Dear MIRA Friends,
While accelerating through the expanding universe, the pathway we all travel, the one common thread that intertwines us all, that which spins cosmic dust into cognitive, recognizable heavenly bodies used to navigate by, is the path that MIRA is dedicated to. For the fundamental motivation of the institute could well be summarized by this Ralph Waldo Emerson prose:
" If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the City of God which had been shown. "
Our time is well spent as we pursue this phenomena that appears not once in a thousand years, but at every day's end, lest we not forget our day's worth.
We gratefully acknowledge all those who have supported these efforts and we continue because of your grace...on our mission:
"To conduct and further astronomical observation and related scientific study and research; and to foster and encourage in the genera1 public the advancement of knowledge concerning astronomy in al1 of its aspects, and to educate persons in such knowledge."
May Peace be yours this Season and always!
Cynthia Fortrie
Stellar volunteer Brian Jacobson directs our wind generator repair |
As this is written, yet another major Pacific
winter storm is bearing down on the Central Coast. Two
early storm systems have already torn off the generator
shed roof, blown over across the drive numerous dead
snags from the `99 Kirk Fire, and rearranged the stream
channel we like to call Tassajara Road hereabouts.
But by far the most impressive storm of the season has been the Leonid Meteor Storm of November 18. At OOS, the few hardy souls who braved 25 MPH winds with the thermometer reading in the high 40's were rewarded with meteor rates of five or more per second. Meteors are notorious for being difficult to capture on film. Several exceptionally dramatic shadow-casting-- some even exploding!-- fireballs eluded the shutter, but burned into our memory banks nevertheless. In other OOS news, local arborist and Friend of MIRA volunteer Brian Jacobson recently lent his expertise, high-wire guidance, and beefy rope tackle to the task of lowering, re-winding and replacing the 12KW generator that resides atop the sixty-foot wind turbine tower on Chews Ridge. Attaboy, Brian! |
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