It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve

James Bradley was an English astronomer, best known for two fundamental discoveries in astronomy. The first is the aberration of light (1725 - 1728), which explained the displacement of the apparent path of light from a star, providing conclusive evidence for the movement of the Earth.

The second is the nutation of the Earth's axis (1728 - 1748), also known as the oscillation of the Earth's axis. Caused by the changing direction of the gravitational pull of the moon on the equatorial bulge, Bradley's observations covered the period from 1727 to 1747, as a full cycle of the motion of the moon's nodes is approximately 18.6 years. He choose not to publish until 1748 when the cycle was complete, but announced this discovery on December 31, 1744.

Nutation is defined as a rocking, swaying, or nodding motion. It is quite the coincidence that the discovery of the Earth's nutation would be announced on New Year's Eve, which in itself tends to include rocking celebrations, swaying (whether due to music or alcohol), and eventually a nodding motion as even the most stalwart of individuals will draw their merriment to a close and slumber.

As New Year’s Eve rolls across the globe with a sense of wonder and renewal, I bid each and every one of us great joy, peace and prosperity.