Discoveries in the Physics & Astronomy shop | Science, curiosities, and surprises
Second semester astronomy experiments, both year and instructor unknown. And honestly, we’d just be taking a wild stab at guessing the particular course.
Some of these seem genuinely interesting, the sort which might show up in ASTR 201 these days, at least in some form. “Lens or Telescope Experiment,” well, that one may need a little fleshing out.
The Observatory has been through many, many generations of flashlights. Red flashlights, of course, to minimize the loss of dark-adapted vision during nighttime telescope observations. What are now red LED sources (and bright ones, at that) had formerly been incandescent. At first large, then moderately sized, followed by a short detour into way-too-tiny.
Dropping a finger-sized black flashlight at night ensures you’ll spend a good deal of time and effort to locate it. 21 cm of extra handle ought to do the trick, like you’ve just requested the key for the gas station bathroom. At least it’s not a hubcap.
No idea why this little toad decided to rest up here, but we’re in no rush to disturb. There’s another entry just around the corner.
Just over two decades ago, this was our introductory Astronomy lab packet. Things have evolved since then, but the bones are still there!
Three distinct nighttime observing labs, though? Jeez. Night sky conditions really were better back then.
Behold, Canis Major, the Greater Dog! He’s such a good boy!
Sirius-ly.
Discovered inside an old wooden desk, burnt into the solid-wood drawer. No complaints about the quality of construction, to be honest. But how long has it been since furniture makers burnt in their brand with red-hot iron?
It’s for the Observatory, obviously.
Of course there’s a second enormous map, just as inexplicable. Same German cartographers, same 1990s era, same corner of the Observatory.
This one’s the Middle East, or in German, Naher Oster (Near East). We’re sure there’s an interesting story on why the nomenclature’s similar but distinct in different European languages.
We’re not sure why these were set aside here, but at least they’re neat?
We can make guesses – both educated and wild – as to why this enormous map of North Africa was tucked away in the corner of an Observatory classroom. This all-in-German map. From the 1990s.
It’s in good shape, and kinda cool in its own way. Just borderline inexplicable.
It’s part two of our Math 101 algebra final!
Someone really likes to underline for emphasis. They did not want the students to miss that the quadratic formula would be essential for solving 3x2 – 5x + 7 = 0.
Of course, nothing’s as charming as the wiggly, fancily-underlined “End of Test” text. Right?