Stephen James O'Meara's secret sky: The Pit and the Pendulum
October 2008: Stars' apparent motions mark the passage of time and important life events.
Contributed by Stephen James O'Meara
Published:
August 25, 2008
"There was something, however, in the appearance of this machine which caused me to regard it more attentively. While I gazed directly upward at it . . . I fancied that I saw it in motion." — Edgar Allan Poe, The Pit and the Pendulum
Last March, I watched the dead come to life. On the evening of the 13th, Halemaumau, the summit crater of Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano, spewed incandescent gas into the night air for the first time in more than a quarter-century. Seven days later, the crater erupted for the first time since 1924. Like the periodic return of Halley's Comet, the recurrence of explosive activity at Kilauea may be a once-in-a-lifetime event. |
You are currently not logged in. This article is only available to Astronomy magazine subscribers.
Already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine?
If you are already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine you must log into your account to view this article. If you do not have an account you will
need to regsiter for one. Registration is FREE and only takes a couple minutes.
Non-subscribers, Subscribe TODAY and save!
|
|
Get instant access to subscriber content on Astronomy.com!
- Access our interactive Atlas of the Stars
- Get full access to StarDome PLUS
- Columnist articles
- Search and view our equipment review archive
- Receive full access to our Ask Astro answers
- BONUS web extras not included in the magazine
- Much more!
|