The Stars

 

Milo and I left for our morning walk around 7:15  this morning.  We stopped at the Sunshine School House and raised the flag, honored those on our list and continued our walk.  Bob stopped the school bus and said "Hi".  He said he had a good weekend, threw Milo a treat and then continued his journey.  Just as we were approaching the fork, we hear a strange, loud noise of a vehicle.  Around the corner, on the paved road came a road grader.  When he passed us, the driver slowed down and waved.  He said the was doing the preliminary work for the "dust barrier", a liquid the county roads department puts down to control the dust on our dirt road.  Milo and I returned home to start our day of "guarding the house" and working.

My friend Inger knows of my interest in astronomy.  At this altitude, we have a clear view of the heavens almost every night.  We can clearly see the Milky Way.  This morning she sent me a very interesting article.

Something remarkable is about to happen in the evening sky. Three planets and a star cluster are converging for a close encounter you won't want to miss.

The action begins at sundown on Wednesday, May 31st, when the crescent Moon glides by Saturn. You can see them side-by-side about halfway up the western sky, shining through the glow of sunset--very pretty.

Got a backyard telescope? Point it at the Moon. You'll see craters and mountains casting long shadows. Next, look at Saturn. The planet's rings will take your breath away. Also, look around Saturn. There's a star cluster! Saturn is sitting right next to "the Beehive," a swarm of stars 600 light years from Earth.

Right: Saturn and the Beehive star cluster. Photo credit: Jimmy Westlake ofYampa, Colorado.

This three-way convergence marks a spot in the sky you should watch as June unfolds, because things are about to get even more interesting.

After May 31st, the Moon moves away, leaving Saturn and the Beehive behind. Keep an eye on Saturn every night. Before long you'll notice a dim red star approaching the ringed planet. That "star" is Mars. Every night it creeps closer to Saturn.

For the entire article visit: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/30may_starsandplanets.htm?list96909

By reading others journals, it sounds like everyone had a safe Memorial Day Holiday.  Here in Sunshine we had several afternoon picnics and gatherings. You could hear the "clanging " of horse shoes all over the hills.

My MIL and FIL are in Georgia.  She is doing as well as can be expected. We are forever grateful for your continued prayers.

The band's gig went well on Friday night.  We packed the place.  Unlike our last gig there, we ran out of time before we ran out of music. (That's a good thing)

Smiles, David

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