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The results from SGB's Town Hall are in!

God knows its finals season. This afternoon from around 2 PM to 6 PM, the juxtaposition of the moon, Venus and Jupiter will form a frowny face in the south-south-western sky.

Bwogger and astronomy-tipster Hans Hyttinen believes that optimal viewing time will be after the sun sets at 4:20 PM. Fiddle around with the stars and planets to get a better sense of this planetary optical illusion here, and read about yesterday's heavenly smiley face, which proved rather feeble due to misalignment and weather problems.

Also: We want your sky portraiture! If you get a good shot of the sad face this afternoon, send it to bwgossip@columbia.edu.

More photos after the jump.

See also: Astronomy, Sadness

Pupin DomeLast night's eclipse was widely watched around campus. Bwog was there, too, tucked in Pupin Hall's cozy rooftop telescope, along with half the Columbia staff and their children. Bwog took the time to interview two eight-year olds on their opinions of the eclipse.

Eight year old #1 (lisping audibly and shrieking): Oh my gosh!


Tipster Rick Betita directed Bwog's attention to Gothamist, whose attention was focused on The New Yorker's Letters to the Editor section. Specifically the letter in which Michael Allison, adjunct professor of astronomy at Columbia, had written about January 28th's cover (see right).

Allison insists that due to the certain conditions (namely,"the angle of the long axis of the concourse, following that of Manhattan's east-west streets, is not 90° but 119° east of north, and aligns with the sun through its "west" windows only from late May to early July, and then only at an elevation of less than 3°"), the scene must have been deliberately revered. Allison continues, "But aren't those the south-side ticket windows at the left of the picture, with the tracks and trains therefore on the right? And doesn't the clock seem to read three-fifty, hardly a time for the morning sun?"

You can read the full letter here, in all its wonky glory.


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