a different OR from the artichoke fields

by Jamie Dillon

Liam had an assignment for 8th grade science, to get out of town and look at the sky nekked eye for at least 20 minutes, write down his impressions and look for some specific things like Rigel and Betelgeuse, any planets, satellites.

We headed out before dinner to a spot in the fields west of Salinas that we'd used 6.5 years ago, when I first put the binocs on a tripod, pre-scope. About a half magnitude better than in the yard, 10 minutes away.

The kid had a chance to see the sky from a fresh vantage point, following his own lead. He was intrigued at the colors of the brighter stars nekked eye, being long accustomed to going first to the scope. He saw green in Sirius, and once again found the value of the scientific method - write down what you see not what you think you should see. Afterward, he said he was most intrigued to see the Double Cluster nekked eye, and to look at Thuban.

Thuban is that bright star halfway between Mizar and the end stars in the Little Dipper, Kochab and Pherkad. When the Egyptians were building the pyramids they aimed the foundations at Thuban, on account of it being the Pole Star at the time.

We really had fun doing this together. What a kid. Y'all will be amazed to see him when he next shows up at the haunts. He's taller than me, pushing 6 feet.

Posted on sf-bay-tac Mar 11, 2005 11:45:54 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Mar 12, 2005 10:47:05 PT