June 6 is another one of those never-to-be-forgotten days in the history of the world. Why am I bringing that up in today’s column? Precisely because General Eisenhower selected the date according to the phase of the moon, which affects the height of tides as well as how much light is reflected by the moon, and the season because of the length of daylight and darkness.
Allied pilots dropping paratroopers into France needed to fly in the dark of the waning crescent moon as long as possible to avoid being detected by German soldiers firing anti-aircraft guns and the men dropping into danger needed enough light to see where they were landing with just a bit of the moon giving light near the drop sites. There were also barriers hidden at high tide along the shore which would be seen easier at low tide, and those soldiers hitting the deadly fire at the beach landing would be having the sun at their backs and a rising tide, and the LSTs would not be trapped in a low-tide situation. And finally, because June means the beginning of summer, the Allied advance throughout the summer would mean better probability of success instead of later, and going into bad weather conditions during autumn and winter.
For us the moon is waxing, revealing more of the crescent of light reflected from the sun and this means by mid-month we will be enjoying a full moon. The geometry of our solar system is such a fascinating thing to ponder. Perhaps you would enjoy making some sketches of the differing phases and plot out the angles that create those phases.
As the season rolls on into summer those familiar stars glimmer, although less easy to see with all the haze, dust, and light pollution, but still there, nevertheless. In the north, the Big Dipper and its companion Little Dipper are hard to see asterisms. If you are not familiar with that term, it merely means a secondary recognized pattern of stars within an “official” constellation. In the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper is a pair of stars named Alcor and Mizar. In the days before optometrists if you could see Mizar, you were deemed as having good eyesight. The king would want you for an archer.
If you are able to see the handle’s arc, then follow it nearly overhead to spot the bright star Arcturus in Boötes, the Herdsman or the Ploughman. This constellation resembles a kite with a tail that stretches off Arcturus. The figure has the boring task of either tilling a field-perhaps to grow cotton if he were in South Texas, or keeping a herd of cattle on the trail to Kansas. If you want the official myth, head for the online sites or better yet, visit the local library for a book about star myths. As a side note, there are rock drawings of the ox-herder and his ox painted on rocks discovered in the Sahara Desert from 3,000 BC. You might find this site interesting: https://factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub361/item1463.html. I certainly did.
Earth’s north pole points to the sun, which is shining IN FRONT of the constellation Taurus, the Bull. Our hemisphere is receiving more direct light from the sun and we are heating up, while our southern hemisphere neighbors are tilted away from the sun and growing slightly chilly as they approach autumn. Isn’t that a fascinating thought?
No matter how tumultuous life seems here on earth, the planets and stars just keep right on doing their thing-rotating and revolving in the instance of the planets, and the stars enduring continual nuclear explosions as they use up their energy bringing light-and life-for us to experience.
Until next time, KLU; you never know what you might see.
