The Marvelous Moon
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No less miraculous than child birth or Mike Huckabee’s campaign, the clouds parted and the creator allowed us all to see another of his marvelous magical illusions- an eclipse of the moon.
Uh, I meant, I was noticing the clouds today. The sky was completely covered at 4:30 and half covered at 5:30. The western sky was clear and blue while the eastern sky was still covered and very dark.
Around 6:15 I was looking toward the east when a man came up to me and asked me what I was looking at. I told him that we may just be lucky and the clouds will move out just in time to see the eclipse. This citizen of 60 years asked me how I was so sure the moon was going to rise in the east.
Insistent on challenging me on this point, I stood there a little confused and pondered my choice of words for at least five or six blinks of my eyes.
I asked, “What do you mean?”
He replied, “Well, how can you be so sure that the moon will come up in the east?”
I had a few different methods I could have used to answer this question. I could have tried high gain questions in order to force him to answer the question himself, but I really do no like talking to the guy, so I opted to simply explain the situation.
“See, the moon just went down over there, ” I said pointing to the west. “By definition of both a full moon and a lunar eclipse, the moon must be to the east. When there is a full moon, the sun must shine on the entire visible side of the moon and reflect back in order for us to see it. The moon ‘rises’ in different parts of the sky depending on the moon’s cycle.”
Disappointed that he didn’t get me on his question, he simply replied, “Oh, I guess that makes sense.”
I suppose I should give him credit for noticing over his 60 years that the moon doesn’t quite work like the sun. I’m sure he’s noticed that a person could just about set their watch to the sun.
Maybe he’s tried to set his watch to the moon and, in a fit of frustration, gave up before the cycle was over.
I do think he’s a lonely man. Figuring out 28 day cycles may have never been a priority in his life.
I took the easy way out I suppose. I wanted to say this.
It’s science you nimrod!
Popularity: 38% [?]
No less miraculous than child birth or Mike Huckabee’s campaign, the clouds parted and the creator allowed us all to see another of his marvelous magical illusions- an eclipse of the moon.
Uh, I meant, I was noticing the clouds today. The sky was completely covered at 4:30 and half covered at 5:30. The western sky was clear and blue while the eastern sky was still covered and very dark.
Around 6:15 I was looking toward the east when a man came up to me and asked me what I was looking at. I told him that we may just be lucky and the clouds will move out just in time to see the eclipse. This citizen of 60 years asked me how I was so sure the moon was going to rise in the east.
Insistent on challenging me on this point, I stood there a little confused and pondered my choice of words for at least five or six blinks of my eyes.
I asked, “What do you mean?”
He replied, “Well, how can you be so sure that the moon will come up in the east?”
I had a few different methods I could have used to answer this question. I could have tried high gain questions in order to force him to answer the question himself, but I really do no like talking to the guy, so I opted to simply explain the situation.
“See, the moon just went down over there, ” I said pointing to the west. “By definition of both a full moon and a lunar eclipse, the moon must be to the east. When there is a full moon, the sun must shine on the entire visible side of the moon and reflect back in order for us to see it. The moon ‘rises’ in different parts of the sky depending on the moon’s cycle.”
Disappointed that he didn’t get me on his question, he simply replied, “Oh, I guess that makes sense.”
I suppose I should give him credit for noticing over his 60 years that the moon doesn’t quite work like the sun. I’m sure he’s noticed that a person could just about set their watch to the sun.
Maybe he’s tried to set his watch to the moon and, in a fit of frustration, gave up before the cycle was over.
I do think he’s a lonely man. Figuring out 28 day cycles may have never been a priority in his life.
I took the easy way out I suppose. I wanted to say this.
It’s science you nimrod!
Popularity: 38% [?]
