Alternate Reality Groundhog Day

So Groundhog Day...that amazing celebration of rodent hibernation behavior and Bill Murray thinking he's a god...is once again upon us.

Last time, we talked about the possible origins of Groundhog Day, and where our modern traditions for the day come from.  Most likely, Groundhog Day is a hold over from the celebration of Imbolc, the Celtic cross-quarter day festival marking the midpoint between Winter and Spring.  During this time, the Celts would watch to see if serpents or badgers began to appear above ground again...meaning that the weather was warming and spring was on the way.

But I got to thinking last night...what if in some alternate universe, some other tradition from Imbolc were emphasized in the modern era?  There were many things the Celts did to celebrate this important day in their calendar.  So here, in the tradition of numerous sci-fi franchises, I present three possible ways Groundhog Day might have evolved in alternate universes.

Alternate Reality #1: It's...SHEEP MILK DAY!!!

An important part of the festival of Imbolc was the the beginning of lambing season.  That of course, also meant the ewes would begin lactating.  With more fat, protein, calcium and sugar than cow's milk (and less cholesterol too!), sheep's milk is a good choice for cheese making.  So February 2nd in this universe is a day of eating!  Dishes featuring cheeses made from sheep's milk like feta, roquefort, pecorino romano and ricotta (oooh!  lasagna!) would be found in abundance, and in Punxsutawney, PA, the mayor would bring a ewe up into the town's square, milk her, and share the warm milk with everyone!  Err....okay, maybe I'll just stick to the lasagna.

Awassi sheep in Israel.  This breed is commonly kept for milking rather than wool.  Courtesy Wikipedia.

Alternate Reality #2: It's...BRIGITEEN!  Trick or Treat!

Another tradition among the Celts was to seek the blessings of Brighid, later Christianized as St. Brigid, by leaving food and drink for the goddess outside on the night before Imbolc, along with clothing to be blessed by her.  Similar to the Samhain tradition that let to the modern concept of Halloween, in this universe, Imbolc Eve took prominence, and on February 1st, families leave treats outside on the porch for the minions of Brighid to come and collect.  If they've got sense, they won't leave any clothing out for a "blessing."  I shudder to think what they might find in the morning.

St. Brigid in stained glass.  Courtesy Wikipedia.

Alternate Reality #3: It's...OPEN SEASON ON BIRDS!!!

Another legend surrounding Imbolc and related to weather is of the Cailleach - a Gaelic witch-woman representing the winter.  Legends say that on February 2nd, the Cailleach leaves her home to stock up on firewood for the rest of the winter.  If the day is clear, the Cailleach is awake and can gather plenty of wood for the remaining 6 weeks of winter.  If the day is foul, the Cailleach is asleep and gathers no wood, meaning that spring will soon arrive.  Since the Cailleach generally takes the form of a large bird in these tales (who carries the wood in its beak)...in this universe, February 2nd marks the beginning of bird-hunting season!  Hunters are encouraged to take down any bird seen carrying any sticks, thus hopefully securing an early Spring for everyone to enjoy!  And maybe a good dinner for that night as well.

The Cailleach Bheur by Altara

Meanwhile, here in this reality, February 2nd is a Saturday, and we are going to have a wonderful Groundhog Day celebration here at the museum!  The planetarium reopens after some maintenance and upgrades, and we'll be featuring Assignment: Earth, our popular program about the relationships between the Earth, Moon and Sun starring our very own groundhog!  Plus enjoy fun activities and games throughout the day, meet a real live groundhog, and witness our very own Groundhog Day prognostication featuring WAVY-TV's Jeremy Wheeler and the museum's groundhog.  It's going to be a day full of fun you won't want to miss.  Check out our website for more information.

Whatever you decide to do, Happy Groundhog Day.  Me, I think I'm going to make some lasagna.
See you in two weeks!
Carpe Noctem,
Kelly

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Oh yes indeed.  Halloween is this coming Monday.  If you have little kids in your house, like I do, your days are filled with costume prep, costume changes, plans to meet friends and trick-or-treat the best neighborhoods (the ones where you can get the most candy!) and hiding the candy you're supposed to give out from your husband.

You might not think of Halloween as a particularly astronomical holiday...but hey, my tag line up at the top says "Connecting astronomy and space science to...well...just about everything."  So...let's look for some spacey Halloween fun.

The celebration of Halloween is often linked back to a Celtic festival held around this time of year called Samhain, which literally means "summer's end."  As the days begin to shorten and the nights lengthen thanks to the tilt of Earth as we orbit the Sun, the residents of the British Isles (and many other places around the world) would hold a final party as the harvest came to an end, and preparations for the coming long winter ended.  During the winter, travel would be difficult, if not impossible, and this last celebration before the months that many people would spend shut in the their homes against the poor weather was a special one.  So astronomy comes into play right from the beginning of this spooky holiday.

But surely there isn't anything spooky about space itself, right?  Well...think again.  Space is filled with creepy and crazy things...mostly hidden in nebulae, those enigmatic clouds of gas and dust found throughout our galaxy (and indeed, all others).  In reality, these clouds are either leftovers from the deaths of stars, or stellar nurseries, where new stars are being formed.  But sometimes, we can't help but see something else in them.  For example, can you see the cackling face in this nebula?

The Witch Head Nebula.  Courtesy NASA.

This is the Witch Head Nebula, and the resemblance is truly striking!  I certainly wouldn't want to see that laughing at me through my eyepiece...well, actually, that would be kind of cool!

Not afraid of wicked witches?  Try this one on for a scare.

The Ghost Nebula.  Courtesy NASA.

This one is called the Ghost Nebula, and those wispy tendrils truly do make it seem as if something is swooping down towards us.  An apparition worthy of a Hollywood movie...except this is the real thing, and located in the Pleiades star cluster, which will soon be gracing our winter evening skies.  Still not convinced space is spooky?  How about one more?

The DR 6 Star Forming Region.  Courtesy NASA.

Now that is one creepy face.  Bearing a striking resemblance to a human skull, this nebula has the unimaginative name of DR 6.  I think the Skull Nebula suits it far better, however.  It sometimes called the Galactic Ghoul...which is pretty darn creepy, if you ask me.

All right, you got me.  Space isn't really creepy...it's our own active imaginations that see spectres and spooks in the skies.  But it certainly is fun, isn't it?  Speaking of fun, I hope you'll join us this Saturday October 29th at the Abbitt Planetarium for some fun in the planetarium as we run Fright Light, our Halloween Laser Spook-tacular.  Showtimes at 7pm, 8:30pm, and 10pm.  Come on down for some terrifyingly awesome music, wicked cool laser lights, and even some sweet treats. 

However you decide to celebrate, have a safe, fun, and spooky Halloween!
Until next time,
Carpe noctem,
Kelly