Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 20, 2015

THE WORLD AROUND USMountain Views-News Saturday, June 20, 2015 14 THE WORLD AROUND USMountain Views-News Saturday, June 20, 2015 14 
LONELY GALAXY “LOST IN SPACE;” SCHOOLBOY DISCOVERS A NEW PLANET 
Space is big, dark, and lonely. But some parts of it 
are more lonely than others.

Most galaxies are clumped together in groups 
or clusters. A neighboring galaxy is never far 
away. But one galaxy, known as NGC 6503, has 
found itself in a lonely position, at the edge of a 
strangely empty patch of space called the Local 
Void. 

The Local Void is a huge stretch of space that 
is at least 150 million light-years across. It seems 
completely empty of stars or galaxies. The galaxy’s 
odd location on the edge of this never-land led 
stargazer Stephen James O’Meara to dub it the 
“Lost-in-Space galaxy” in his 2007 book, Hidden 
Treasures. 

NGC 6503 is 18 million light-years away from 
us in the northern circumpolar constellation of 
Draco the Dragon. It is some 30,000 light-years 
in diameter, about one-third the size of our own 
home galaxy, the Milky Way. 

******* 

WORK-EXPERIENCE SCHOOLBOY 
DISCOVERS A NEW PLANET. A 15-year-old 
schoolboy has discovered a new planet orbiting 
a star 1,000 light years away in our galaxy. Tom 
Wagg was doing work-experience at Keele 
University, Staffordshire, England, when he 
spotted the planet by finding a tiny dip in the light 
of a star as a planet passed in front of it.

“I’m hugely excited to have a found a new 
planet, and I’m very impressed that we can find 
them so far away,” says Tom, now aged 17. (It has 
taken two years of further observations to prove 
that Tom’s discovery really is a planet.)

Tom found the planet by looking at data 
collected by the WASP (Wide Angle Search for 
Planets) project, which surveys the night skies 
monitoring millions of stars to look for the telltale 
tiny dips (transits) caused by planets passing 
in front of their host star. 

Tom’s planet has been given the catalogue 
number WASP-142b, being the 142nd discovery 
by the WASP collaboration. It is in the Southern 
constellation of Hydra the Water Snake. While 
astronomers worldwide have now found over 
1,000 extra-solar planets, Tom is possibly the 
youngest ever to have done so. 

“The WASP software was impressive, enabling 
me to search through hundreds of different stars, 
looking for ones that have a planet,” says Tom. 
The planet is the same size as Jupiter, but orbits 
its star in only two days. With such a short orbital 


period, the transits occur frequently, making such studying extra-solar planets. the International Astronomical Union has started 
planets much easier to find. “Tom is keen to learn about science, so it a contest to name extra-solar planets. Tom is 

Tom, a pupil at Newcastle-under-Lyme School, was easy to train him to look for planets,” says looking forward to making a suggestion for his 
who has always been deeply interested in science, Professor Coel Hellier, who leads the WASP planet.
asked for the work-experience week after learning project at Keele. You can contact Bob Eklund at: .eklund@ 
that Keele University had a research group The planet does not yet have a name, though MtnViewsNews.com 


HOW I EARNED AN INCOME 
AND LEARNED TO SPEND LESS 


By Christopher Nyergesduring this period, and found my state of mind

[This is a section of a chapterfrequently resonating with the basic themes in the

from Nyerges’ e-book, book. Remember, Thoreau wasn’t a bum, or a drop


“Squatter in Los Angeles,” out, or an alcoholic. Actually, for that matter, he was

available from Kindle. no squatter either, for the land where he was givenNyerges is the author of over a dozen books, and hepermission to do his “experiment” was owned byhas led survival walks since 1974. He can be reached at fellow writer and friend William Emerson. He built 
www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com, or Box 41834, Eaglefor himself a little house (a “shack” by most accounts),
Rock, CA 90041.]and did a lot of his writing there. He stayed there byI had no regular job during this period, though Ihimself, probably realizing even back then that manyearned $5 each week by writing an outdoor column forcommercial interests in our society vie for our timethe Pasadena Star News. It wasn’t much money, but itand money, finding ever-more clever ways to convinceseemed to add up when I got a check at the end of eachus that we need objects which previous millennia ofmonth. It also got my name out there, and I began tohumans survived without. It would be accurate to sayget requests to give talks to local groups and to leadthat Thoreau – like me – was profoundly interested inwalks for schools. the very meaning of life and wanted to

Even though I paid no rent, I did have a


discover the point of all the rushing aboututility and phone bill to pay, so I needed a

to get somewhere. Unable to discoverbit more than $5 a week. I sought out part

these answers in his town, Thoreau built 
time work here and there which would 

and moved into his little shack in the 
still allow me to attend the various small 

woods and learned how to grow the foodclasses offered by the non-profit during

that he ate, and found it nourishing andthe week. 

satisfying. He also ate purslane, an importI found work doing such tasks as

from the old world, which even then was 
roofing, framing, writing magazine 

common throughout the eastern Unitedarticles. 

States in tilled soil. He wrote “I learned 
I landed a part-time job doing

that a man may use as simple a diet astypesetting, which also led to my writing

the animals, and yet retain health andfor that little newspaper, the Altadena

strength. I have made a satisfactory dinnerChronicle, owned by Sue and Rich 

off a dish of purslane which I gathered andRedman. I thought I was on top of the

boiled. Yet men have come to such a passworld with that income and my $5 a weekthat they frequently starve, not from wantincome from the Pasadena Star News. I also ended upof necessities, but for want of luxuries.” Indians and 
doing some framing and painting at the newspapertrappers would visit and talk, and somehow throughoffice when they remodeled.this unprejudiced intercourse, he found that all people

In reality, I was on the edge of poverty financially,were more alike then different, and a life lived for 
and yet I felt good, at peace most of the time, andpurely material reasons is a life wasted.
loved to try new things and experiment. My primaryNow I found myself in a similar setting, though itsource of mental stimulation was through my classeswasn’t in the woods but a ruralish part of Los Angeles.
and involvement with the non-profit next door, and IThere was purslane and chickweed growing rightbelieved this was the most important work I could do.outside my door. I had no pond nearby, but I didIn fact, there was no reason why I could not have gottenmanage to get over the Arroyo Seco which was as closesome full-time job like all my friends, or enrolled backto my personal Walden Pond as I felt I would get.
into college full-time and gotten a degree that wouldAt night, thinking over the day’s classes and studies,
enable me to earn a reasonable income. But somehow typing up my notes and insights, I often ruminatedI convinced myself that -- for better or worse – myover how life should be lived, and wondered why“free” lifestyle was more important for the solace ofwe take up so much time and waste so much of lifemy soul, and for the salvation of the planet. Still, myon trivial pursuits. I felt that it was important to livesoul wasn’t always solaced by my “lifestyle” because Isimply, to grow food, to discover nature’s secrets, and toalways had a nagging fear anytime anyone came up thefind answers through thinking and through research. Idriveway. Furthermore, I constantly wavered betweenwondered why others did not think like me. And withconfidence and doubt that my way of life had any effectthe purslane growing right in my yard, I could eat it forwhatsoever on the direction the planet was taking.lunch in my salad and fancy myself some sort of urban

My time was divided between my work, my studiesThoreau as I thought over these ideas.
and research with the non-profit organization thatI did learn some years later when Thoreau wasbrought me to Highland Park in the first place.mentioned by the academics he was regarded as

I drove a Honda 90 motorcycle at the time that gota brilliant intellectual who discovered the simple100 miles to the gallon so my transportation costs werereality that was right in front of everyone. Be herevery low.now. Imagine. The kingdom is within. Which is why

I derived great pleasure from experimenting andI naturally assumed that his own peers would havelearning all the ways I could provide for my daily needs,regarded him as a saint and savior. Wrong! I haveand even my wants, using things that I made, grew,actually spoken to descendents of Thoreau’s peersfound on the property, or obtained from discards.and they said that in the day, Thoreau was by noHad I been married with children, I believe this would means universally respected. Rather, many regardedhave been an impossible pursuit, for obvious reasons.him as a bum, an outsider, someone who had rejectedBut I was essentially alone. Yes, there was a girlfriendsociety to hang out with the Indians in the woods. Iwho visited occasionally, and two “roommates,” andwas starting to see that there were more parallels withthough our lives intersected, I was free to try thingsme and Thoreau than were originally apparent.
and experiment and live a very simple life.So I did my best – though usually unsuccessfully –

Simple, but not easy, and basic, but not without itsto not be seen as a freeloading bum who chose not tochallenges.work and who just sat around listening to the birds and

I read Thoreau’s Walden Pond for the first time who saw secret messages in the clouds. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

WHERE HAVE ALL 
THE FATHERS GONE? 


Around this time of the year, my thoughts wander At the time, I thought it was funny, however, 
back to my father. He has been gone quite a spell after the fact I could see no humor whatsoever 
but his memory lingers. I often wonder what he in it. I went to get the “switch,” according to my 
would think of what is happening in our world father’s instructions and came back with a twig. I 
today if he were to come back.thought it was funny, but my father had no sense 

I grew up with a father who believed in being of humor about this. In a few moments, my sense 
the father. I confess he was not always right all the of humor evaporated because my father went and 
time, but what he said was law in our house. That got a switch, which is a whole lot different from a 
is, of course, unless his wife contradicted him. twig, just ask my backside.
Then it was time for us kids to seek sanctuary Ruminating over these things, I tried to figure 
outside where we could not hear what was going out how many spankings I actually got during my 
on. lifetime. Let me just say, it was significant. More 

I cannot help but believe that some of the than that. It taught me respect for authority.
problems we are having in our society today I wonder if some of these young people getting 
would not be such a problem if we had fathers. into trouble today ever had a spanking? Of 
How many families are there where children course, today that is completely against PC. My 
grow up not knowing their father? No wonder father did not believe in PC, but he did believe 
they have no respect for authority.emphatically in BS (Back Side). I think if parents 

Although my father was not a very well today would focus more on BS than PC, things 
educated person, he knew how to use the Board might be a lot different.
of Education on the Seat of Learning for all of us Today, people think those old-fashioned 
children. Some of the stuff he did back in “the spankings represent cruel and unusual 
day,” would bring him some real legal problems punishment. However, if you look at this 
today.generation that has not had an old-fashioned 

For example. My father believed he had spanking, I think the evidence speaks for itself.
the right to be judge, jury and executioner To spank or not to spank, that is the dilemma 
concerning the things in his children’s life, with today. Most gravitate towards the “not to spank” 
no appeal to a higher authority.aspect unaware that they are creating a lot of 

In the kitchen hanging next to the door to go damage for the next generation.
outside was a very interesting parenting tool, at I must say that my father was not too much 
least in my father’s eyes. It was a paddle with a interested in what we call “love” today. He was 
religious inscription, “I Need Thee Every Hour.” more interested in respecting authority. In fact, 
The inscription was quite true to the reality of as I think about this, when you are respecting 
life in our home. authority you are exhibiting love. People today 

Spanking was a routine exercise in our home. do not know how to love because they do not 
My father had the idea that if you were in trouble know how to respect authority.
in school you were also in trouble at home. He I think if some of these youngsters could 
had this fantastic idea that the teacher was right spend a week with my father and his infamous 
and I was wrong. I guess he knew me and that I “paddle” they would grow to respect authority. 
could take a little bit of truth and spin it into a lie. Unfortunately, there is no authority figure in 
I wonder who I learned that from? most homes today. Even those homes that have 

Several times I got in trouble at school, which fathers are coerced into believing the father has 
involved a spanking down at the principal’s no real significance in the family.
office. The first time this happened, I well All I can do is to quote a famous psychologist, 
remember walking into the kitchen and saw my “How’s that working?”
father standing there holding in his hand that Well, how is that working?
infamous paddle. Within a few moments, the The wisest man in the world, Solomon, said, 
paddle was doing its duty and I was doing the “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; 
“paddle dance.”even as a father the son in whomhe delighteth” 

After the paddling, my father sat down with (Proverbs 3:12).
me and said, “Okay, what trouble did you get into True love always corrects that which is wrong, 
at school requiring the principal to paddle you?”especially in the person they love. 
I wished he had asked me before the paddling, 
because now I had no incentive whatsoever to lie. The Reverend James L. Snyder is an award 
Looking back, maybe that was the whole purpose winning author whose writings have appeared 
of the paddling.in more than eighty periodicals including 

I well remember one time out in the backyard, GUIDEPOSTS. In Pursuit of God: The Life of A. 
I did something requiring parental action. My W. Tozer, Snyder’s first book, won the Reader’s 
father looked at me and said, “Go get me a switch. Choice Award in 1992 by Christianity Today. 
You need to be taught a lesson.” Snyder has authored/edited 34 books altogether. 

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