Comments on: Astronomers Identify the Mystery Meteor That Inspired Walt Whitman

By: drobnock

drobnock — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:15:33 +0000

If the poem is called “Year of Meteors-1859-1860,” why would Walt Whitman be inspired by just one meteor in the painting dated 20 July 1860. The painting may show a “strange huge meteor procession”, it is still from one meteor, of one night, in one month, of one year. The year 1860. The poem references, we assume a physical meteor, and not a metaphor with John Brown, the Prince of England, a president, and a great ship. So did Whitman see more than one meteor during a period of 1859 and 1860?

By: where to buy zsazsa creme

where to buy zsazsa creme — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:35:34 +0000

Hey. Thanks, but would you expand this subject? How would this apply it on another basis?

By: Eliza Strickland

Eliza Strickland — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:46:19 +0000

Bill — good question, I clarified the language in the post. Olson investigated the inspirations for these art works. In the Ansel Adams case, he identified an evening when the moon would be in the same phase and position over the mountains as in the famous photo “Autumn Moon.” In the case of Edvard Munch, Olson determined that Munch was inspired to paint “The Scream” after seeing a blood-red sunset produced by the eruption of Krakatoa volcano.

–Eliza, DISCOVER online news editor

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:56:28 +0000

This was a very interesting article. It can be fascinating when art and science come together in this manner.

I do have one question about the next to the last sentence: “This is not the first time Donald Olson has tracked down a piece art using astronomy.” Was that meant to read “This is not the first time Donald Olson has tracked down a piece of art using astronomy” or “This is not the first time Donald Olson has tracked down astronomy using a piece of art”?

By: Audrey Fischer

Audrey Fischer — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:17:48 +0000

Thank you for this story! It is a keeper… as are each of our own special meteor memories… so special, and free to all who care enough to look UP!

By: Chip

Chip — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:57:56 +0000

This is very similar to a meteor ‘chain” observed from Canada to Bermuda in 1913 and described by a Professor Chant. This sort of thing must be quite rare.

By: -b-

-b- — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:17:39 +0000

Meh. If they can triangulate using the painting and the Whitman poem and find surviving bits of the meteor, *then* I’ll be impressed.

By: Carl

Carl — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:04:56 +0000

That’s some impressive sleuthing! This kind of historical detective work is fascinating.