Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
A Great Day to Be Outside
What a wonderful day for enjoying the outside. The recent snowfall has been cleaned up and now it is time to go out and enjoy this “splendiferous” day. The Ridegbury section of Ridgefield received 11.5 inches Friday. So, the Ridgefield Public Golf Course is in great shape for sledding, x-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just hiking. If you don’t want to break trail, no problem, as there has already been quite a few adventures out there already. Take the dog along with you as there is an abundance of wildlife tracks to sniff out. Our resident fox has made his daily rounds. The deer have cleared areas in their quest for acorns and grass. The sun is out and the temperature is a balmy 26ยบ. Ridgefield is brimming with open space, so go out and enjoy at least one. Then you can justify kicking back and enjoying a cup of rich hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. (Picture is writer's view of the Ridgefield Golf Course)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Orion's Other Myths & Legends
The constellation Orion location makes it visible from all the inhabited parts of Earth. Consequentially, nearly all cultures had some type of myth or legend related to it. Usually it has been associated with a hunter, warrior or some heroic male figure. However being dominate during the northern hemisphere winter, it was frequently associated with storms. Some of these earliest storm legends started with the Babylonians. The Romans referred to Orion as the “bringer of clouds” or the stormy one”. During the first Punic war (264BC-241BC) the destruction of a Roman fleet was attributed to the fact that it set sail with Orion rising – thus “the stormy one” sent a devastating storm.
The sky was man’s earliest calendar. Combining myths with the stars made it easier to remember which stars represented which season. The Navajo called it “The First Slender One”. When it set at dusk, in May, they planted their crops. The Aztecs called it the "Fire Drill" as it marked the start of the New Fire Ceremony which postponed the end of the world (winter solstice). In Southern hemisphere, the belt is referred to as the “Three Kings”, “The Sisters” or “Three Mary’s”. Its appearance marks the beginning of the Christmas season.
The Egyptians associated it with the Osiris, the god of rebirth and the underworld. When a pharaoh died he was transformed into a god in the sky. The Giza Pyramids mirror the pattern of Orion and the air shaft in the Great Pyramid King’s chamber was aligned with the star Alnitak within it – thus providing the king a direct pathway to heaven. (Photo credit: Matthew Spinelli -http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030207.html)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
Lake Windwing is located on South Shore Drive across from Ridgebury Elementary School.
Take Bennetts Farm Rd. to South Shore Dr.
The entrance and parking will be on the left.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Winter Solstice Total Lunar Eclipse
Not since 1638 has a total lunar eclipse coincided with the Winter Solstice. Tuesday Dec. 21 is our shortest day of the year – the beginning of winter. Between Monday night and Tuesday morning the earth’s shadow will totally engulf the Moon from 2:41AM to 3:53AM EST. Unlike a solar eclipse, it is safe to view a lunar eclipse with the naked eye or binoculars, both work well. All it takes is a good alarm clock and a clear sky. For the 72 minutes of totality, you will notice a second deeper night. Stars that were hidden by moonshine will appear. The moon may take on a reddish glow. This is the result of the reflection onto the moon from the ring of Earth’s sunrises and sunset. The Earth’s atmospheric conditions really are the key to the eclipse’s color. Only on rare occasions will the Moon go black. The next total lunar eclipse to appear in our area is not until April 14-15 2014. If you want more information about this event, go to Sky and Telescope’s website at www.skyandtelescope.com. Picture credit Science NASA News.
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