Sunday 12 July 2020

Night Skies

1986: Appearance of Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet streaking over the night skies of Athens.  I don't know why Laos chose Athens although the Ancient Greeks were among the first to produced a mathematical model of the universe. Aristotle mentioned the comet that appeared in 466BC, the earliest recorded sighting.  His work 'Meteorology' (which he wrote a hundred years later) also talks of the meteorite that struck northern Greece in the same year, which was 'the size of a cartload'.
1986: Appearance of Halley's Comet
Chinese astronomers reported the comet in 240BC but here it is in a modern setting lighting up the skies of Hong Kong.  I wonder what the scene will look like in 2061 when it makes its next appearance?  I turn next to our natural satellite that brings light and wonder to the night.
2019: 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Mission to the Moon (Design - Edward Fuglø)
There is a rather cute story about this stamp.  The artist, Edward Fuglø, was 4 years old in 1969 and living in the town of Klaksvik in the northern Faroe Islands and had listened to radio reports all day and evening, although he didn't really understand what they were about.  His father Jens lifted him up in his arms walked to the window and pointed up at the sky and told him about the men on the moon.  It is his earliest childhood memory.
2019: First Day Cover - Apollo 11 Moon Landing


Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Night Views - See It On A Postcard


5 comments:

FinnBadger said...

A fantastic journey through time - people have always been fascinated by the night sky, haven't they?

Mail Adventures said...

These stamps would make three favourites for me!

viridian said...

thanks for sharing!!!

violet s said...

Things like meteors and comets flying through the sky must have been so scary for people so long ago. Now they are mostly just fascinating.

Bob Scotney said...

That's a great cover for a fine stamp.