Month: September 2016

This one is for our readers on the other side of the globe from our main office. If you live in the Eastern Hemisphere, look up tonight and you’ll notice something strange going on with the Moon. It’ll be full, oh yes, and big, but with a pronounced darkness at its upper half. The best time to see it will be 19:05 UTC (3:05 pm EDT). It will be the kind of full moon that looks like it’s been through an Instagram filter—maybe Ludwig or X-Pro II. So what in the world is going on up there?

THE ECLIPSE THAT COULDN’T QUITE MAKE IT

In our light-polluted modern world, the sky can seem pretty boring. Hazy black nights and smoggy white mornings. There are rain clouds, some lightning on occasion, and the Sun and Moon, constant and reliable, up and down, east and west. But don’t be fooled. The solar system—our solar system—is a teeming, dynamic system where shadows and light interplay constantly, with beauty and grace.

The Earth casts a pretty large shadow. Sometimes, when orbital dynamics are being generous, the Earth, Sun, and Moon line up just so. When the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, blotting out our star but for a blinding corona along the rim—a pitch orb ringed in flame—you have a solar eclipse. Next year the United States will be treated to just such an eclipse, its shadow creeping across the North American continent in a line from Washington state to South Carolina.

When the celestial objects are reversed, and the Earth lines up between the Sun and the Moon, you get a total lunar eclipse. What that occurs, the darkest part of our shadow—the umbra—blankets the Moon, blotting it out, denying it sunlight. Sometimes, though, things aren’t quite so total. Sometimes the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow, but not its umbra. When the Moon crosses into the outer shadow of the Earth—where the Sun’s rays are not blocked entirely—the Moon is darkened but not blackened. This is called a penumbral eclipse, and it’s what you’re going to see tonight. A good portion of the lunar surface is cast in a grim pall. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys creepy sights in the night sky, tonight is going to be your goth Christmas morning.

IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE? LIVESTREAM IT

Because this is the last full moon before autumn equinox, tonight’s full moon is called the harvest moon. The name comes from ye olden days, when the light of the full moon gave farmers a little more time with which they might harvest their crops. The autumn equinox is the point in the Earth’s orbit in which the Sun shines directly on the Earth’s equator, meaning the whole world experiences a day and night of equal length. This year the autumn equinox will fall on September 22. It is the first day of fall.

This is the last eclipse of 2016. This is also the second eclipsed harvest moon in two years. (You might recall last year’s super red harvest moon.) Moreover, this is the last eclipsed harvest moon until 2024. (That year will also herald North America’s next total solar eclipse, should you miss the one in 2017.) If you live in the Western Hemisphere and want to be part of the penumbral lunar eclipse action, there is hope. Slooh is hosting a livestream of the event, which began at 11:30 a.m. EDT, complete with scientists explaining the mechanics of the event. It won’t be as good as the real thing, but you can screenshot it, apply X-Pro II, and post it to Instagram, and no one will be the wiser.

As fall arrives, Oktoberfests are springing up across the U.S., thousands of miles from where their original debut took place. In October 1810, the citizens of Munich gathered to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I of Bavaria) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The royal celebrations included feasts, beer, and horse racing in front of Munich’s city gates, and after a celebration so grand, it was hard to deny it should become a tradition.

Today, the annual autumnal celebration gives Germans, their descendants, and anyone who enjoys a good festival the chance to toast their roots with a stein, some sausage, and a side of spätzle. Looking for a place to throw back a beer and enjoy traditional German polkas? Here are 10 American Oktoberfests to visit this year.

1. ZINZINNATI OKTOBERFEST // CINCINNATI, OHIO

When: September 16-18, 2016

Cincinnati has a rich German heritage, and was once considered part of the “German Triangle”—one of three Midwestern cities (including Milwaukee and St. Louis) where a large majority of the German immigrant population settled during the late 1800s. Since 1976, the Zinzinnati Oktoberfest has celebrated the German influence on southwestern Ohio, with more than 500,000 people attending each year. The crowd feasts on Deutschland-inspired favorites, including an average of 3600 pounds of sauerkraut, 80,500 bratwursts and 1875 pound of potato salad, along with German-brewed beers such as Erdinger, Warsteiner, and Weihenstephan. Be sure to get there for the opening festivities—the annual Running of the Wieners—where 100 dachshunds dressed up like hot dogs race through downtown.

2. LINDE OKTOBERFEST // TULSA, OKLAHOMA

When: October 20-23, 2016

Toward the end of the 19th century, German immigrants made their way to Oklahoma, settling in and sending word to other immigrant families. In 1890, only 739 German-born residents called the then-territory home, but within 20 years, nearly 10,000 Germans lived throughout Oklahoma. German immigrants would go on to greatly influence the area, building churches, launching social clubs, and starting their own newspapers (the state had 16 German-language presses between 1889 and 1920). The Linde Oktoberfest annually recognizes the contributions of German culture to the region, and has celebrated Oktoberfest since 1978. Be sure to snack on authentic sausages, schnitzel, and strudel, not to mention beers by Spaten and Hoegaarden.

3. DENVER OKTOBERFEST // DENVER, COLORADO

When: September 23 to October 2, 2016

This cowtown is now known for its cool brews, and for that, Colorado can thank German immigrant Adolph Coors, who launched the Coors brewery just outside of Denver in 1873. To pay homage to the state’s German background, Denver’s Oktoberfest runs two weekends and sees crowds of 350,000 people. This Oktoberfest is considered one of the largest beer festivals in the country, and this year it features sponsorships from German breweries Spaten and Franziskaner (also on tap is the annual Denver Oktoberfest Special Brew, created and supplied by local breweries). Don’t miss the oompah bands, the bratwurst eating contest, or the stein hoisting championships.

4. OKTOBERFEST USA // LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN

When: September 29 to October 2, 2016

Wisconsin is home to the first kindergarten in America, created by in 1865 by (you guessed it) a German immigrant. Margaretha Meyer Schurz was just one of many Germans to influence Wisconsin, which now celebrates that heritage with the Oktoberfest in La Crosse. This old world fest began in 1961, primarily due to the town’s need for a fall festival. According to fest lore, two German employees at the local G. Heileman Brew Co. (a brewery launched by German immigrant Johann Gottlieb Heileman) suggested an Oktoberfest celebration and the idea took hold. The trademarked Oktoberfest USA features a Lederhosen Luncheon with authentic German food and music, parades, and a craft beer event paying tribute to Heileman’s beer contributions.

5. FRANKENMUTH OKTOBERFEST // FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN

When: September 15-18, 2016

Frankenmuth knows how to throw an authentic Oktoberfest—in fact, it’s been approved by its Deutschland originators. In 1996, German Parliament members in Munich gave their “blessing” to Michigan’s oldest German heritage and culture festival and its claim to be a true Oktoberfest. For the past 20 years, Frankenmuth’s fest has taken place at the same time as Munich’s Oktoberfest. Organizers focus heavily on authentic music, folk dancing, and food (such as slaw, sauerkraut, spätzle, and sausages), and the brews on tap include some notable imports—Hofbrauhaus is the official German brewery sponsor.

6. STOWE OKTOBERFEST // STOWE, VERMONT

When: October 1-2, 2016

The town of Stowe, Vermont transforms for a weekend Oktoberfest celebration. Underneath a large tent, this small town of 4000 people gathers for a family-friendly weekend that includes traditional German music and sing-alongs, Schuhplattling (Bavarian folk dancing), and games. But what makes Stowe such an interesting spot for Germanophiles? It was once home to the Trapp Family Singers, and the von Trapp family still operates a lodge in the area. While you won’t find German-brewed beers at this event, the local von Trapp Brewing recreates Deutschland’s tastes with its own lagers.

7. NASHVILLE OKTOBERFEST // NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

When: October 7-9, 2016

Nashville uses its Oktoberfest to not only honor its German roots, but also as a fundraiser to restore its historic Germantown district. The Nashville Oktoberfest spans eight blocks through the historic area, outside of downtown Nashville, and showcases traditional German music and oompah bands on three stages. Biergartens are stocked with Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Schöfferhofer, Weihenstephan, and other German beers (last year, the crowds tapped 700 kegs), as well as German wine. But that’s not all this fest uses beer for—a fest-proclaimed “world’s longest” slip ‘n slide is a main event, powered with beer instead of water. The festival also includes a weiner dog race and an arts and crafts fair.

8. ALPINE VILLAGE OKTOBERFEST // TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA

When: September 9 to October 29, 2016

Hosted by a German-inspired tavern and market, the Alpine Village Oktoberfest runs for eight weekends, dishing out sauerkraut, giant pretzels, sausages, and strudel. Entertainment features oompah bands, stein holding contests and other games, while taps readily serve imported Warsteiner, Schöfferhofer, and König Ludwig Weissbier beers. Various special events are planned as well, such as a German-American Heritage celebration or a Bavarian Renaissance Festival.

9. HERMANN OKTOBERFEST // HERMANN, MISSOURI

When: September 30 to October 30, 2016

As the gateway to the west, many migrant Germany families passed through Missouri in search of new homes, and many stayed, helping to develop the area’s beer and wine industry. Hermann has held onto its German roots, especially celebrating them every weekend in October. The entire town becomes a festival, complete with biergartens, locally brewed lagers, and al fresco dining of sausages, wurst, and other traditional foods. And because Hermann’s German heritage is displayed in its many landmarks, be sure to step inside its historic schools, businesses, and buildings for some self-guided tours of their exhibits.

10. FREDERICKSBURG OKTOBERFEST // FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS

When: September 30 to October 2, 2016

Texas isn’t just cowboy culture! This south-central Lone Star State town has a strong German heritage dating back to its founding in 1845 by John O. Meusebach, a German-born baron and local leader who helped make peace with nearby Native American tribes. To celebrate the annual onset of fall, the Fredericksburg Oktoberfest hosts a festival featuring a wide variety of German foods, such as flammkuchen (a pizza-like baked dish), mettwurst (a flavored sausage), pfeffernüsse (spiced cookies), and cold pickled sausages. Brass bands, polka, and oompah music are popular entertainment at this fest, alongside traditional folk dancers and yodellers. And with imported Paulaner, Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, and Franziskaner, there are plenty of authentic beers from the fatherland. Prost!

As far as incriminating social media posts go, you might assume sharing pictures of your own child is safe territory. But it led to legal trouble for one Austrian couple when their 18-year-old daughter slapped them with a lawsuit for refusing to remove hundreds of embarrassing baby photos, The Local reports.

The teen, whose name has not been released to the public, claims the over 500 childhood pictures posted to the social networking site without her consent violate her privacy. “They knew no shame and no limit—and didn’t care whether it was a picture of me sitting on the toilet or lying naked in my cot—every stage was photographed and then made public” she told The Local. “I’m tired of not being taken seriously by my parents.”

She alleges that she had repeatedly asked her parents to take down the photos in the past, but to no avail. When she turned 18, she was officially allowed to take legal action. Her father insists that he has the right to share images because he’s the one who took them.

About 700 of her parents’ “friends” currently have access to the photos on Facebook. This case is the first of its kind in Austria, but as more children of Facebook over-sharers reach legal age, it could start to become more of an issue. France has already taken a hard stance on the matter: Under the country’s privacy laws, parents could face a year in prison or a roughly $50,000 fine if sued by their kids for sharing photos without their permission.

[h/t The Local]

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