Sky and Telescope - October 2018 - 84

FOCAL POINT by Roger Sargent

Outwitted

How the author learned he had galaxies coming out his ears

few things in this world seem to interest everybody. Astronomy happens to
be one of those universal passions, one
that unites people of all cultures.
My own level of fascination has
always been high. At 9 years old, I
watched Neil Armstrong's "small step,"
and since then astronomy's been inside
my head . . . in more ways than one.

I hadn't realized I was
stepping into a trap. I
was feeling good about
myself, but being the
brilliant strategist she is,
Sue had me right where
she wanted me.
My wife Sue, on the other hand, is like
most people: curious, but not enough to
take it to the next level. Which is why I
gave up on encouraging her years ago. 
Until one recent evening, that is,
when I was lured into trying again. That
night, while my 10-inch Dobsonian
stood in the backyard cooling off, I was
hunched over the dining room table
with my journal and star charts when
Sue walked in.
"What are you seeking tonight?" she
asked, likely just being polite.
I looked at her and smiled. "Galaxies again. It's ﬁnally going to be clear." I
then focused back on my Uranometria.
Knowing that hunting the faint
fuzzies was my favorite kind of observing, she playfully commented, "You
have galaxies coming out your ears."
Without looking up I quipped, "If
there's one thing I've learned about
galaxies, it's that they're too big to come
out one's ears."
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OCTOBE R 2 018 * SK Y & TELESCOPE

Three nights later while sitting at the
same table, with my Uranometria open
before me and the Dob again reaching
ambient temperature under the darkening sky, I was feeling a little clever.
When Sue entered the room, I reverted
to the old days and tried once again to
pique her curiosity.
"Now, honey, tonight I'll observe
a galaxy that's 50 million light-years
away. Light from that galaxy traveled
at 186,000 miles per second on its long
trip here. That's as fast as going around
Earth seven times in a single second.
After traveling that
fast for 50 million
years, those photons
of light will come
into our backyard,
enter through the
top opening of my
telescope tube, reﬂect
off two mirrors,
and go through the
eyepiece and into my
eye. Those photons
will then end that
50-million-year journey in my brain."
I paused for
dramatic effect then
added, "Part of that
galaxy will literally
become part of me."
Finally I had
impressed her. I could
see the gears spinning
as my words soaked into her head like
galactic photons sink into mine.
"What happens to the photons
then?" she asked. 
Caught off-guard, I had to think for
a moment. "Well, I suppose that since
photons are energy, and energy can't
be destroyed, they must turn into body
heat inside my optic nerves or brain or
somewhere in my head." 

I hadn't realized I was stepping into
a trap.
"Where does the body heat go after
that?" she asked with an innocent face. 
I knew the answer to that one. "It
just radiates away like all body heat. It
will leave as warmth from the top or
back of my head or my face. It might
even come out my eyes where the photons went in." 
I was feeling good about myself, but
being the brilliant strategist she is, Sue
had me right where she wanted me.
"Ah, so since your ears are part of

your head, I guess you do have galaxies
coming out of them."
Her wisdom went in one ear and did
not come out the other.
¢ ROGER SARGENT has volunteered
at the planetarium and observatory at
Edinboro University in Pennsylvania for
22 years. He founded the Erie Bluffs Star
Party earlier this year.

DAVID CURTIS ST UDIO

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Sky and Telescope - October 2018

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