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Ephemeris: 07/22/2024 – Happy Pi Approximation Day
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Pi Approximation Day*, Monday, July 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours exactly, setting at 9:19, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:19. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 10:37 this evening.
The first Pi day of the year for mathematics junkies was March 14th utilizing the three most significant digits of the mathematical value π, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, written as 3.14. Today is the second version of π written as the fraction 22/7. We don’t write our date that way, we write it as 7/22. In other parts of the world it is written as 22/7. So whichever way you slice it, it’s a pi day and in Northern Michigan I would imagine it’s a cherry pi. In the sky today the planet Mercury is at its greatest elongation or separation east of the Sun in the western sky. It is preceding the Sun heading southward against the stars and is not easily visible after sunset.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.
* In the radio program I called it Pi Day #2. I have since found out that today has a special name.
Addendum
Ephemeris: 10/10/2023 – The first computer programmer
This is Ephemeris for Ada Lovelace Day, Tuesday, October 10th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 7:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:52. The Moon, halfway from last quarter to new, will rise at 4:31 tomorrow morning.
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), or more properly Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, was the daughter of Lord Byron and worked for Charles Babbage, a brilliant mechanical engineer and mathematician in the early 19th century. She is considered the first computer programmer. She devised a way to use the same punch cards that were used on the Jacquard loom to store and run her programs, even though Babbage was unable to complete his mechanical computer the Analytical Engine in the mid 1800s. This day is set aside to celebrate the accomplishments of all the women of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, (STEM). The computer language, Ada, was named after her, and was created for the US Department of Defense.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT –4 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
10/11/2022 – Ephemeris – Ada Lovelace Day
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Ada Lovelace Day, Tuesday, October 11th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 11 minutes, setting at 7:05, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:54. The Moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 8:02 this evening.
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), or more properly Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, was the daughter of Lord Byron and worked for Charles Babbage, a brilliant mechanical engineer and mathematician in the early 19th century. She is considered the first computer programmer. She devised a way to use the same punch cards that were used on the Jacquard loom to store and run her programs, even though Babbage was unable to complete his mechanical computer the Analytical Engine in the mid 1800s. This day is set aside to celebrate the accomplishments of all the women of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, (STEM). The computer language, Ada, was named after her, and was created for the US Department of Defense.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Portrait of Ada Lovelace by Margaret Sarah Carpenter, 1836
Part of Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine on display, in 1843, left of centre in this engraving of the King George III Museum in King’s College, London. Unknown engraver.
Trial model of a part of the Analytical Engine, built by Charles Babbage, as displayed at the Science Museum (London). By Bruno Barral (ByB), CC BY-SA 2.5.
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