Overheard: Febtober

Astronomy 210L, Spring Semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

(Overheard during a backwards faded scaffolding introductory astronomy laboratory on the motions of the sun on January 31, 2011.)

Student 1: "Could you take a look at our computer? It [the Heavens-above.com Astronomy > Whole sky chart webpage] is giving us error messages."

Instructor: "What's going on?"

Student 2: "If we put in today's date, we get the star map to load. [Inputs 01 31 2011; star map loads.] If we put in two months from now, we also get that star map to load. [Inputs 03 31 2011; star map loads.] But when we go back to just one month from now, we get an error message. [Inputs 02 31 2011; error message comes up.]"

Instructor: "There's your problem right there."

(Beat.)

Instructor: "How many days does February have?"

(Beat.)

Student 1: "What?"

(Beat.)

Student 2: "Oh."

Esprit d'escalier:
Instructor (using best Sean Connery voice): "Since next month has 31 days, it must be...Febtober."

Student 2: "Then would Jantember be when this month has only 30 days?"

Overheard: Canopus pronunciation

Astronomy 210, Spring Semester 2009
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

(Overheard in lecture during a clicker question on apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude, and distance.)

Instructor: "...so how far away is Canopus [can-o-PUS] from the Earth?"

(Beat.)

Instructor: "I mean, Canopus [KAH-no-pis]. Because Canopus [can-o-PUS] sounds kind of gross."

Students: (Chortle.)

Esprit d'escalier:
Instructor: "In astronomy, if it sounds wrong when you pronounce something, you're pronouncing something wrong."

Overheard: accretion vs. secretion

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2008
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

(Overheard in class during an in-class activity on mass transfer in close binary star systems.)

Student: "What does 'accretion' stand for?"

Instructor: "As in an 'accretion disk?' ...It's 'gathering' stuff from the companion star."

Student: "So, it's like the opposite of 'secretion?' Like in giving out stuff?"

Instructor: "Yeah--like exuding or oozing stuff out."

Esprit d'escalier:
Instructor: "'Accrete' is an obscure term, but it's similar to 'acquire' and 'accumulate.'"