BBC Sky at Night - UK (2021-08)

FIELD OF VIEW

The amateur astronomer’s forum

MIC

HA

EL^

PA

RK

IN/

FO

LIO

S

ome of us revel in the solitude of

darkness and the accompanying silence

when observing the night sky, as we

connect in our own special way with

the Universe. But, aside from the odd

twitching curtain or the unwelcome

dazzling headlights of a neighbour returning home

late, we astronomers know we’re not the only ones

enjoying the tranquillity. With dark adaptation

VKDUSHQLQJQLJKWYLVLRQDQGDPRUHƅQHO\WXQHG

sense of hearing in the silence, one becomes aware

of nature’s nightlife around us, and the owls, bats,

rodents and foxes who are using the hours of

darkness to conduct their nocturnal business.

While wild animals aren’t overly bothered with

what we astronomers are up to, our pets generally

are, and two main players present themselves as

possible after-dusk partners. Firstly there’s the

faithful dog, who may take an interest in proceedings

for a time, until this wanes when the prospect of

something cosy and potentially edible inside the

house proves too much a temptation. With an

offering of some parting words such as, “I’ll leave

you to it then!” the dog will duly toddle off inside.

Then there’s the cat who, after probably watching

rather nonchalantly from a distance, will eventually

decide to investigate what one of its ‘staff’ could

be possibly doing at this time of night. In stealth

mode, the cat will gently engage with a nudge

against the lower leg. Then, with some customary

meowing, which loosely translates as, “It’s me, the

cat, you may make a fuss,” like a drill sergeant the

cat will duly undertake an inspection. If the

astronomer is of a nervous disposition when the cat

ƅUVWUXEVDJDLQVWWKHORZHUOHJWKHUHLVDƆXVWHUHG

attempt not to bang any part of the body on the

WHOHVFRSHRUDFFRPSDQ\LQJHTXLSPHQWWKHƅUVW

priorities lie with not disturbing the object being

viewed in the eyepiece).

Throughout history the lives of the cat and their

science-based owners intertwine, physicist Nikola

Tesla’s cat Macak and Einstein’s cat Tiger to name

but two. American astronomer Edwin Hubble’s cat

Nicolas Copernicus was often found sprawling across

astronomical charts, and then there was Austrian

physicist Erwin Schrödinger and his cat – or possibly

not! Sir Patrick Moore cared for two cats in his

boyhood years, Ginger and Ptolemy, then later

Jeannie and another Ptolemy. Astrophysicist and

musician Brian May immortalised the passing of

Pixie, his childhood cat, in the song ‘All Dead, All

Dead’ on Queen’s 1977 album News of the World.

Granted, and for the sake of balance, an elk and a

parrot also jostle their way into the science arena,

along with Dolly the Sheep. And let us not forget the

pooch completely: Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov

KDGKLVVDOLYDWLQJGRJV/DLNDZDVWKHƅUVWGRJWR

orbit Earth; and there was Marjorie, the diabetic dog

who helped isolate insulin.

Dogs are the doers of this world while cats are the

thinkers, or should that be schemers and plotters?

Overall however, which would appear to be top dog?

Well, in this astronomer’s world, it’s the cat.

Jonathan Powell weighs up the stargazing companionship of cats and dogs

An astronomer’s best friend?

August 2021 BBC Sky at Night Magazine 25

Jonathan Powell is
a freelance writer and
broadcaster. A former
correspondent at
BBC Radio Wales,
he has written three
books on astronomy
and is currently
astronomy
columnist at the
South Wales Argus