Comments on: Mercury Passing http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/ Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:20:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: John Branch http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3916 John Branch Fri, 10 Nov 2006 20:31:29 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3916 Speaking of connections with the ancients: The other day I read a <i>Scientific American</i> article exploring the origins of our concept of the constellations. (The Great Bear, part of which is also known as the Big Dipper, is known to have been a feature of man's idea of the night sky for maybe 10,000 years or more and is one of our oldest extant creations.) It saddened me to realize that essentially all of us who live in cities are now cut off, by our own "progress" in fending off the darkness, from the basic wonder of looking up into the night and seeing light. Thankfully, we're still able to look up in the daytime and see a thing or two. Including, now and then, a little planet crossing our star. Speaking of connections with the ancients: The other day I read a Scientific American article exploring the origins of our concept of the constellations. (The Great Bear, part of which is also known as the Big Dipper, is known to have been a feature of man’s idea of the night sky for maybe 10,000 years or more and is one of our oldest extant creations.) It saddened me to realize that essentially all of us who live in cities are now cut off, by our own “progress” in fending off the darkness, from the basic wonder of looking up into the night and seeing light. Thankfully, we’re still able to look up in the daytime and see a thing or two. Including, now and then, a little planet crossing our star.

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3868 Clifford Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:14:33 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3868 Whoops. Thanks! (Changed.) -cvj Whoops.

Thanks! (Changed.)

-cvj

]]> By: Navneeth http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3866 Navneeth Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:09:19 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3866 Wasn't visible from where I live. It started too late into the night (or is that too early in the morning?), and NASA's webcast would be stay for more than 10 seconds. :( P.S. "Right to left: ..." Are you sure? ;) Wasn’t visible from where I live. It started too late into the night (or is that too early in the morning?), and NASA’s webcast would be stay for more than 10 seconds. :(

P.S. “Right to left: …” Are you sure? ;)

]]> By: Aaron F. http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3834 Aaron F. Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:14:27 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/11/09/mercury-passing/#comment-3834 <blockquote>I always feel a sort of connection to the “ancients” when viewing astronomical events like this.</blockquote> Funny you should bring that up! Yesterday I got really excited when I noticed a picture of what looked like a cave painting of the Big Dipper... but it turned out to be just the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Cherokee_Nation" rel="nofollow">Cherokee peace flag</a>. Still pretty cool, tho!

I always feel a sort of connection to the “ancients” when viewing astronomical events like this.

Funny you should bring that up! Yesterday I got really excited when I noticed a picture of what looked like a cave painting of the Big Dipper… but it turned out to be just the Cherokee peace flag. Still pretty cool, tho!

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