On this date in 1947, not far from here in the skies surrounding Mt. Rainer, pilot Kenneth Arnold spots unidentified flying objects while on a search mission for a downed military transport plane. Here’s a synopsis of events from Wired:

As Arnold recalled, the afternoon was crystal clear, and he was cruising at an altitude of 9,200 feet. A minute or two after noting a DC-4 about 15 miles behind and to the left of him, he was startled by something bright reflecting off his plane. At first he thought he had nearly hit another aircraft but as he looked off in the direction the light had come from, he saw nine “peculiar-looking” aircraft flying rapidly in formation toward Mt. Rainier. As these strange, tailless craft flew between his plane and Mt. Rainier and then off toward distant Mt. Adams, Arnold noted their remarkable speed — he later calculated that they were moving at around 1,700 mph — and said he got a pretty good look at their black silhouettes outlined against Rainier’s snowy peak.

During a report to the media about his close encounter, he coined the term flying saucer.

The zaniness soon began! Here’s to over 60 years of hoaxes, grainy photographs, cover-ups, X-Files, Steven Spielberg, wing-nuts, and alien autopsies. Not sure if the truth is out there, but at least it’s entertaining and maybe even a little creepy at times.


Spermatozoa, dust on the lens, swamp gas, aluminum foil Frisbees

Hullo and greetings, fellow Earthlings! It’s the Mercury’s resident astronomist here, to let you know that TOMORROW, Saturday, May 10th is National Astronomy Day!

According to my fellow astronomists over at Astronomy.com, National Astronomy Day “gives astronomy-lovers a chance to share their passion with the astronomy-curious.” So, allow me (i.e. astronomy-lover) share my passion with you!

Greetings and hallo from the Mercury’s Astronomy columnist! I have peeled my eyes away from the divine cosmos to bring you, Mercury readers, important tidings. Now, you may know tomorrow as the “first day of Spring,” but we learned astronomists chuckle at such commonry! For, indeed, the Venereal Equinox starts at 1:48 AM tonight, ushering the day when the Sun and the Earth reach the halfway mark of their dance among the stars. I could explain further, but it’s rather complicated astronomy stuff, and I’d just confuse you. Suffice to say, it’s one of the most magical days of the year. For instance, DID YOU KNOW:

1. On this day, and this day only, you can balance an egg on its end. This has to do with magical properties of the Sun that only come into effect when the Earth is in this precise location in its orbit. It also has to do with chickens, and the vital role they play in astronomical phenomenon. Again, very technical stuff that you’d need to study for years in order to gain a partial understanding. Trust me—I’M AN ASTRONOMIST.

2. There are no tides on the Venereal Equinox. No high tide, no low tide. Again, this has to do with the Earth’s position, and its gravitational effect on the Moon.

3. ‘Tis bad luck to carry a red carnation in one’s pocket on the Venereal Equinox. So check your pockets! You may want to go through all the clothes in your closet to make sure there isn’t one hiding. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! This may sound like a silly superstition, but it is based in scientific FACT. And I should know—I’M AN ASTRONOMIST.

4. If a young maiden puts sprinklings of lavender under her pillow the night before, she will wake on the Venereal Equinox and first male she sees will be her future husband. This doesn’t just include people! It includes all manners of beasts, including horses, camels, honeybees, and songbirds. So, young ladies, you may wish to camp out on your beloved’s doorstep to prevent any accidents!

5. After a long winter where every day was the same length, the Venereal Equinox means that once again, the earth moves forward in its orbit. Daylight hours shall start growing longer until the Solstice, when they will stay the same length all summer long, until the Auburnal Equinox. Also, the Venereal Equinox means that time shall progress slightly quicker. So, for instance, a minute during wintertime lasts the familiar 60 seconds, but after the Venereal Equinox, a minute is only 58.4 seconds long.

So, I wish you the very best on this wonderful day, and be sure to bid your neighbor, “Good Venereal Equinox to You!” And no need to thank me—I’M AN ASTRONOMIST!

Hello, I’m a new contributor here to Blogtown and I thought I’d introduce myself. The Mercury has hired me as their special Astronomy correspondent. As you can imagine, this is more than a full-time job, so my hands are pretty full! The demands of an Astronomy & Eclipse columnist at a mid-sized arts weekly are such that it’s really more than one person can reasonably take on. Luckily, you are in professional and capable hands. I know what I’m doing! I didn’t spend eight post-grad years at Astronomy Journalism School for nothing.

SO, without any more ado, I am here to report that there will indeed be a lunar eclipse tonight! From 19:01 PST to 19:52 PST tonight, the earth will block out the sun. Or wait… Hang on. Lunar eclipse means that the sun blocks out the moon. Right? Yeah. So, the Earth’s rotation is such that the moon will… Okay. I know this. The moon will block out the Earth. I think. You actually might want to Google it.

At any rate, it will be darker than usual for about 45 minutes.

Thanks! I shall be back with more accurate, informative coverage in about 18 months, when we have another lunar eclipse! It has been a pleasure, Blogtown readers.