Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 16, 2016

12

THE WORLD AROUND US


1917 ASTRONOMICAL PLATE FROM MT. WILSON OBSERVATORY HAS 

FIRST-EVER EVIDENCE OF AN EXOPLANETARY SYSTEM

You can never predict what treasure might be 
hiding in your own basement. For example, it 
turns out that a 1917 image on an astronomical 
glass plate from the Carnegie Observatories’ 
collection shows the first-ever evidence of a 
planetary system beyond our own Sun.

 Astronomer Jay Farihi of University 
College London recently contacted Carnegie 
Observatories’ Director, John Mulchaey. He 
was looking for a plate in the Carnegie archive 
that contained a spectrum of van Maanen’s 
star, a white dwarf discovered by Dutch-
American astronomer Adriaan van Maanen in 
the very year the Carnegie plate was made.

 Stellar spectra are recordings of the light 
emitted by distant stars. Spectra spread out all 
of the component colors of light, like a rainbow 
from a prism, and they can teach astronomers 
about a star’s chemical composition. They can 
also tell them how the light emitted by a star 
is affected by the chemistry of the things it 
passes through before reaching us on Earth.

 As requested, the Observatories located the 
1917 plate, made by former Observatories 
Director Walter Adams at Mount Wilson 
Observatory’s 60-inch telescope. Other than a 
notation on the plate’s sleeve indicating that 
the star looked a bit warmer than our own 
Sun, everything seemed very ordinary.

 However, when Farihi examined the 
spectrum, he found something quite 
extraordinary.

 The clue was in what’s called an “absorption 
line” on the spectrum. Absorption lines 
indicate “missing pieces,” areas where the light 
coming from a star passed through something 
and had a particular color of light absorbed 
by that substance. These lines indicate the 
chemical makeup of the interfering object.

 Carnegie’s 1917 spectrum of van Maanen’s 
star revealed the presence of heavier elements, 
such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, which 
should have long since disappeared into the 
star’s interior due to their weight.

 Only within the last 12 years has it become 
clear to astronomers that van Maanen’s star 
and other white dwarfs with heavy elements 
in their spectra represent a type of planetary 
system featuring vast rings of rocky planetary 
remnants that deposit debris into the stellar 
atmosphere. These recently discovered 
systems are called “polluted white dwarfs.” 
They were a surprise to astronomers, because 
white dwarfs are stars like our own Sun at 
the end of their lifetimes, so it was not at 
all expected that they would have leftover 
planetary material around them at that stage.

 “The unexpected realization that this 1917 
plate from our archive contains the earliest 
recorded evidence of a polluted white dwarf 
system is just incredible,” Mulchaey said. “And 
the fact that it was made by such a prominent 
astronomer in our history as Walter Adams 
enhances the excitement.”

 Planets themselves have not yet been 
detected orbiting van Maanen’s star, nor 
around similar systems, but Farihi is confident 
it is only a matter of time.

 “The mechanism that creates the rings of 
planetary debris, and the deposition onto the 
stellar atmosphere, requires the gravitational 
influence of full-fledged planets,” he 
explained. “The process couldn’t occur unless 
there were planets there.”

 “Carnegie has one of the world’s largest 
collections of astronomical plates with an 
archive that includes about 250,000 plates from 
three different observatories—Mount Wilson, 
Palomar, and Las Campanas,” concluded 
Mulchaey. “We have a ton of history sitting 
in our basement and who knows what other 
finds we might unearth in the future?”

 The Mount Wilson 60-inch telescope, where 
this discovery was made, is now available for 
public observing. See: http://www.mtwilson.
edu/60in.html

 

 

 You can contact Bob Eklund at: 

b.eklund@MtnViewsNews.com.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

PLANTING TREES IN SIERRA MADRE TO FIGHT 
DROUGHT

 

Trees, grey water recycling, and welcoming the rain are all needed

Low-tech solutions to Urban Density

 

[Nyerges operates the School of Self-reliance, offering classes in self-reliance 
and survival. The web site is www.self-reliance.net. ]

We are not advocates of the “front lawn.” Our 
front area is planted with fruit trees, herbs, and 
ornamentals. Once, while we were tending this 
area, a visitor of ours stated that he does not 
grow anything in his yard. He told us he was so 
concerned about dry weather conditions, and 
drought conditions, that he regarded any sort of 
plant cultivation as “wasting water.” 

Of course, our visitor was tacitly suggesting that 
we were wasting water.

We realized that this idea was rather widespread 
when yet a second person suggested that we forget 
about planting any more trees, bushes, or 
vegetables due to what seems to be regular periods 
of drought and water shortages in Southern 
California. 

This counter-productive idea seems to have 
gained a foothold in the minds of many residents 
of our Southland. We’ve even heard some 
“garden experts” suggest this idea, that to “save 
water” we should simply not grow plants.

We are able to grow fruit trees and roses and 
herbs and other edible plants partly because we 
direct all of our washing machine water, and 
most of our dish water, out into the garden areas 
and not down the city’s sewer line. We are using 
the water twice!

To the visitor who suggested that we stop growing 
for awhile, we casually asked, as we were 
showing him our water recycling system, “So 
where does all your used water go?” He was silent 
for a moment, and then told us that it all 
goes into the sewer.

In fact, with careful attention to the type of detergents 
purchased, we can direct virtually all of 
our water into our yards. This is done in many 
possible ways. The dish basin, full of used water, 
can simply be carried outside and poured manually 
around your plants. Or you can fill one gallon 
plastic buckets with your used bath, shower, 
or dish water, and then carry it outside to where 
it is needed. With a bit more work, you can disconnect 
from your sewer line and permanently 
direct all of your used water into your own yard, 
as we’ve done with the washing machine.

There are two major benefits of sending your 
used household water into your own yards, rather 
than letting it flow unceremoniously down the 
sewer. 

As more and more people move into this coastal 
mountain-locked desert plain, we have quickly 
begun to use the water faster than nature’s ability 
to replenish the supply. Thus, our underground 
water table has steadily dropped. Directing 
all our household water into our yards 
could have at least a minimal positive affect on 
the water table (as long as we avoid bleaches and 
dyes in our detergents that could be harmful to 
the soil and water). 

More importantly, one of the best “weapons” 
to combat desertification and the serious effects 
of the cycles of drought is the presence of trees! 
Throughout recorded history, the harvest and 
non-replenishment of trees has led to weather 
changes that have resulted in large deserts. All 
the major deserts on earth were once forests, 
but the trees were cut down for making boats or 
other products. Conversely, since the transpiration 
cycle of trees releases large amounts of water 
into the environment, the planting of trees 
on a large scale can reduce the effects of drought, 
can alter weather and can reverse the downward 
cycle towards desertification.

We don’t want to stop our efforts to plant -- and 
to nurture -- trees just because there is a period 
of drought. But we must do so wisely. By using 
all possible grey water, we’re able to keep our 
necessary trees and plants alive and transpiring.

When we read that the average residence of Los 
Angeles County uses about 400 gallons a day, we 
were astounded. We’re not sure what constitutes 
an “average” family, but when we average out 
out water usage, it doesn’t come close to 400 gallons 
on a daily basis. Imagine how astounded we 
both were to learn that Hugh Hefner’s Playboy 
mansion uses 25,000 gallons of water daily!! Or 
that the Hotel Bel-Air, an 11 acre retreat, uses 
98,000 gallons a day! 

No wonder we have water troubles. People flock 
her to the desert and they use water profligately, 
as if they were living in Canada or the Rockies or 
some other water-rich environment.

With all this in mind, we wonder:

n Where doesn’t every single family residence 
in Southern California direct all their own gray 
water into their own yard? This raises the water 
table, and allows plants to grow with water that 
was already used and paid for?

n Why isn’t the city, or various water agencies, 
actively promoting not just low-flush toilets 
but composting toilets, which use NO water at 
all?

n Why does the average residence pay more 
for the water they so-carefully use, when the “big 
users” get to buy their water wholesale?

n Why do we allow any new construction at 
all, either residential or business? If our water 
situation is only going to get worse as population 
increases, shouldn’t we take some steps to 
encourage development elsewhere? Or are we so 
caught up in the suicidal money-making mindset 
that “development is always good for business” 
that we are blind to what we are doing to 
ourselves?

 

We know that there are countless other “easy” 
and practical ways to fight water shortages and 
to live lightly on the earth. 

Another deep-seated idea that all should root 
out of our thinking is that “Sunny weather is 
good weather, and rainy weather is bad.” Most 
Southern California weather reporters have 
interpreted the weather this way for decades 
(with a few rare exceptions, such as the former 
television meteorologist Dr. George Fischbeck). 
Though we are not badmouthing sunny weather, 
we need to begin to think about rain as a valuable, 
friendly, needed gift from heaven, without 
which our home here between the sea and the 
mountains would quickly revert to a semi-barren 
desert.

I DON’T GET HEADACHES, I GIVE THEM

This past week I got myself into some rather 
unnecessary trouble. I say unnecessary because 
it was trouble that I could have avoided if I 
only would have thought before I spoke.

 This is one of the greatest crosses that I bear 
in my married life. I always speak before I 
think because I do not have that much time to 
speak. If you know what I mean.

 The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
was complaining that she had a headache and 
did not know how to get rid of it. At first I 
thought she was referring to the other person 
who lived in the parsonage with her, but I 
soon discovered she had a headache and it 
seemed to be very painful.

 As a husband, one of my duties is to try 
to make my “helpmeet” as comfortable as 
possible. Although I have been married 
a lifetime, I still have not acquired much 
expertise on wifeology. 

 She was complaining about this headache 
and so I thought I would step in or step up, 
whichever the case, and tell her, “Don’t worry 
about your headache. It’s all in your head.” At 
the time I did not know what I was saying.

 When I did say it, she glared at me with 
one of “those” glares. Every husband knows 
exactly what I am talking about.

 The thing that hurt the most was she did not 
say anything, she just glared.

 This just shows the compatibility of 
our household. Every household, every 
relationship needs glue to hold it together. 
This is our glue. She gets headaches and I give 
them.

 I am not sure I have had more than a half a 
dozen headaches in my entire life. But I can 
assure you, I have given plenty a headache to 
a variety of people. That’s my specialty. Some 
doctors have a remedy for headaches and 
others, like me, know how to give them right 
smartly.

 I suppose the reason I do not get very many 
headaches is because there is nothing up there 
to ache. If I would clutter my head with all 
sorts of things I would run the danger and 
possibility of acquiring a headache.

 One of my specialties is that I can think for a 
long period of time about nothing. I can stare 
into space and not be thinking about anything 
whatsoever.

Usually, at one of these empty staring times 
the wife will ask, “What are you thinking 
about?”

 Perhaps that is what a headache really is. 
Being asked something you have no idea how 
to answer. How do you tell someone that you 
are not thinking about anything when it looks 
like you are thinking about something? And, 
what is the difference between “anything” and 
“something?”

 Oh boy. I think I’m getting a headache right 
now.

 When my wife gets a headache she takes 
medication, lays down on the couch, puts a 
heating pad around her neck and before she 
closes her eyes she looks at me as though 
daring me to make a noise.

 Do not let this out, but sometimes her 
headache gives me a headache.

 Really, the only thing that gives me a 
headache are things inconveniencing me at 
the time.

 Like two weeks ago I had to take a two hour 
trip on I-75. Now, the speed limit is 70 mph. 
Normally I can handle that, I just said my 
speed control thingamajig and go cruising (or 
is it trumping?) down the highway.

 The headache came when there was an 
accident which brought the traffic to an 
amazing 2 mph. I do not mind stopping, 
but when it is moving 2 mph, it is really a 
headache.

 Then, coming north on the same highway 
there was another accident, but this time we 
were going 3 mph.

 Talk about a headache.

 I know what you are thinking. You are 
thinking that my headache is not nearly as bad 
as my wife’s headache. All I can say is, how do 
you know?

 One person’s headache is very real to them, 
as real as another person’s headache is to 
them.

 The problem with my headache on the 
highway was, I could not take any medication, 
lie down and put a heating pad on my neck 
and go to sleep. I had to stay awake and watch 
where in the world I was going even though I 
was not going very fast.

 Gladly would I have traded my headache on 
the highway for her headache on the couch.

 Of course, there is always the idea that I 
cause headaches. And I suppose there’s not 
much I can do about that. Except, maybe, 
try not to cause a headache. But when you’re 
person like me, you don’t know you’re causing 
a headache until you’ve caused that headache.

 What would life be without headaches either 
getting them or giving them? I suppose that’s 
what life is all about. If you think you can live 
your life without getting or giving a headache 
you are in for a truly severe migraine.

 As I thought about this I was reminded of 
a very special verse of Scripture. “And God 
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and 
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, 
nor crying, neither shall there be any more 
pain: for the former things are passed away” 
(Revelation 21:4).

 In this life you can’t get away from 
headaches, but I have something to look 
forward to and that is what God has for me.

 The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the 
Family of God Fellowship in Silver Springs 
Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail 
jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is 
www.whatafellowship.com.

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com