September Astronomy and Friday Music

This year the September full moon is called the Harvest Moon. 

The Harvest moon can occur in either September or October because it coincides with an astronomical event – the autumnal equinox. The full Moon that occurs nearest to the Autumnal Equinox (September 22 or 23 depending-upon your time zone) takes on the name Harvest Moon rather than its traditional name – the Full Corn Moon or Barley Moon.  As a consequence of an orbital quirk the moon is at a very shallow angle to the eastern horizon rising 20 to 30 minutes later each night instead of the usual 50 minutes.  This geometry provides for several consecutive evenings of bright twilight illumination right after sunset.  The phenomenon historically allowed farmers to work later into the night bringing-in their harvest.  

The indigenous Anishinaabe people of the our Great Lakes region call this moon Waatebagaa-giizis or Waabaagbagaa-giizis, the Leaves Turning or Leaves Falling moon.

In the Northern Hemisphere and in our time zone the Harvest Moon tomorrow night, yet will appear 99% full this evening.

And enjoy the music...

The Case of the Purloined Brain

If you think stealing an election is a big deal; how about your noggin?

Albert Einstein's brain was stolen on April 18, 1955 by Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey, the Princeton Hospital pathologist who performed his autopsy.  He took the brain against Einstein's stated instructions to be cremated.

Yikes! 

Lest you find this ghoulish, in the 19th and 20th centuries it was not uncommon to collect and study the brains of high-achieving people - including notorious criminals - to look for physical traits linked to their accomplishments and behavior.

Harvey was under the impression that the brain of the world's leading physicist must possess some distinct physical abnormalities.  While not a neurologist, and likely acting on impulse, Harvey found himself in a unique historical moment to preserve the organ before it was lost forever.

Einstein had specifically left instructions to be cremated and thus prevent his mortal remains from being idolized.  Harvey managed to obtain reluctant and retroactive permission from Einstein's son, Hans Albert, on the strict condition that the brain be used only for legitimate scientific research. 

While the brain no longer exists as an intact organ it has been divided into hundreds of fragmented specimens and microscope slides scattered across several locations. 

The vast majority of the tissue is safeguarded at the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center.  Access to this collection is restricted to the public and therefore not accessible to casual visitors. 

Philadelphia's Mütter Museum is the only location you can actually see pieces of the physicist's brain.  There is an exhibit where you can view 46 cross-section slices of the brain tissue mounted on microscope slides.   

Alas, Harvey distributed individual pieces and slices to friends and acquaintances around the world.  While many of them have been accounted-for there are likely some that are that are in private hands or university collections as historic oddities.  

In the end, Einstein's remains were cremated and subsequently scattered at an undisclosed location.

You can learn more about this story here.

Back To The Movies

Universal Pictures was responsible for the creation and promotion of the flat-topped monster famously played by Boris Karloff.

In my lifetime I've seen:

Frankenstein (1931)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)

House of Frankenstein (1944)

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) 

In adulthood I've seen:

• Young Frankenstein (1974) Mel Brooks' legendary parody of the Universal films.

• Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) A faithful, high-budget adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Robert De Niro as the monster.

Then there was this: 

• Frankenstein (2025) Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

It stars Oscar Isaac as the brilliant, yet arrogant surgeon and Jacob Elordi as the tragic monster.  It is reasonably faithful to the original novel and the spectacular gothic design, moody lighting, and distinct period details add to its excellent production value.

You can find on streaming television.

I recommend it.

Wiley Coyote

Whenever we make the rounds of the trail camera trap line the most common critter showing-up has got to be the whitetail deer; hands down.  This is followed by raccoons. Nevertheless, coyotes make an appearance almost every time we download a batch of digital images.  

Anyway, here's some recent captures of the highest-order predator in our neighborhood.

And if you see one slinking around with an anvil or a stick of dynamite watch out!

 

Raspberry Avalanche!

Our little raspberry patch is cranking-out some big ones!

These were flash-frozen and added to those in the freezer. 

Over two pounds.

Raspberry avalanche! 

September Astronomy

September is reliably host to an astronomical event - the equinox - when days and nights will be approximately equal in length. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the tipping point where the sun will rise later and nightfall arrives sooner.  As things have grown cooler around these parts you don’t have to remind me that autumn is in the air. This is the time of year we chase pheasants, woodcock and whitetails, stack firewood, and roll-out the long sleeve t-shirts and swap-out cargo shorts for long pants.  

Equinox (Latin for equal night) the amount of daylight is nearly equal to the hours of darkness. 

 

Even though the equinox happens at the same moment worldwide the precise time for you depends-upon your time zone. Translation: the equinox will arrive tomorrow at 7:05 PM CDT.  This marks the astronomical arrival of fall.  The meteorological arrival of fall in the Northern Hemisphere was September 1st. This date is based on the consistent temperature cycle and the Gregorian calendar, which divides the year into four three-month seasons.  Meanwhile - south of the equator - spring is about to begin.  If you live on the equator the sun will be positioned directly overhead at high noon.

We live just shy of the 45th parallel (equidistant from the equator and pole) and it has been fascinating to observe the transit of the setting sun as it has moved from its furthest advance to the north to now set in the west.  The sun only rises due east and due west on two days of the year - The spring and fall equinoxes. 

 

For years I dreamed of a bucket-list visit to Stonehenge.  Last spring I ticked-it-off.... 

 

Stonehenge View West

 

Autumn Butterflies

It has occurred to me I haven't seen a Monarch butterfly in a number of days.  The Missus has shared the same.  It could be they've flown the coop for their annual migration south.

Nevertheless, while out for a walk with the Red Rocket just the other day we spotted this butterfly.

The Great Spangled Fritillary, Argynnis cybele, a large, vibrant yellow-orange butterfly recognizable by the black markings on its upperside and striking metallic silver spots on its hindwing underside.

Native to North America it is common in fields and open woodlands, its caterpillars feed almost exclusively on the foliage of violets.  Adults are active from mid-summer into early autumn feeding on nectar-rich autumn blooms like New England Aster.

More photos of this butterfly, and others, if you search under LABELS in the left margin of the blog homepage.