The Moon, Venus, Aldebaran, Mars And Even Jupiter Were Out On Display Sunday Morning!

A real treat for sky-, star-, moon- and planet-gazers took place on Sunday morning, July 19, 2009. These bodies met in the North/Northeast part of the sky on July 17, 18 and 19, but the first two days were cloudy (I was up prior to 5:00 AM on all three days!). Persistency certainly paid off as I caught an excellent view on the 19th.

The Moon, Venus, Aldebaran (of the Constellation Taurus) and Mars!


The same photo now labelled so you can see what is what. Note: the helium star Aldebaran is 44.2 TIMES the diameter of our Sun (and you thought the Sun was huge!?)!!!


Another shot. Look at the clouds - very nice.


Notice the sky changing color ... this was taken only three minutes after the previous one!


If I am not mistaken, it appears as if the Planet Jupiter stopped by for a visit as well! Looking South.


Jupiter wanted to witness the meeting of the other four too!


As this point, only the Crescent Moon and Venus remained in the North.




Since I am on the topic of Mars, I thought I'd take my Meteorite Collection out and show a sample from it! Here is a very small fragment of the Red Planet (the Martian specimen is classified as NWA 4880: Achondrite: Shergottite). It floated in outer space for a while and landed on Earth in 2007.


I may as well show some tiny fragments of the Moon too! Found in April 2002. Lunar Meteorite Classification - NEA001: Achondrite: Anorth.


I look to post much more from this area of observation and collecting in the coming months!

Visiting Revolutionary War Veterans' Graves At The Old Newton Friends Burial Ground On July 4, 2009

In honor of the day and in the spirit of the eighteenth century, I stopped by The Old Newton Friends Burial Ground In Haddon Township, New Jersey to look at some old Soldiers' graves and to offer my appreciation.

I visit this cemetery a few times a year and I always make a point to visit these Veterans' graves on the 4th Of July. There is also one War Of 1812 Veteran buried here. Since the year 1886, local residents knew the cemetery was in poor shape and in 2009, it is even worse. Vandalism (vandalising the grave of someone who helped create this nation???), neglect, onslaught of the elements ... all aid to the rapid deterioration of this burial ground. We can do better. These Soldiers made a sacrifice for us ... can we make a far less arduous sacrifice for them???

Here is a short documentary clip where I visit each Soldier's grave:


Here is the url if the clip does not embed properly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGZpPIPvCcc

Here is the grave of Joseph Branson:


Joseph Githens:


Here is a close-up of the damage (perhaps I can find a photo of the tombstone from the past year or so and see if this was caused by recent vandalism):


Joseph Zane Collings (this should be of interest to residents and alumni of Collingswood):


Jacob Evaul (photo taken with flash at 7:59 PM):


Jacob Evaul (photo taken without flash at 7:59 PM ... note the difference; it's like night and day!):


Here I am by the old Vet's grave:


I would like to believe these are original nineteenth century grave stones, but they could be from the 1930s (I obviously need to research further). I know the plaques that have been set in the ground facing upward are very likely from the 1930s.

The burial ground borders Haddon Township, Collingswood, Woodlynne and Oaklyn. If you live in the area or if you are the type of person who likes to travel, I would certainly suggest visiting this small old cemetery. You'll be glad you did!

Celebrating The Fourth Of July At Princeton Battlefield

Today I went to Princeton, NJ to watch a cannon display/demonstration performed by Mott’s 6th Company, 2nd Continental Artillery Reenactors (http://www.mottsartillery.org).

The video is below:


If the clip does not embed properly, here is the url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opaqvmiNnYY

Some photos of the event:




You'll note the old Colonnade in the background:




The Clark House - rear view:


The Clark House - front view:


Ever hear of Mercer County? A Brigadier General named Hugh Mercer was injured and tended to (by Founding Father and Signer of The Declaration Of Independence Benjamin Rush) in this very house. He unfortunately died of his wounds and the County was later named after him. The tablet below was erected in honor of the General in 1897:


The Clark Family cared for wounded soldiers from both sides of the conflict. Here is another view of the rear ... this time without the stroller by the entrance!


The Princeton Battlefield is in dire need of YOUR help! Shameless developers are moving in. They are not convinced of the significance of this land to the beginnings of America. The Battle Of Princeton was very strategic and pivotal in the saga of The Revolution - the victory there allowed the American troops to believe they could actually win the War against the British. Now, there is a new War and people are taking sides. This is a War we can win as well. We must not let Hugh Mercer and the others who have fallen die in vain.

The following link has more information:
http://www.saveprincetonbattlefield.org

Secretarial Signatures Of Hoover And Ike

Letters bearing the signatures of secretaries signed on behalf of Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower have recently sold for big money of an internet auction site (I am sure you can figure out which one). The Hoover letter sold for over $100 and the Ike letter sold for over $180. There is also another Hoover letter currently offered at a fixed price. It features the same secretary. In addition, I saw a website that seeks to "educate" collectors on the autographs of major figures in World War II and the entry for Eisenhower is a sample of his secretary's hand! How ironic ... and unfortunate. I e-mailed three out of the four people (I never got to e-mailing the seller of the Ike letter) to tell them the signatures are fake and not one responded back to me. Big surprise.

Be very careful when purchasing Presidential Autographs. Some secretaries were very, very good at replicating their bosses. Some are near impossible to differentiate while others are quite easy to identify. Hoover and Ike are among the easiest ones to pick out. Examples are available for your reference online.

Letter Written By A Confederate Veteran In 1903

On this day 106 years ago, Civil War Veteran B.F. Morgan wrote this beautiful letter to two Generals. He was a man who apparently knew the realities of War and wished for Peace ... on Earth and Beyond.

Jpegs and video are below:

Confederate General Roger Atkinson Pryor's Grave

I visited the grave of Confederate Roger Atkinson Pryor yesterday (March 18 ... the anniversary of his passing was just a few days prior) at the Nassau Cemetery in Princeton, NJ. Roger, a Virginian, was a member of the United States House Of Representatives and later, a member of the Confederate States House Of Representatives. He was a Brigadier General for the Southern Confederacy, but resigned after he had a falling out with Jefferson Davis. Believe or not, he later joined a Calvary Regiment with a significant decrease in rank - he enlisted as a Private and Scout! He was eventually captured and released on parole by Abraham Lincoln. In the 1890s, he served as a Justice in the New York Supreme Court.

Quite a surprise to see a Veteran of the South buried in New Jersey!








While there, I filmed some short documentary footage:


Here is the link if the video does not embed properly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_h4wT5DEWs

Close-up footage:


Here is the link if the video does not embed properly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBqbAgvcFsA

Some blooper footage where I call the cemetery a museum!!


Here is the link if the video does not embed properly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUkVH7b9Vjk

George Washington's Birthday Today!

Well, it is back to the birthdays on this blog. February 22 is the day of birth (on the Gregorian Calendar as opposed to the Julian Calendar used at the time) for General and first U.S. President George Washington. This is not to be confused with the crummy, watered-down version of Washington's Birthday included with all of the other Presidents (aka President's Day). In any event, here is a very nice postcard from circa 1909 to 1912 celebrating the day!