, Metro Areas, New York, New York City, New York City Metro, United States

Can Spaceships do That?

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In March of 1997, when one of history’s most viewed and talked about comets, the Hale-Bopp, was at it’s brightest, there was a buzz in the astronomy unlike any other. Though not astronomers themselves, a religious group called Heaven’s Gate was about to add to the comets lore. The members of group, located in San Diego, California, were among those who claimed a spacecraft was trailing Hale-Bopp.

The group’s white-haired leader and founder, Marshall Applewhite believed the spaceship could take them to a higher level of existence, but to get aboard the ship they would have to leave this earth. They accomplished this by methodically committing mass suicide over the course of three days. Each of the 39 members put on identical outfits, consisting of a black shirt, black pants and black Nike shoes. They then laced applesauce or pudding with a barbiturate called Phenobarbital, and then laid on their bunk beds until they had passed away.

More than three years later, actress Anne Heche’s unusual behavior in Fresno, California, caused a stir in Hollywood. In August of 2000, a She knocked on a strangers door and asked to take a shower. When police officers arrived at the home, Heche said she was a god with a spaceship that would take everyone to heaven.

Heche later attributed her strange actions up to Ecstasy and mental illness brought on in her childhood by her abusive father. Heche also talked of Celestia, an alter ego she invented for herself that was God’s daughter and Jesus Christ’s half-sister. As Celestia, she was supposed to guide the people of the world back to God with a message love.

What do Anne Heche and the Heaven’s Gate cult have in common? They both knew enough about astronomy to use it as a tool to explain themselves to people who didn’t quite understand what they were going through.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory Tagged With: Anne Heche, Celestia, Comet, Comet Hale-Bopp, God, Hale-Bopp, Marshall Applewhite, San Diego

The Book About the Year That Changed Sports

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To author Michael Weinreb, 1986 was a watershed year for the culture of the United States. In his book “Bigger Than the Game: Bo, Boz, the Punky QB, and How the ’80s Created the Modern Athlete,” Weinreb discusses how the 1980s, as a whole, were changing sports, but 1986 is the year all the forces of change game together. Weinreb focuses the book on the individuals he believes were the harbingers of this shift in perspective: Bo Jackson, Jim McMahon and Brian Bosworth.

These three athletes had the talent to be lauded for their individual efforts. They also had the personality to eat up such specific attention, and the creativity and brashness to keep it going. The book details how none of them were interested in living up to the expectations others had for them on the field or off the field, especially those that the people in authority had created.

McMahon was a cocky quarterback who thought he knew more than his coaches did about how to win football games. Brian Bosworth was a master at drawing attention to himself. He had long, blonde hair, pierced ears and a bad attitude. Both McMahon and Bosworth went to great lengths to irritate their elders. They knew that anything that got them in trouble with authority only endeared them more to the public.

Weinreb’s book also focuses on Bo Jackson. He didn’t have the bluster of the other two, but he is arguably the greatest athlete to ever live. He was so great at football and baseball that he played both at a high level professionally.

McMahon, Bo and The Boz also came along at a time with money was infiltrating sports. Companies recognized that such massive personalities made incredible pitchmen for their products. This gave athletes the chance to make more money than every. Unfortunately, all the money brought corruption, of which Weinreb breaks down throughout the book.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory Tagged With: 1980s, Bo Jackson, Brian Bosworth, McMahon, Michael Weinreb, People, Sports, The Boz

Important Discoveries by Amateur Astronomers

The Comet Hale-Bopp is one of the most famous comets in recorded history. Some of the popularity was a result of the mass suicide of the Heaven’s Gate cult and claims that an alien spaceship was trailing the comet, as well as the comet’s occurrence corresponding with the accelerating relevance of the Internet.

Hale-Bopp is also notable in the astronomy community. Many believe it was the most viewed comet in history, with studies showing that up to 69 percent of United States citizens had seen it flying through the sky. Additionally, it holds the record for being visible to the naked eye for 18 months, twice as long as the previous high.

Amazingly, one of the co-discoverers of the comet, Thomas Bopp, was an amateur astronomer who didn’t even own a telescope. He discovered the comet at a party, using a friend’s telescope.

Prolific amateur David Levy co-discovered Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, one of the most notorious comets in history, with astronomers Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker. The Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter, allowing the astronomers the rare opportunity to observe such a collision in outer space.

Levy has discovered or co-discovered over 20 comets and had written approximately 30 books about astronomy.

Will Hay was a comedian, actor an film director during the first half of the 20th century. He appeared in 20 films from 1933 to 1943. Hay was also an esteemed amateur astronomer, and his most lasting accomplishment is the white spot he discovered on Saturn in 1933. These Great White Spots are storms that occur on Saturn approximately every 30 years.

These amateur astronomers prove that there is much to discover in the vast skies above, and that it doesn’t necessarily take diplomas and high-power tools to do it.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory Tagged With: Amateur astronomy, Jupiter, Solar System

Russell Porter’s Famous Observatories

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Russell W. Porter is known as a founding father of telescope making, but he is also aided in the creation of some of the most renowned observatories in the United States.

In 1920, Porter organized and taught a telescope making class in Springfield, Vermont. After a few years, Porter and the members of the class eventually formed the Springfield Telescope Makers club. They built a pink clubhouse that they named Stellafane, which translates to “shrine to the stars.”

Stellfane became the location for the the world’s longest-running astronomy convention. Since 1926, the Stellafane Convention has welcomed amateur telescope makers who come to discuss techniques , share ideas and participate in sanctioned competitions. The attendance at these conventions often reaches into the thousands.

The Stellfane 3140 asteroid, discovered in 1983, was named for the Stellfane Observatory. In 1989, the observatory was named a National Historic Landmark.

While Stellafane is the observatory for which Porter is most well-know, it is not the most celebrated observatory he helped design. The famous Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California, earns this distinction. It was built using drawings sketched by Porter.

The Griffith Observatory was opened in 1935. Despite the many astronomy exhibits and equipment, astronomy is not what Griffith is known for. It’s location on Mount Hollywood has made it a common place for movie and television scenes. Most notorious is the legendary movie “Rebel Without a Cause,” starring James Dean. The observatory played such a prominent role in this film that a bust of Dean was placed on the grounds as a tribute to the actor after his death at the age of 24.

Other movies filmed at the Griffith Observatory include “Terminator,” “Bowfinger,” and “The Rocketeer.” Television shows like “24,” “Beverly Hills, 90120,” “Quantum Leap,” and the pilot episode of “MacGyver” taped scenes at Griffith.

Filed Under: Observatory, Satellites Tagged With: Astronomy, Los Angeles, United States