Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Castor and Pollux


Castor and Pollux, birthed by Leda and fathered by Zeus and King Tyndareus, the twins were legendary characters in Greek and Roman mythology. Because Pollux's father was a god, he was born an immortal, while his twin died.

They were immortalized in the heavens with a constellation of their own - Gemini (or The Twins). The brightest stars in the constellation were the stars named Castor, which 49.8 light years away from Earth, and Pollux, located 34 light years away. There is an extrasolar planet orbiting Pollux.

I saw these Roman statues (ca. 3rd AD) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Friday, March 04, 2011

Sundial Umbrella

A Japanese designed came up with this nifty design of a parasol that also functions as a sundial. Align the umbrella using the built-in compass, and you can read the time from the sun's position along the grid lines.