Tuesday, August 11, 2009

A cold long stare

Around the middle of August of each year the Earth travels through a spacial debris field and thus creates a meteor shower. This particular light show appears to come from the the constellation Perseus.

Perseus, in Greek mythology, killed the sea monster Ceto to save the princess Andromeda from certain death. In some versions he used the severed head of the only Gorgon sister that was mortal. Since Medussa could turn living objects into stone, her severed head was used to save Perseus' future wife, from the monster.

The Perseids upon reaching the Earth's protective atmosphere literally burn up, in an ablative manner, and yield an enjoyable show. Space debris "falls" from their orbit due to friction, but once traveling at high speeds in the atmosphere they burn because of pressure.

The question I have is; if they were immortal, where are the other Gorgon sisters?

Monday, August 3, 2009

Mirage, that's all you are to me

According to legend, Morgan la Fay was King Arthur's sorceress half-sister. In Italian, her name is Fata Morgana, which is also the name given to a special mirage observed in the Strait of Messina.

A mirage is an optical phenomenon, but a mondegreen is when the ear hears (aural phenomenon) a certain lyric in a song, and due to near homophone, yields thus a new meaning.

Although "Donuts make my brown eyes blue." is humorous, I always appreciate "There's a bathroom on the right".

Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica

Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica