The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
A West Wing fan
“Please pass my deepest thanks to Helen Brown for Monday’s happy memories of The West Wing,” emails an Arbroath reader. “I was almost addicted to that series.
“The setting, storylines, cast and ‘guests’ have never quite been beaten since. But above all – CJ! I just wanted to be CJ.
“Today, I persist in referring to the west practice of my local medical centre as the West Wing, bringing some puzzled looks. It’s sad that it seems to have been forgotten. I was even slightly disappointed when my granddaughter didn’t use her CJ initials when starting her own business!
“Whatever happened to CJ Cregg and her colleagues. We could have done with their set-up often in recent years.”
Rising to prominence
Ken Kennedy, of Dundee Astronomical Society, tells us what we can expect to see in the night sky this month. “Leo is scurrying away towards the west by the time darkness falls,” he says, “and we have a gap towards the south with the less prominent constellations of Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices and Virgo faintly filling that gap.
“The star which takes the eye from May and into the summer months is Arcturus, which is now rising to prominence. Arcturus, the fourth-brightest star in the sky and main star of the constellation Boötes, the Herdsman, is a red giant star 37 light years distant. At seven billion years old, it is 2.5 billion years older than our sun.
“To the east of Boötes is a faint but distinct constellation which was once described to me by a youngster at Mills Observatory as looking like a ‘smiley face’. It’s a perceptive description for this curving line of fainter stars which has also been compared to a crown, hence the name Corona Borealis.
“The rather spidery outline of Hercules follows Corona Borealis and consists of relatively faint stars although its shape is quite well defined. Much of the interest in Hercules is lost in the bright summer nights and is probably best viewed in autumn.
“With the approach of summer, the Summer Triangle makes its appearance in the east from about 10pm. The three stars, Vega, Deneb and Altair are clear of the horizon and will rise higher as summer progresses.
“Of similar brightness to Arcturus, they will be seen throughout the brighter May nights together with Capella in the northwest, which will travel across the northern sky during hours of darkness.
“It will be worth looking out northwards for the first appearances of noctilucent clouds in the last week in May. These high-altitude ice clouds appear every year between the end of May and start of August and are only seen after the sun has set, late in the evening when the sky darkens. They are unmistakable, shining pearly white or slightly blue, illuminated by the sun below the horizon as they are at such a great height.
“They can form delicate bands or waves and slowly change shape and position over a period of time. Their appearance in the southern hemisphere, usually in November, was delayed by almost a month last year and we await with interest their appearance in the northern hemisphere this year.
“Mercury will be visible for much of May towards the north-west, setting about two hours after the sun on the 17 th. However, it will be very low in the sky and will be difficult to spot in the still-bright late-spring evening sky.
“Venus is in the same area and will be very close to Mercury on the 28th. Being considerably brighter than Mercury, Venus can act as a guide to Mercury, only a short distance away throughout the month.
“Mars has lost its glory of autumn and in May will not be particularly noticeable in the west after sunset. During the month, Mars moves eastward through Gemini and sets at about midnight.
“Jupiter rises at around 2am and will be seen for a while, low in the south-east, until it disappears in the brightening morning sky.
“Saturn rises half an hour before Jupiter and remains about 15º west of Jupiter throughout the month but, being less bright, will fade into the brightening sky by about 4.30am.
“The moon is at last quarter on the 3rd, new on the 11th, at first quarter on the 19th and full on May 26.”
Ovenstone connection?
An Angus reader noticed with interest a reference on Tuesday to the Ovenstone Shield being won in the 1944-45 football season by the Dundee YMCA team. And he is aware that Evenie Water Curling Club, based in Friockheim, has an Ovenstone Trophy.
He wonders if there is a connection between the donors of the two – Ovenstone is not exactly a common name.
He also thinks there is a farm in the Inverarity area with the same name.
Picking up speed
American cartoonist Charles Schultz, creator of Snoopy and his chums, wrote cheerily: “Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.”