The Washington Post - USA (2020-07-28)

C8 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, JULY 28 , 2020

ACROSS 1 Big name in farm equipment 6 Silly 10 Flow very slowly 14 __Valdez: oil-spill ship 15 Palm tree berry 16 Gucci of fashion 17 Disney World’s __ Center 18 *TV coverage of city events, say 20 Author of macabre fiction 21 Container weight 22 Start of a choosing rhyme 23 *Metaphorical boundary that shouldn’t be crossed 27 Creamy pastry 29 Paintings and such 30 *“That’ll be the day” 34 Amazement 37 Geologic time frames 38 Octogenarian’s 80, e.g. 39 Nobelist Wiesel 40 Drunkard 41 *Jerusalem prayer site 45 Scot’s cap 46 Honks at, say 47 *Phrase used by experts 53 Be mad about 54 Historical times 55 Library contents: Abbr. 58 Softcover book, and what the last words of the answers to starred clues can have 60 Censor 62 “__ miracle!” 63 “Got it!” 64 Middle East ship, perhaps 65 Marsh growth 66 Kings and queens 67 Word with laugh or dance

DOWN 1 Thought- provoking 2 Montreal MLBer before 2005 3 Like A+ work 4 Piglet’s joey pal 5 Tolkien talking tree 6 __ Lama 7 Nut from an oak 8 Gem surface 9 Acapulco aunt 10 Most sensible 11 Colleague of Ruth and Sonia 12 Astronomer Hubble 13 Sat for a photo 19 Suspicious 21 Actress Garr 24 McShane and McKellen 25 Little bite 26 “2001” computer 27 Female sheep 28 Half a toy train? 31 Fuel in a tank 32 Army NCO 33 Lawyer’s charge

34 Source of a ringing warning 35 Go limp 36 “Electric” fish 39 Big pitcher 41 Lloyd or Paul of Cooperstown 42 Former U.K. recording giant

43 “Darn!” 44 N.Y. Mets’ division 45 Needle eye insert 47 Hoglike animal 48 Skype appointment 49 Thicket of trees 50 Halt

51 Shaped like a rainbow 52 “Great” quintet 56 Ship’s spine 57 Quick-footed 59 Tot’s food- catching chest protector 60 Hope or Newhart 61 Falsehood

LA TIMES CROSSWORD By Jerry Edelstein

MONDAY’S LA TIMES SOLUTION

BY JULIA DUIN

S

targazing is fun to do in the warm summertime, especially during the Per- seids meteor shower, which peaks in mid-Au- gust. Not every location is a good spot to watch, however. With a little planning, you and your family can enjoy the stellar show.

Get out of the city For the best stargazing, you need to get away from outdoor lights, many of which block s tar- light through light pollution. Light pollution is extra or poorly directed artificial light that can have consequences for humans, animals and the climate. Cities create such a nighttime blaze across the United States that about 80 percent of the population never see the Milky Way, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. To escape that glow, travel at least 60 miles from a major city and find a campground or other spot with low light. Go to a field, lake area or somewhere with a horizon that’s not blocked by trees. Try to look on a clear, moon- less night, as the moon tends to block starlight. Take a star chart with you or download a star constellation app on a cellphone. Remember that stars twinkle, planets don’t, and if the object moves across the sky, it’s probably a satellite. If it leaves a streak, it’s a meteor.

Noteworthy spots There are parts of the world officially noted as great places to view meteors, stars such as the Betelgeuse, and star groups such as the Big Dipper. The Interna-

tional Dark Sky Association in Ari- zona classifies them as Dark Sky Reserves and Dark Sky Parks. Re- serves consist of a large, dark core area ringed by cities or towns that have strict light pollution con- trols. There are 16 reserves in the world, one of which is the 1,416- square-mile Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. It may have the clear- est skies in the lower 48 states. “It is a unique resource,” says Brian Jackson, an associate pro- fessor and astronomer at nearby Boise State University. “The skies there are spectacular.” Dark Sky Parks, which are usu- ally much smaller than reserves, can be found in dozens of other places. These areas have dark-sky programs for visitors and outdoor lighting that doesn’t cause light pollution. Although the bulk of them are in the western United States, east- ern locales include: Cherry Springs State Park in Susquehan- nock State Forest in Pennsylvania; James River State Park near Lynchburg, Virginia; Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in central Florida; and Rappahannock County Park near Washington, Virginia. Other spots with clear skies include the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and the Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The observatory is closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but visitors can walk about the grounds, where some of the world’s largest radio telescopes are located.

Bring back the dark Many cities are working to re- duce light pollution. In Idaho, where dark skies are a major draw for tourists, cities have “dark sky

To see twinkling stars,

flee the bright city lights

CHIP SAYS Did you know that a supernova is an explosion that occurs at the end of a star’s life? In one kind of supernova, an older star’s core becomes too heavy and causes a massive explosion.

kidspost

KIDSPOST.COM The body of Representative John Lewis, who died July 17, arrived in Washington for a tribute at the U.S. Capitol.

TODAY Skies are sunny in the morning, but storms may show up in the afternoon. Highs are in the mid-90s. ILLUSTRATION BY NADIA WHEELOCK, 13, W ASHINGTON

LEARN MORE l Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve: idahodarksky.org. l International Dark Sky Association: darksky.org. Click on “resources” and then “material for educators” to get projects and information about light pollution and the stars. The blogs are easy to read, starting at the middle school level. l Help document light pollution by taking part in the citizen science project Globe at Night: globeatnight.org. l Green Bank Observatory: greenbankobservatory.org. Click on “education” and then “try it at home” for astronomy- related games. There are many camping locations in the surrounding Monongahela National Forest, where one can view stars. Nearby Cheat Mountain or Watoga State Park (wv stateparks.com/park/watoga- state-park) are excellent options.

METEOR SHOWERS If possible, plan your trip around the time of a new moon to get the darkest skies or pick a meteor shower at amsmeteors.org/meteor- showers/meteor-shower- calendar. Choice times for meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere include: The Perseids: Mid-July through August 26. Peak is August 11 and 12. The Orionids: Peak is October 20 and 21 The Leonids: Peak is November 16 and 17 The Geminids: Peak is December 13 and 14

ordinances,” laws that require light fixtures that direct light to the ground rather than toward the sky. They also require that outdoor lights be “warmer” colors on the lower part of the color spec- trum instead of much brighter blue-hued lights, such as those in some car LED headlights. Not only do these “blue” lights block out the stars, they also disturb animals’ sleeping patterns. Idaho has worked to get its cities to tone down outdoor lights. “I am very aware of light pollution,” says Betsy Mizell, director of the Idaho Conservation League, which helped four counties in Ida- ho apply for Dark Sky Reserve status. “We’re getting further and further away from life [in the wil- derness] — some people never see the Milky Way or a shooting star. I think that is really sad.” [email protected]

JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST

JEE SEYMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY To see stars and comets, travel to an area not polluted by city lights. TOP: The Milky Way galaxy rises above the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. ABOVE: Comet Neowise is visible above a telescope at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia.

Adapted from an online discussion.

Dear Carolyn: Our 85-year old Dad has an awful girlfriend of less than a year, who just moved in with him. She met everyone at a holiday gathering last year and made a number of incredibly toxic comments, including saying to the only African American person there — he is a roommate of one of my nephews — “Oh, you’re just a token here.” She also told two other nephews’ girlfriends that she didn’t need to know their names because, “You’re the cat’s pajamas now, but you won’t be around for long.” Again, she was just meeting all of us, and all these people for the first time. Now, we’re making plans for future holidays and we can’t get Dad to agree to come without her. No one has a problem with Dad having this girlfriend — his choice. We just live all over, Midwest to East Coast, and don’t want to spend the one day we all have together all year having to ensure she doesn’t offend, insult, etc., family and friends. Note: She is not mentally deficient; she’s in her 70s and

“sound of mind” — I guess. She just thinks she is being incredibly intellectual and witty when she makes these stupid comments. I think. Regardless, we don’t think Dad should dictate the family guest list — that he should be invited and if he doesn’t want to come without her, his choice. It just makes us all sad. We want him there, but I guess not enough to invite her toxicity into the holiday. Any option we are missing? — Sad

Sad: Y es — there’s the option of having her there and saying the quiet part out loud. For example: She: “Oh, you’re just a token here.” [by the way — O!M!G!] One or more of you: “What a horrific thing to say to someone. Do you think that’s funny?” Or, she: “You’re the cat’s pajamas now, but you won’t be around for long.” You or others: “That’s incredibly rude.” And to the girlfriends, “You are welcome here, and we are grateful to have you.” You can expect one of three outcomes: She’ll mind her mouth thereafter; she’ll stop coming; you’ll have the pleasure of telling her exactly what you think of her, to her face, from the

high ground. Assume she’ll push back, justify herself, declare that she was kidding and you have no sense of humor, etc. Of course. It’s an old, ugly, familiar play book. But if you’re prepared for it and ready to present a unified front as a family, then you all can stand firm on the principle that you won’t tolerate her rudeness and won’t engage when she tries to defend it. Instead, you will give her an unlimited supply of rooms you abruptly vacate to give her a chance to think about what she just said. Merry Thanksmas.

Re: Sad: O MG! Why would you ever want to exclude the crazy, inappropriate girlfriend of the elderly dad? Make up bingo cards (Racist, Dismissive, Mean, Off-topic, whatever). First one to yell Bingo! gets to hit her in the face with a pumpkin pie. — Anonymous

Anonymous: O MG! Why would you waste pie on that? Otherwise, fair point.

Write to Carolyn Hax at [email protected]. Get her column delivered to your inbox each morning at wapo.st/haxpost.

 Join the discussion live at noon Fridays at live.washingtonpost.com

Dad’s girlfriend spreads holiday jeers

Carolyn Hax

NICK GALIFIANAKIS FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

The Washington Post - USA (2020-07-28)

Get our desktop app

Company

Features

Documentation

Resources