Salem Star Donkey LbNA #11528
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Add Location| Owner: | DrewFamily    |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Oct 10, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Salem |
| County: | New London |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Nairon |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Aug 29, 2020 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Oct 10, 2004 |
(Originally planted by our friends from the local astronomy club...adopted by the Drew Family in December 2010).
Salem Star Donkey Letterbox
This boxed placed in honor of Jay Drew of the Drewclan, letterboxer extrodinaire, astronomer without compare, sailor, caregiver, and all around pretty much the nicest guy you ever want to meet.
The Legend of the Star Donkey
There is an ancient constellation, whose name is Equuleus, which is Latin for little horse. The brightest star in this constellation, is called Kitalpha, which comes from a short Arabic phrase that means "part of a horse," as only the head and shoulders of little Equuleus are represented in the sky. Equuleus is said to have been named by the famed Greek astronomer Hipparchus. Below is a picture of Hipparchus taking observations in ancient Alexandria, around 146 BC.
Ptolemy is said to have had great respect for Hipparchus and is also known to have used many of Hipparchus’ observations to form some of his own conclusions.
One of the fascinating things about Equuleus is that three of the four stars that comprise the constellation are actually double stars. Even using the crude observation devices available in 146 BC, Hipparchus suspected this. One night, while making observations to confirm this it is said that his observation session was interrupted by a run-away donkey, which knocked over the observation rig and destroyed the evenings celestial perambulations.
Curiously, this account has been disputed on occasion in the later literature. Nicolaus Copernicus and later Johannes Keppler and Tycho Brahe interpreted the ancient texts as referring to a goat. British astronomers John Flamsteed, both John and William Herschel, and Edmund Halley all believed that the infernal animal in question was a ewe in heat. Definitive interpretations of both Greek and Aramaic texts by Cassini and Messier finally disproved the English camp, and verified that it was, indeed, a donkey.
More curious, though, is the history of attempts at further observations of the stars in this constellation. Nearly everyone who has tried to observe these stars from earth has been set upon by a maddened donkey of some sort, and had their observations interrupted. At the trial of Galileo Galilei by the Catholic Church, one of the lesser charges was that he had taken the Lord’s name in vain when set upon by a pack of wild donkeys while attempting to conduct observations of Equlleus at the University of Padua in 1592. Later, in 1655, Christiaan Huygens was set back in his study of the rings of Saturn by a donkey which kicked over an oil lantern and set his Paris apartments ablaze. Modern calculations have demonstrated that Saturn was in the foreground of Equuleus at the time. Just a few years later, in 1662, at Trinity College in Cambridge, England, a young Isaac Newton was observing Equuleus at the edge of an orchard, and was disrupted by three donkeys that were drunk on fermented apples. While studying at the College of Turin in 1693, Joseph Louis LaGrange was called away from observations of Equuleus to assist his mother Teresa in the birthing of a donkey foal. Indeed, even twentieth century astronomers have been plagued by this curse. Edwin Hubble, while studying the Andromeda Galaxy in the early 1920s at the famed Mount Wilson telescope in California, found that the scope kept tending to move off target to the east (away from Equuleus, which is slightly to the west of Andromeda). It was later disovered that a donkey had chewed through some electrical cables that fed orientation motors for the scope.
Even today, amateur astronomers in Salem, Connecticut struggle with the Star-Donkey. Often times while they are trying to make observations in the vicinity of Equuleus, they will here the sound of a donkey braying in the distance and shortly thereafter, dew always seems to form on the optics of their telescopes. Some have come to believe it is the hot breath of the star donkey on cool nights that temporarily increases the humidity and causes the dew to form. It is as if the donkey has some deeply held secret in the stars. One wonders…
DISCLAIMER:
There is, indeed, a star named Kitalpha. It is, in fact, the brightest star (and a double star) in Equuleus, the “Little Horse.” This is one of the more obscure and hard to find of the ancient constellations (due to the dimness of its stars), but it does actually exist (it is found just above Aquarius and Capricorn, and just to the right of Pegasus), and it was, more than likely, named by Hipparchus. All other references in the above treatise are purely fictional, a creation of The Lover’s warped minds and a few Guinnae & Pinots…
The following sources graciously provided information (if not always knowingly) that contributed to the creation of this amusing bit of fiction:
School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Firenze, Italy
The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues, European Space Agency, 1998
Kunitzsch, P. and Smart, T., "Short Guide to Modern Star Names/Derivations," Harrassowitz, Berlin, 1986
Observer's Handbook, Royal Astron. Soc. Canada, R. Bishop, ed, Toronto, U. Toronto Press
Jim Kaler, Prof. Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois
For some accessible and fascinating information of stars and their naming derivations (all factual as opposed to what you have found here!), the following website is suggested:
http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/sowlist.html
Location Details:
Located in Hopemead State Park on Gardner Lake. Some information about the locale:
Gardner Lake is located in the towns of Salem, Montville, and Bozrah in New London County, approximately 6 miles southwest of the city of Norwich.
The lake is natural in origin, but its area and depth have been increased by a dam at its outlet. The normal elevation of the lake is 382 feet above sea level. The surface area of the lake is 487 acres with a maximum depth of 42 feet.
Gardner Lake receives water from several intermittent streams and brooks including Whittle and Sucker Brooks. Drainage from the lake is to the north into Gardner Brook which flows into the Yantic River.
The lake has a watershed of 3,537 acres. The watershed is primarily wooded or wetland with some agriculture and urban development. A large wetland is located along the northern shore and remains undeveloped.
Hopemead State Park, located along the northeast shore, is the only other large undeveloped tract of shoreline on the lake. The remainder of the shoreline is highly developed with private residences and campgrounds. The island, located in the southeast area of the lake, is the site of Minnie Island State Park. There are no facilities at either Hopemead or Minnie Island State Park.
Access to the lake is provided by a state owned boat launch located on the southern shore of the lake. The launch can be reached from Norwich by taking Route 2 west to Route 354 south. The access road to the launch is off Route 354 just north of its intersection with Route 82. Facilities at the launch include a ramp with concrete pads, chemical toilets during boating season, and parking for approximately 50 cars with trailers.
An aquatic vegetation survey of Gardner Lake was conducted during July 1995. The survey found aquatic vegetation generally limited to the shallow coves located in the northern and southern areas of the lake. In these areas vegetation included white-water lily (Nymphaea odorata), yellow-pond lily (Nuphar sp.), watershield (Brasenia schreberi), pondweed (Potamogeton sp.), tapegrass (Vallisneria americana), and bladderwort (Utricularia spp.). Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), bur-reed (Sparganium sp.), cattail (Typha sp.), and arrowleaf (Sagittaria sp.) were found along the shoreline of Gardner Lake.
Regulations on Gardner Lake limit boat speeds to 6 miles per hour from sunset to 8:00 a.m. The fishing season closes the last day of February and reopens at 6:00 a.m. on the third Saturday in April.
Gardner Lake is periodically stocked with brown and rainbow trout by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Since 1993, Gardner Lake has been stocked with 4 to 5 inch walleyes. Since that time the walleye population has been expanding and growth rates have been excellent. By the third year walleyes in the 15 to 18 inch range were present.
Other species that should provide good fishing are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brown bullhead, white catfish, black crappie, and sunfish.
Please refer to the current Connecticut Angler’s Guide for specific fish consumption advisory information, as well as, the most recent rules and regulations governing sport fishing.
Clues:
Directions: From the intersection of Connecticut route 82 and Connecticut Route 354, head Easton RT. 82 for 1/2 mile and turn left onto Doyle Road. Turn left again after another 1/2 mile or so and turn left onto Cottage Lane. You will find the entrance to Hopemead State Park on your left in 0.7 miles. It is not well marked, just a small (3 car) parking area, and a green iron gate with a couple of picnic tables.
Total time in and out if that is all you do, 20 minutes. But do more. This is a lovely area on a quiet corner of Gardner Lake, much like you would find a hundred years ago. Take a fishing pole, go for dip, enjoy the view and walk around and explore a bit.
Follow the wide trail into the woods, generally heading west. It won’t be long before stone walls line the trail on either side, and the lake begins to shimmer through the trees. Shortly you will pass through two cedars, one on either side of the trail. Once you do, turn right and look north, for another cedar and a gap in the wall that you see there. Proceed to that gap.
From the center of this gap walk 19 paces along a bearing of 015 (all bearings given are magnetic) to a boulder beneath a dead pine tree. Turn left and walk another 21 paces along 290 to another boulder. As you stand next to this boulder (the second one) and face 290, you will find that you are on a slight ridge if you look to your left towards the stone wall. Ahead you will see the lake shimmering through the trees.
Now walk 27 paces along a bearing of 273 to a break in the stone wall ahead. Pass through the break, turn to the north and mosey along the wall. Seriously, proceed at the pace of a donkey. Pass by a twin trunk grey birch, and look inside the wall opposite the triple trunked maple. Don’t let the Star-Donkey out for too long, there is no telling how much havoc he could still wreak!
Be sure to look for the Lake Shore letterbox, our Man-In-the-Moon letterbox and our Virgil’s Wave letterbox hidden in the same area.
Salem Star Donkey Letterbox
This boxed placed in honor of Jay Drew of the Drewclan, letterboxer extrodinaire, astronomer without compare, sailor, caregiver, and all around pretty much the nicest guy you ever want to meet.
The Legend of the Star Donkey
There is an ancient constellation, whose name is Equuleus, which is Latin for little horse. The brightest star in this constellation, is called Kitalpha, which comes from a short Arabic phrase that means "part of a horse," as only the head and shoulders of little Equuleus are represented in the sky. Equuleus is said to have been named by the famed Greek astronomer Hipparchus. Below is a picture of Hipparchus taking observations in ancient Alexandria, around 146 BC.
Ptolemy is said to have had great respect for Hipparchus and is also known to have used many of Hipparchus’ observations to form some of his own conclusions.
One of the fascinating things about Equuleus is that three of the four stars that comprise the constellation are actually double stars. Even using the crude observation devices available in 146 BC, Hipparchus suspected this. One night, while making observations to confirm this it is said that his observation session was interrupted by a run-away donkey, which knocked over the observation rig and destroyed the evenings celestial perambulations.
Curiously, this account has been disputed on occasion in the later literature. Nicolaus Copernicus and later Johannes Keppler and Tycho Brahe interpreted the ancient texts as referring to a goat. British astronomers John Flamsteed, both John and William Herschel, and Edmund Halley all believed that the infernal animal in question was a ewe in heat. Definitive interpretations of both Greek and Aramaic texts by Cassini and Messier finally disproved the English camp, and verified that it was, indeed, a donkey.
More curious, though, is the history of attempts at further observations of the stars in this constellation. Nearly everyone who has tried to observe these stars from earth has been set upon by a maddened donkey of some sort, and had their observations interrupted. At the trial of Galileo Galilei by the Catholic Church, one of the lesser charges was that he had taken the Lord’s name in vain when set upon by a pack of wild donkeys while attempting to conduct observations of Equlleus at the University of Padua in 1592. Later, in 1655, Christiaan Huygens was set back in his study of the rings of Saturn by a donkey which kicked over an oil lantern and set his Paris apartments ablaze. Modern calculations have demonstrated that Saturn was in the foreground of Equuleus at the time. Just a few years later, in 1662, at Trinity College in Cambridge, England, a young Isaac Newton was observing Equuleus at the edge of an orchard, and was disrupted by three donkeys that were drunk on fermented apples. While studying at the College of Turin in 1693, Joseph Louis LaGrange was called away from observations of Equuleus to assist his mother Teresa in the birthing of a donkey foal. Indeed, even twentieth century astronomers have been plagued by this curse. Edwin Hubble, while studying the Andromeda Galaxy in the early 1920s at the famed Mount Wilson telescope in California, found that the scope kept tending to move off target to the east (away from Equuleus, which is slightly to the west of Andromeda). It was later disovered that a donkey had chewed through some electrical cables that fed orientation motors for the scope.
Even today, amateur astronomers in Salem, Connecticut struggle with the Star-Donkey. Often times while they are trying to make observations in the vicinity of Equuleus, they will here the sound of a donkey braying in the distance and shortly thereafter, dew always seems to form on the optics of their telescopes. Some have come to believe it is the hot breath of the star donkey on cool nights that temporarily increases the humidity and causes the dew to form. It is as if the donkey has some deeply held secret in the stars. One wonders…
DISCLAIMER:
There is, indeed, a star named Kitalpha. It is, in fact, the brightest star (and a double star) in Equuleus, the “Little Horse.” This is one of the more obscure and hard to find of the ancient constellations (due to the dimness of its stars), but it does actually exist (it is found just above Aquarius and Capricorn, and just to the right of Pegasus), and it was, more than likely, named by Hipparchus. All other references in the above treatise are purely fictional, a creation of The Lover’s warped minds and a few Guinnae & Pinots…
The following sources graciously provided information (if not always knowingly) that contributed to the creation of this amusing bit of fiction:
School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Firenze, Italy
The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues, European Space Agency, 1998
Kunitzsch, P. and Smart, T., "Short Guide to Modern Star Names/Derivations," Harrassowitz, Berlin, 1986
Observer's Handbook, Royal Astron. Soc. Canada, R. Bishop, ed, Toronto, U. Toronto Press
Jim Kaler, Prof. Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois
For some accessible and fascinating information of stars and their naming derivations (all factual as opposed to what you have found here!), the following website is suggested:
http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/sowlist.html
Location Details:
Located in Hopemead State Park on Gardner Lake. Some information about the locale:
Gardner Lake is located in the towns of Salem, Montville, and Bozrah in New London County, approximately 6 miles southwest of the city of Norwich.
The lake is natural in origin, but its area and depth have been increased by a dam at its outlet. The normal elevation of the lake is 382 feet above sea level. The surface area of the lake is 487 acres with a maximum depth of 42 feet.
Gardner Lake receives water from several intermittent streams and brooks including Whittle and Sucker Brooks. Drainage from the lake is to the north into Gardner Brook which flows into the Yantic River.
The lake has a watershed of 3,537 acres. The watershed is primarily wooded or wetland with some agriculture and urban development. A large wetland is located along the northern shore and remains undeveloped.
Hopemead State Park, located along the northeast shore, is the only other large undeveloped tract of shoreline on the lake. The remainder of the shoreline is highly developed with private residences and campgrounds. The island, located in the southeast area of the lake, is the site of Minnie Island State Park. There are no facilities at either Hopemead or Minnie Island State Park.
Access to the lake is provided by a state owned boat launch located on the southern shore of the lake. The launch can be reached from Norwich by taking Route 2 west to Route 354 south. The access road to the launch is off Route 354 just north of its intersection with Route 82. Facilities at the launch include a ramp with concrete pads, chemical toilets during boating season, and parking for approximately 50 cars with trailers.
An aquatic vegetation survey of Gardner Lake was conducted during July 1995. The survey found aquatic vegetation generally limited to the shallow coves located in the northern and southern areas of the lake. In these areas vegetation included white-water lily (Nymphaea odorata), yellow-pond lily (Nuphar sp.), watershield (Brasenia schreberi), pondweed (Potamogeton sp.), tapegrass (Vallisneria americana), and bladderwort (Utricularia spp.). Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), bur-reed (Sparganium sp.), cattail (Typha sp.), and arrowleaf (Sagittaria sp.) were found along the shoreline of Gardner Lake.
Regulations on Gardner Lake limit boat speeds to 6 miles per hour from sunset to 8:00 a.m. The fishing season closes the last day of February and reopens at 6:00 a.m. on the third Saturday in April.
Gardner Lake is periodically stocked with brown and rainbow trout by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Since 1993, Gardner Lake has been stocked with 4 to 5 inch walleyes. Since that time the walleye population has been expanding and growth rates have been excellent. By the third year walleyes in the 15 to 18 inch range were present.
Other species that should provide good fishing are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brown bullhead, white catfish, black crappie, and sunfish.
Please refer to the current Connecticut Angler’s Guide for specific fish consumption advisory information, as well as, the most recent rules and regulations governing sport fishing.
Clues:
Directions: From the intersection of Connecticut route 82 and Connecticut Route 354, head Easton RT. 82 for 1/2 mile and turn left onto Doyle Road. Turn left again after another 1/2 mile or so and turn left onto Cottage Lane. You will find the entrance to Hopemead State Park on your left in 0.7 miles. It is not well marked, just a small (3 car) parking area, and a green iron gate with a couple of picnic tables.
Total time in and out if that is all you do, 20 minutes. But do more. This is a lovely area on a quiet corner of Gardner Lake, much like you would find a hundred years ago. Take a fishing pole, go for dip, enjoy the view and walk around and explore a bit.
Follow the wide trail into the woods, generally heading west. It won’t be long before stone walls line the trail on either side, and the lake begins to shimmer through the trees. Shortly you will pass through two cedars, one on either side of the trail. Once you do, turn right and look north, for another cedar and a gap in the wall that you see there. Proceed to that gap.
From the center of this gap walk 19 paces along a bearing of 015 (all bearings given are magnetic) to a boulder beneath a dead pine tree. Turn left and walk another 21 paces along 290 to another boulder. As you stand next to this boulder (the second one) and face 290, you will find that you are on a slight ridge if you look to your left towards the stone wall. Ahead you will see the lake shimmering through the trees.
Now walk 27 paces along a bearing of 273 to a break in the stone wall ahead. Pass through the break, turn to the north and mosey along the wall. Seriously, proceed at the pace of a donkey. Pass by a twin trunk grey birch, and look inside the wall opposite the triple trunked maple. Don’t let the Star-Donkey out for too long, there is no telling how much havoc he could still wreak!
Be sure to look for the Lake Shore letterbox, our Man-In-the-Moon letterbox and our Virgil’s Wave letterbox hidden in the same area.