Spotting Elusive Mercury

sky conditions, to see it. Its elusiveness is legendary. It’s been said that the great 16th century Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus -- who overturned the long-held notion that the Earth occupied the center of our planetary family -- had never actually seen this world with his own eyes. Now I can’t say whether this is true, but it certainly makes sense given what we know about weather conditions in Eastern Europe and how tricky this world is to spot.

Well, the next two weeks provide us with a great opportunity to do what the great Copernicus could never do. In fact, this will be the best evening opportunity of the year to see Mercury from mid-northern latitudes.

To find it, head outdoors shortly after sunset and begin scanning the western-northwestern sky with binoculars. You may spot Mercury as a bright, twinkling “star” only about 10-15 degrees above the horizon. About half an hour after sunset, you should be able to see it with the unaided eye.

You can also try aiming a small, low-powered telescope in its direction, but you may be disappointed by what you see. First off, this planet is rather small; in physical dimensions, it’s barely the size of the continental United States. And secondly, its appearance near the horizon means that its light must pass through a tremendous amount of distorting atmosphere before reaching our eyes.

If you’re fortunate enough to get a relatively steady image, you might view it with a higher-powered eyepiece. You’ll then notice that Mercury appears not as a circular disk but shows phases much like the moon.

It was many years later that I finally caught a glimpse of this elusive planet with my eye and telescope, but it was well worth my effort!

Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com.

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BY TRACY BECKERMAN

“Is that a new jacket?” my husband asked me as I put my jacket on to leave.

“Yes!” I exclaimed excitedly.

“Did you need a new jacket?” he said.

“No,” I said honestly. “But I had to buy this one.”

“Why?”

“Because...” (I paused dramatically). “It has 12 pockets!”

I waited for him to respond with appropriate enthusiasm, but he just stared at me.

“Why do you need 12 pockets?” he finally asked, and then immediately regretted it.

“For 12 things I want to carry,” I replied. “I have one pocket for my car keys, one pocket for my wallet, one for my phone, one for my tissues, one pocket for my lipstick, one pocket for my gloves, one for my hat, one for the dog poo bags, one for my mini grocery bags and one for my hand sanitizer.”

“Ummm, that’s 10,” he said.

“Then I have extra pockets for any UPNs.”

“UPNs?” he repeated.

“Unplanned Pocket Necessities.”

He shook his head.

“But why do you need pockets when you carry a bag?” he asked, and then immediately regretted it.

“Because sometimes it’s nice not to have to carry a bag!” I proclaimed.

Maybe because we carry bags, manufacturers think we don’t need pockets. But women like pockets. Women love pockets! If you’ve ever seen a woman discover that a dress has pockets, you understand. Pockets are like a little gift from the clothing gods. Even if all we put in there is our hands, it feels like we won the pocket lottery.

Not all pockets, however, are created equal. Women’s jeans have pockets, but they cut them off halfway for some rea- son so you can only get your hands in up to your knuckles. It’s a very unsatisfying pocket situation and in some cases can lead to a real case of jean-induced pocket rage, especially if you have a UPN show up.

When my kids were little, I would routinely pocket pieces of broken toys that needed to be reattached or thrown away, errant snack items and other small objects I found that needed to be relocated to their proper place in the house. Soon my jacket would become the wearable equivalent of a kitchen junk drawer. Without small kids around now, I was confident that I would only use my pockets for the things I needed on a daily basis, not Barbie heads and crushed goldfish crackers.

Meanwhile, back at home I joyfully filled up 10 of my 12 pockets, put on my jacket and went to take the dog for a walk. I had the dog poo bags in one pocket, dog treats in another and myr- iad necessities for any situation in my other pockets. If an alien landed, parked his UFO in front of me and needed a tissue, some lipstick and a dog poo bag, I had him covered.

As it turned out, though, I didn’t actually need a single thing from any of my pockets while I was out. Disappointed, but still enthusiastic about my pockets o’plenty, I went home. But when I got back, I realized that in my excitement about filling up my 12 pockets, I forgot one important thing.

My house keys.

Tracy Beckerman is the author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Barking at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble,” available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online! You can visit her at www. tracybeckerman.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS

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Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God; Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity.

Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my Mother.

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Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times).

Sweet Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Thank you for your mercy to me and mine. Amen.

If your request is granted, please publish the Novena. (MAK)

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Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Oh, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity.

Oh Star of the Sea, help me herein and show me here you are my Mother.

Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.

Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times).

Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Amen.

This prayer is never known to fail and is to be said for 3 consecutive days.

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is doing VIRTUAL TAG SALES and ONLINE AUCTIONS now! Sell the contents of an entire house or sell just a few things!

You can host your own sale on invitedsales.com and Facebook and Instagram or we can do it for you. We can photograph, advertise and handle the winning pickups for you within a week! Don’t worry about your closing date, we can get your house ready on time! We are a one stop service for all your needs when you are moving or selling a property! Selling, donating, discarding and cleaning out services can be done to meet your time frame with minimal stress. Contact info@invitedsales.com for more information or call 516-279-6378 to schedule a consultation or receive more information. Visit us at www.invitedsales. com for a listing of our upcoming Virtual Tag Sales and Weekly Auctions!

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Everyone has his or her own idea of comfort food. For some, it’s biting into a piping-hot slice of pepperoni pizza. Others can’t get enough of a hearty bowl of beef stew.

Snack foods also can be categorized as comfort foods — and potato chips (or “crisps” as they’re known across the pond) are no exception. Potato chips come in different flavors and

6 medium russet potatoes

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Water cuts, including crinkle and kettle chips. While it’s easy to pick up a bag at the store, why not whip up a fresh batch right at home? You will have complete control over the ingredients and enjoy the freshest chips around. Try this recipe for “Homemade Potato Chips” courtesy of home cook and country living blogger Kathy from Beyond the Chicken Coop.

Oil for frying (vegetable, canola or peanut oil)

Salt

1. Peel potatoes and place potato in a bowl filled with water.

2. Slice potatoes to 1⁄16 inch thick. Use a mandoline to get an even, consistent size. Immediately place sliced pota - toes in another bowl filled with cold water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Allow potatoes to soak for at least 1 hour.

3. Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water. Leave potatoes in colander and allow all water to drain.

4. Place drained potatoes on a clean, dry kitchen towel. Pat lightly to remove any remaining water.

5. Fill pot with 2 inches of oil. Preheat oil to 380 F. Use a thermometer to test temperature of oil.

6. Test oil temperature. Ideal temperature will vary from 370 to 380 F. Fry one or two slices in the oil and cook until they are nicely browned. If the potatoes brown quicker than 3 minutes, lower the temperature by 5 degrees.

7. Place one handful of sliced potatoes in the oil. Stir gently to prevent potatoes from sticking to each other. Cook until golden; 3 minutes.

8. Scoop out and place on a baking sheet lined with a baking rack.

9. Sprinkle with salt immediately and repeat until all potatoes are cooked.

Tips: Soaking the potatoes helps remove excess starch and prevents the potatoes from sticking together. It also helps them fry up more crispy. Chips are best eaten the day they are made. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.