Category Archives: Look! Up in the sky!

SUMMER SOLSTICE 2023: “He must increase.  I must decrease.”

Today is the Summer Solstice.  From now, our northern hemispheric days get shorter, as the world’s tilt starts changing our daily/seasonal clocks. I was so aware of how the days were changing while I was in Rome, especially because I … Read More

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Happy AEQUINOCTIUM!

In the North, which is where most of you readers are, it is the first day of Spring, the Vernal Equinox, today.  We are interested in this day in particular because we date Easter as the 1) first Sunday 2) after the first full … Read More

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A peek at the Moon

Last night I watched a great documentary about the Apollo 8 mission.  What days those were!  So, that being fresh in my mind, look at this. The hidden colors of the regolith are revealed in this 81 megapixel shot of … Read More

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SOLAR FLARE AND RADIO BLACKOUT: Possible CME in bound, which means Aurora on 14 February

From Spaceweather.com POSSIBLE EARTH-DIRECTED CME: Yesterday’s X1-class solar flare attracted all the attention, but it did not produce a CME. Another explosion did. Five hours before the X-flare, a filament of magnetism erupted from the sun’s northern hemisphere and hurled … Read More

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Ad repellendas tempestates… Prayers for the repelling of storms.

In the 1962 Missale Romanum there are prayers “in order to repel storms”.  I am using these prayers now in the face of hurricane Ian. The prayers are ancient, to be found in the 5th c. Gelasian Sacramentary (PL 74) in “XLVII. … Read More

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Serotinal autumnal nycthemeral parity

Today is the Autumnal Equinox. The Sun crosses the celestial equator on its southerly course at 21:03 EDT (1:04 UTC of 23 September 2022). You knew that Autumn has come because in the traditional Roman calendar, so much more closely … Read More

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Do know what “Maranatha” is in the Catholic Church? Really?

What passed through my mind when I read this… I’ll say, below. From NASA: Watch Live as NASA Spacecraft Collides With Far-Off Asteroid NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the world’s first mission to test technology for defending Earth against … Read More

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Just Too Cool: Mars rover Curiosity is 10 years old

For your amazement… Curiosity takes us everywhere… even up a Martian mountain! It's been 10 years since @MarsCuriosity's daring landing on the Red Planet. Set a reminder to join the celebration and chat with mission team members. Submit questions with #AskNASA … Read More

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Daily Rome Shot 481, etc.

Photo by The Great Roman™ This, from Chess.com, is almost too easy, but perhaps some readers here are not quite as practiced. Consult your “checks, captures, threats”. White to move and completely win. Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks … Read More

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Miscellaneous observations

A few interesting stories… First, call about a long distance call.  HERE   In 1977 Voyager 1 was sent to the outer edge of the solar system.   In November, NASA wanted try to extend the probe’s life by doing a course … Read More

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