This saturday is a special day for Astronomy

[snaggs]

This saturday, 8th of August is the feast day for St Dominic, the patron saint of Astronomy.

A great excuse for a dinner and a star party me thinks, and for those who don't mind saying grace, pray for your fellow astronomers!

Daniel.

[Matt Wastell (Matt)]

Hi Daniel

I am not a religious man so I never realised there was a Patron Saint of Astronomy - what is his claim to fame?

[renormalised (Carl)]

and for those who don't mind saying grace

Grace

[snaggs]

He isn't the patron saint of astronomers because of any scientific discoveries, but rather because at his baptism, Joan of Arc saw a star in his chest, and forever after he was associated with the stars in the heaven.

He was the founder of Friar Preachers somewhere in the 12th century. As a young man studying at University, he is known for having sold all his belongins, including his books to help those starving from a famine. For the remainder of his life he was a zealot of self-denial and always selected the least expensive and most basic clothes, lodging and food.

If he had owned a telescope, it would be a Tasco 60mm refractor or a ATM dobsonian I suspect

Daniel.

Originally Posted by Matt Wastell

Hi Daniel

I am not a religious man so I never realised there was a Patron Saint of Astronomy - what is his claim to fame?

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

He studied astronomy at university of Palencia as a young scholar before committing to a religous life, and I think it was his mother at his baptism saw star shining from his chest. These two factors determined someone past to label him the Patron Saint of Astronomers.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

I'll consider adding it to my short list of personal celebratory dates, the other being Festivus (for the rest of us) on December 23rd. Actually, this goes against the beliefs of Festivus so I'll have to pass on this.

Perhaps there should be a non-religious day or weekend every year to celebrate all things to do with amateur astronomy?

Originally Posted by snaggs

...For the remainder of his life he was a zealot of self-denial and always selected the least expensive and most basic clothes, lodging and food... If he had owned a telescope, it would be a Tasco 60mm refractor or a ATM dobsonian I suspect...

I can see Dom... can I call him (in an Arnie accent) The Dom-inator at an astrocamp or star party with a home-built Dobby scratching his head over some 12th century star charts.

[sjastro]

Originally Posted by snaggs

This saturday, 8th of August is the feast day for St Dominic, the patron saint of Astronomy.

How ironical. The Catholic Church certainly weren't honouring the astronomer Gordiano Bruno as he was being burnt at the stake for his beliefs in 1600.

Regards

Steven

[renormalised (Carl)]

Originally Posted by sjastro

How ironical. The Catholic Church certainly weren't honouring the astronomer Gordiano Bruno as he was being burnt at the stake for his beliefs in 1600.

Regards

Steven

Or Galileo when they dragged him before the Inquisition and then had him under house arrest for the rest of his life.

at an astrocamp or star party with a home-built Dobby scratching his head over some 12th century star charts

And that would've guaranteed Dominic being burnt at the stake as well.

[TrevorW]

Remember guys no religion !!!

Please

[GTB_an_Owl (Geoff)]

whenever i am mad with my wife i say "Grace" - "Lynette Grace" that is

geoff

[rider]

I tend to have a soft spot for Gordiano Bruno.

He holds the world record for being ex-communicated from various religious orders. (3 in all, with a dishonorable mention by two others)

Salamun Rushdie: eat your heart out.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

What is it that the dog is holding? Some sort of medieval red-light torch? Our OH&S officer would have a fit if we let dogs run around with a naked flame. It gives another meaning to 'the loaded dog'.

[pgc hunter]

Well, St Dominic, way too chose a cloudy full moon weekend for your dinner/star party, mate.

[Jules76 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

What is it that the dog is holding? Some sort of medieval red-light torch? Our OH&S officer would have a fit if we let dogs run around with a naked flame. It gives another meaning to 'the loaded dog'.

Too late, St Dominic's hair has already caught alight.