Today, the term Astronomy is reserved for the scientific study of the Universe. Astrology is the belief that the heavens control our lives. Astrology spans many cultures and can be broken down into Western astrology, Chinese astrology, Jyotish (Vedic astrology) and Kabbalistic astrology. Even skeptics of Astrology agree that certain human rhythms are controlled by the influence of astronomical objects, most notably the Moon. Our internal body clock is controlled by a circadian rhythm, which has ties to the light/dark cycle of our day. Without the daily sun/moon cycle, our bodies would suffer a number of problems including sleep disfunction and mood disorders!

Pluto’s status as a planet remained set until David Jewitt and J. Luu discovered an object way out in space past Neptune. This object, QB1, was the first of over a hundred objects found that are now called the Kuiper Belt. These objects are very similar to Pluto in composition and orbit. Pluto’s orbit is highly unusual for a planet; it is the only planet that crosses orbits with another planet. Once every 248 years, Pluto crosses the orbit of Neptune, becoming the 8th planet out, rather than the 9th. The size of Pluto also makes it “less than a planet”. In fact, it is smaller than seven of the moons in our solar system. The only difference between Pluto and other members of the Kuiper Belt is its reflectivity.

Scientists today consider Pluto to be just another object in the Kuiper Belt, though it notably is the largest object there. However, future discoveries may find Kuiper Belt objects (KBO’s) that are larger than Pluto. Should those be classified as planets? Or is Pluto’s time as our 9th planet coming to an end? We all grew up learning about the 9 planets. Will the public accept only 8? This almost happened years ago, and it became a media circus. The public loves tiny Pluto. The debate continues…

Last year, Pluto was demoted, though many still refuse to accept it.

His astronomy study was put on hold for over five years as he floundered here and there as a canon and physician. After the death of his maternal uncle, Copernicus became a canon in the Ermland Chapter at Frauenburg. This gave him a lot of free time to study his growing love of the sky. He wrote a small, hand-written book, which he gave to his friends. This book, the “Little Commentary” spelled out his theories, radical ideas at the time:

1. There is no one centre in the universe.
2. The Earth’s centre is not the centre of the universe.
3. The centre of the universe is near the sun.
4. The distance from the Earth to the sun is imperceptible compared with the distance to the stars.
5. The rotation of the Earth accounts for the apparent daily rotation of the stars.
6. The apparent annual cycle of movements of the sun is caused by the Earth revolving round it.
7. The apparent retrograde motion of the planets is caused by the motion of the Earth from which one observes.

His formal theories were not published for many years as war and unrest forced Copernicus into service for his country. His manuscript was published only shortly before his death. Controversy raged amongst the scholars, and it was not until the 17th century that his ideas were fully accepted. He received the final copy of his book while on dying in his bed. He died shortly thereafter of a cereberal hemorrhage May 24, 1543.

* Sunlight can be split into a spectrum.
* Discovery of why planets orbit the sun.
* The three laws of motion.
* The formula for gravity.
* The motion of the tides.

His discoveries helped future scientists figure out the movement of every object in the Universe and detect unknown stars and planets.

Isaac Newton struggled with math at first and almost gave up. Eventually, he fell in love with it, and developed his own theories as he learned. He studied math, astronomy, optics, light and color. The latter was the basis for his first nervous breakdown in 1678 when he got into an arguement about it with the English Jesuits in Liege. As a result, he became almost a hermit for a number of years. When he came out of seclusion, he was again in a scientific frenzy of work, producing more than a man twice his age. This all came to an abrupt stop with his second nervous breakdown in 1693. Theories abound as to the causes of his breakdowns. Everything from personal problems to poisoning from experiments have been mentioned. Today, scientists believe it was undiagnosed depression. Newton took a position at the Royal Mint in 1696, becoming Master in a year. In 1703 he was elected president of the Royal Society and was re-elected each year until his death. During his days as President he became involved in a heated controversy between himself and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz as to which one had invented calculus. Because he was President of the Society, Newton arranged for an “impartial” committee to put an end to the debate.

“Plato is my friend, Aristotle is my friend, but my best friend is truth.”
-Isaac Newton

They eat insects, seeds, fruits, and sometimes sap from the trees. Their favorite food is carpenter ants, and they can be found sitting around on the forest floor searching for those yummy insects.

With their bright red caps, white streaks, and long necks, they are hard to miss. The male even has a bright red mustache to complete his dapper look. Most photos of the pileated woodpecker show them sitting on a tree, but if you are lucky, you will get to see it in flight. They are white under their wings, edged in black. Beautiful.

The pileated woodpecker has been removed from the status of endangered species, but you’ll still count yourself lucky to see one.

Who hasn’t gazed up at the Moon and wondered about it. How did it get there, what is it made of, why can’t we ever see the other side? The Moon is about 25 percent the size of Earth, spinning around on its axis once every 720 hours. Because it spins at the same speed it orbits the Earth, we never get to see the other side of the Moon (called its “dark side”). It seems to shine with its own light, but the Moon really doesn’t produce any illumination of its own. What you see is the reflection of sunlight as it bounces off of the Moon’s surface. With a gravity 17 percent of Earth’s, you could jump up 13 feet high (4 meters) or more on the Moon! The craters you see are the result of meteorite impacts that occurred early in the Moon’s history. The dark “seas” are actually lava flows formed by ancient volcanoes. About 4.5 billion years ago, a huge rock (about the size of Mars) smashed into the Earth. The resulting debris eventually formed the Moon.
The Moon has an iron/nickel core, similar to Earth’s, but smaller. The temperature on the Moon can range from -250F to +250F. The lunar atmosphere, what little there is of it, is comprised of Helium, Neon, Hydrogen, Argon, Methane, Ammonia, and Carbon Dioxide. These were measured by the Apollo mission teams during night conditions. Measuring the amounts during daytime was difficult, due to (according to NASA) “heating and outgassing of Apollo surface experiments”. Once in a while, a small moonquake will shake the Moon, causing gas to escape from the fissures that are formed. Some scientists believe we should call the Moon a planet, since it is more like a planet than a Moon. Pluto’s moon, Charon, is also in that same category, and some call Pluto and Charon a “double planet system.” Did you know that there are trees here on Earth that grew from seeds taken on a Moon mission? During the Apollo 14 mission, astronaut Stuart Roosa took a bunch of seeds with him. When the mission was over, the seeds were germinated on Earth and planeted across the country. The trees that grew from them are referred to as “Moon Trees.”

Think the Moon is our only satellite? That may not be true. Scientists have found an asteroid that is possibly orbiting our Earth! They have named this 5 km rock Cruithne, and its orbit takes 770 years. Another fun fact is that the moon is actually egg shaped, with one of its ends pointing at us, so that it appears round.

The Moon is slowly moving away from us, as it steals some of our energy. When it formed, it is estimated that it was only 22,530 km away from the Earth! Today, the Moon is over twenty times that! What will happen to the tides, and the Earth, when the Moon is so far away that it looks like a star to the naked eye?

No, it’s not a made-up word to give you more points in Scrabble. The Quahog is a mollusk found buried in sandy areas in the North Atlantic ocean. They also go by the names hard shell, steamer, or cherrystone clams. Northern American Indians used them for food, ornamentation, and currency. It is rumored that the quahog helped the pilgrims fight off starvation during the lean times. The Northern Quahog has a purple-tinted shell and eats plankton.

The hunt for a quahog can be a pleasant experience. You wade up to your waist, digging around with your toes until you feel the clam. After many disappointments of pulling up nothing but rocks, you eventually get the feel for it and get to bring home dinner.

Due to commercial overfishing, their numbers are diminishing close to the coast. Some populations may not rebound for decades because the quahog have a very slow reproductive rate. If allowed to mature, quahogs can live over 200 years! Now that’s an OLD clam!

1. Aries contains the galaxies NGC 697, NGC 772, NGC 972, and NGC 1156.
2. In greek mythology, this constellation represents the ram that carried Phrixus and Helle to escape their stepmother Ino. When they reached safety, Phrixus killed the ram (such gratitude!) and hung its fleece on a tree. The fleece turned to gold and became a quest for Jason and the Argonauts.
3. Meteor showers that pass through Aries are the May Arietids, Autumn Arietids, Delta Arietids, Epsilon Arietids, Daytime-Arietids, and the Aries-Triangulids.
4. The brightest star in Aries is Hamal, at a magnitude of 2.0.
5. It is best visible in December.

Cancer - The Crab
Fun Facts
1. Cancer is named after the crab who tried to stop Hercules from defeating the Hydra. The brave little crustacean was squashed for its efforts.
2. In the 1970’s there was an unsuccessful movement to change the name of this constellation, and thus the zodiac sign, since many felt the name Cancer reminded them of the disease process.
3. Cancer hides Praesepe (M44 or The Beehive Cluster) and M67 (one of the oldest clusters, around 10 billion years old).
4. Meteor showers that pass through Cancer include the Delta Cancrids.
5. Its brightest star is Al Tarf, at a magnitude of 3.5.
6. It is best viewed in March.
Cassiopeia - The Queen
This was the second constellation that I learned as a child.

Fun Facts:
1. In 1572, Tycho Brahe observed a supernova in Cassiopeia.
2. Cassiopeia A is the location of the second strongest radio source (after the sun).
3. Cassiopeia literally means “The Queen”. It represent the legendary queen of Ethiopia (the mother of Andromeda).
4. The Persied meteor shower passes through Cassiopeia every year.
5. It’s brightest star, Shedir, is a magnitude 2.23
6. If we were to observe the Sun from Alpha Centauri, it would appear to be in Cassiopeia.

Cassiopeia can be seen year round, usually low in the northern horizon. The best time to view it is in November
Gemini - The Twins
Fun Facts:

1. Gemini is best seen in February.
2. Zeus, the Greek king of the gods, once again seduces a maiden, this time in the form of a swan. From their pairing, two sons are born from an egg. The sons, Castor and Pollux, make up two of the stars of this constellation.
3. In 1930, the planet Pluto was discovered in Gemini.
4. On the western edge of this constellation lies M35, an open cluster of 5th magnitude.
Leo - The Lion
Fun Facts:
1. The legends of Hercules provides us with yet another great constellation. Leo, the lion, is named after the Nemean Lion which Hercules had to kill during his labours.
2. The Egyptians worship the lion because the sun was said to have been in this constellation during the time of the well-needed floods of the Nile.
3. Meteor showers that pass through Leo are the Leonids.
4. Leo’s brightest star is Regulus, at a magnitude 1.4.
5. Leo is best viewed in April.
6. Many galaxies can be found in Leo. Most notably M65, M66, M95, M96.
7. Wolf 359, one of the nearest stars to Earth’s solar system (7.7 light-years), is in Leo.

Orion - The Great Hunter
This was the first constellation I learned. It was easy to spot the three stars in a row that make up Orion’s belt. As an adult, I learned that Orion also holds a nebula, the fuzzy object close to the hunter’s “sword”.
Fun Facts:
1. Orion stands next to Canis Major and Canis Minor, his two hunting dogs.
2. He is also near Taurus the Bull (his enemy) and Lepus the Hare, (his prey).
3. Meteor showers that pass through Orion include the Orionids and the Chi Orionids.
4. Orion’s brightest star is Rigel, with a magnitude of 0.12.
5. At Orion’s right shoulder, sits Betelgeuse, a red star, larger than the orbit of Venus. Betelgeuse means “armpit” (really!!). The ancient Sumerians thought Orion looked more like a sheep, and Betelgeuse fell at the sheep’s armpit.
6. Bellatrix (”warrior woman”) is at Orion’s left shoulder.
7. The stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka form his belt.
8. His right knee is Saiph.
9. The large white star at his left knee is Rigel, one of the brightest stars in the sky.

Orion is very useful when trying to locate other constellations. Travel straight along his shoulders and see what you run into? Try the same thing from his belt.

Taurus - The Bull
Fun Facts:

1. Taurus holds one of the few first magnitude stars, Aldebaran, a fiery red star, which sits in the middle of this constellation.
2. Just to the east you’ll find the beautiful Pleiades.
3. The Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant, resides in Taurus. The explosion was seen on July 4, 1054. It was so bright it could be seen during the daytime! Chinese texts and Native American pottery depict the event.
4. Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, loved to change form to seduce lovely maidens. Taurus, the bull, is the form he took when he wooed Europa, a Phoenician princess.
The Pleiades
Located in the constellation Taurus, the Pleiades are an open cluster of luminous blue and white stars.
Fun Facts:
1. The Vikings considered them to be the goddess Freya’s hens.
2. Native Americans tested their vision by the number of stars they could see in the cluster. In our polluted cities, you are lucky if you can see five or six, but in a dark site you’ll see about 10. In reality, the Pleiades contain hundreds of stars, most too faint to see with the naked eye.
3. In Japan, they are knows as the Subaru. In fact, the Subaru car company uses the Pleiades as their logo.
4. The cluster is only expected to survive another 250 million years and is one of the younger clusters at an age of 100 million years.

Virgo - The Virgin
Fun Facts:

1. Virgo is the largest constellation.
2. Spica, the most prominent star in Virgo, represents an ear of wheat in the goddess’s hand.
3. The star, 70 Virginis, located in Virgo, is an extrasolar planetary system with one confirmed planet. This planet is 6.6 times the mass of Jupiter!
4. This constellation is full of galaxies, hence the name The Virgo Cluster: M49, M58, M59, M60, M61, M84, M86, M87, and M90.
5. The mythology of Virgo is uncertain. Every prominent goddess has been associated with this constellation.
6. Meteor showers that pass through Virgo are: Virginids and the Mu Virginids
7. Virgo is best seen during May

October 4, 1957 - Sputnik 1 (U.S.S.R.) launches. Status: success.
November 3, 1957 - Sputnik 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first dog in space, Laika. The poor pooch died only hours into the trip from stress and overheating. Status: success.
January 31, 1958 - Explorer 1 (U.S.). Achievement: Discovered Earth’s radiation belt.
March 5, 1958 - Explorer 2 (U.S.) Achievement: None. Failed to achieve orbit.
March 17, 1958 - Vanguard 1 satellite (U.S.) Achievement: transmitted for 3 years.
May 15, 1958 - Sputnik 3 (U.S.S.R.)
October 11, 1958 - Pioneer 1 (U.S.) Achievement: launched the IGY space probe.
January 2, 1959 - Luna 1 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first solar satellite
March 3, 1959 - Pioneer 4 (U.S.)
September 12, 1959 - Luna 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first man-made object on the moon
October 4, 1959 - Luna 3 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: obtained photos of the far side of the moon
April 1, 1960 - Tiros 1 (U.S.) Achievement: First weather satellite.
August 18, 1960 - Discoverer XIV (U.S.) spy satellite
April 12, 1961 - Vostok 1 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Yuri A. Gargarin becomes the first man in space.
May 5, 1961 - Mercury Freedom 7 (U.S.)
August 6, 1961 - Vostok 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first day-long space flight.
February 20, 1962 - Mercury Friendship 7 (U.S.)
May 24, 1962 - Mercury Aurora 7 (U.S.)
July 10, 1962 - Telstar 1 (U.S.) Achievement: satellite transmits first transatlantic telecast.
December 14, 1962 - U.S. Mariner 2 (U.S.) Achievement: first to fly past Venus.
June 16, 1963 - Vostok 6 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Valentia Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space (orbits 48 times).
July 31, 1964 - U.S. Ranger 7 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-range Moon photos.
March 8, 1965 - Soviet Voskhod 2 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Alexei A. Leonov becomes the first to walk in space.
March 23, 1965 - Gemini 3 (U.S.)
March 24, 1965 - Ranger 9 (U.S.) Achievement: spectacular Moon photos.
June 3, 1965 - Gemini 4 (U.S.)
July 14, 1965 - Mariner 4 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-range images about Mars.
November 16, 1965 - Venus 3 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first craft to impact Venus
December 4, 1965 - Gemini 7 (U.S.) Achievement: Makes 206 Earth orbits
December 15, 1965 - Gemini 6 and 7: Achievement: Gemini 6 rendezvous with Gemini 7.
February 3, 1966 - Luna 9, (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to “soft-land” on the Moon.
March 1, 1966 - Venera 3 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to reach another planet (Venus).
March, 1966 - Luna 10 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
August 14, 1966 - Lunar Orbiter 1 (U.S.) Achievement: enters first picture of the Earth from the Moon.
April 23, 1967 - Soyuz 1 (U.S.S.R.) Failure: Vladimir M. Komarov becomes the first human fatality.
October 18, 1967 - Venera 4 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: sends data about the composition of Venus.
September 15, 1968 - Zond 5 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first spacecraft to orbit the Moon and return.
October 11, 1968 - Apollo 7 (U.S.) Achievement: one Earth orbit.
December 21, 1968 - Apollo 8 (U.S.) Achievement: first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
January, 1969 - Soyuz 4 and 5 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: spaceship docking, transfer Cosmonauts between ships.
July 20, 1969 - Apollo 11 (U.S.) Achievement: Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. become the first to make a soft landing and walk on the Moon.
July 31, 1969 - Mariner 6 (U.S.) Achievement: high-resolution images of
August 5, 1969 - Mariner 7 (U.S.) Achievement: more high-res images of Mars
April 11, 1970 - Apollo 13 (U.S.) Failure: an explosion in the oxygen tanks forces the crew, James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr. and Fred W. Haise, Jr., to return.
September 12, 1970 - Luna 16 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first lunar soil samples
November 17, 1970 - Luna 17 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first automatic robot to travel on the Moon
December 15, 1970 - Venera 7 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first probe to soft-land on Venus.
January 31, 1971 - Apollo 14 (U.S.) Achievement: first use of a two-wheeled cart to collect samples. Shepard becomes the first man to hit a golf ball on the Moon.
April 19, 1971 - Salyut 1 space station (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first space station.
May 30, 1971 - Mariner 9 (U.S.) Achievement: first spacecraft to survey Mars from orbit.
June 6, 1971 - Soyuz 11 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Cosmonauts G.T. Dobrovolsky, V.N. Volkov, and V.I. Patsayev enter Salyut 1 and which becomes the first manned station. Failure: All die, however, when they try to return to Earth.
July 30, 1971 - Apollo 15 (U.S.) Achievement: first moon rover.
November 13, 1971 - Mariner 9 (U.S.) Achievement: first spacecraft to orbit Mars.
March 2, 1972 - Pioneer 10 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-up images of Jupiter.
July 15, 1972 - Pioneer 10 (U.S.) Achievement: first to travel through the asteroid belt.
April 5, 1973 - Pioneer 11 (U.S.) Achievement: discovers new rings on Saturn.
May 14, 1973 - Skylab (U.S.)
May 25, 1973 - Skylab 2 (U.S.) Achievement: repairs damage to Skylab.
November 3, 1973 - Mariner 10 (U.S.) Achievement: first dual-planet mission. Photographs Venus and Mercury.
June 24, 1974 - Salyut 3 (U.S.S.R.) space station (military)
December 26, 1974 - Salyut 4 (U.S.S.R.) space station (civilian
July, 1975 - Apollo 18 (U.S.) and Soyuz 19 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first international spacecraft rendezvous.
October, 1975 - Venera 9 and 10 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first pictures of Venus.
June 22, 1976 - Salyut 5 (U.S.S.R.) space station (military)
July 20, 1976 - Viking 1 (U.S.)
September 3, 1976 - Viking 2 (U.S.) Achievement: discovery of water frost on Mars.
August 1977 - Voyagers 1 and 2 (U.S.) Mission: Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980.
September 29, 1977 - Salyut 6 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: First international crew
September 1, 1979 - Pioneer 11 (U.S.) Achievement: first close-up photographs of Saturn.
April 12, 1981 - Space Shuttle Columbia (U.S.)
March 1, 1982 - Venera 13 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first soil samples of Venus.
April 19, 1982 - Salyut 7 (U.S.S.R.) space station.
April 4, 1983 - Space shuttle Challenger (U.S.)
October 10, 1983 - Venera 15 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: first high-res images of the Venus polar area.
November 28, 1983 - Space shuttle Columbia (U.S.) Achievement: puts Spacelab-1 into orbit.
February 3, 1984 - Space shuttle Challenger STS-14B (U.S.) Bruce McCandless becomes the first to take an untethered space walk in space.
July 17, 1984 - Soyuz-T 12 (U.S.S.R.) Achievement: Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the first woman to walk in space.
August 30, 1984 - Space shuttle Discovery (U.S.) Achievement: maiden voyage
October 5, 1984 - Space Shuttle Challenger STS-41G (U.S.) Achievement: first crew with two women aboard
December, 1984 - Vega 1 and 2 (U.S.S.R./International) Achievement: dropped probes to test the atmosphere on Venus.
January 8, 1985 - The Sakigake probe (Japan) Achievement: first interplanetary probe.
April 29, 1985 - Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51B (U.S.) Achievement: carries Spacelab-3 into orbit.
July 2, 1985 - Giotto spacecraft (European Space Agency - ESA) Mission: comet exploration.
October 3, 1985 - Space Shuttle Atlantis (U.S.) Achievement: maiden voyage.
October 1985 - Spacelab D1 Achievement: the first joint German/ESA mission
January 28, 1986 - Space shuttle Challenger STS-51L (U.S.) Failure: explodes shortly after liftoff, killing all onboard.

After the Challenger disaster, many started to question the necessity of the space program. Years later, the space program still struggles to regain the glory of the past.

This little guy is the smallest fox in North America, barely tipping the scales at 5 pounds. Living primarily in California (after being transplanted there years ago), the nocturnal kit fox has huge ears that look like they can pick up all satellite transmissions, alien and terrestrial! These ears are actually used to cool them in the hot desert environment.

They live in dens, with elaborate tunnels and multiple entrances, though they sometimes will choose to stay in abandoned pipes, mines, etc. The entrances to their dens are very small, thus enabling them to escape capture by large predators.

Their numbers are dwindling, though, due to extremely low birth survival rates, eating rodents that have been poisoned, destruction of their habitat, road kill, and drowning. Kit foxes are beginning to wander into towns, surviving on handouts, though some of the stories I’ve read make me doubt the good this is doing for the fox. Some well-meaning humans are giving them things like candy, pastries, and other equally non-nutritious foods. Their more customary diet includes small mammals (mice), lizards, birds, insects, and fish. I read that biologists say they must eat about 6 ounces of meat a night.

They mate in early winter, and give birth in March to 3-6 pups. In the two months that the parents feed the pups, they bring the pups the equivalent weight in meat of one super model (100 pounds). They are listed as Endangered (as of 1967!!) and their numbers continue to fluctuate. Estimates have their numbers at a mind-numbingly small 7,000 individuals. The San Joachin Kit Fox is under the care of the Endangered Species Recovery Program.