Starship Asterisk*

And here it is, or rather, here they are:

There are two of us, we're on a collision course, but we will never collide.

Bruce

Eh?

Not Milky Way and Andromeda, because they will collide!

Well, I'm off to work now...

Ann

We are a singular pair, but one of us is four times as massive as the other.

You don't mean Epimetheus and Janus, two moons of Saturn that share essentially the same orbit?

Ann

Sorry for the delay, but yes Ann you got it right again.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimetheus ... _and_Janus

These two moons of Saturn exchange positions about every four years! The semi-major axes of their orbits are so close together that they would collide as the inner moon catches up to the outer. However, as the inner moon approaches the slower outer moon gravitational attraction between the two causes them to swap positions. They come close, but never pass one another.

Back when this strange pairing was discovered and explained I wondered why planets couldn’t also exist in such a configuration too. Think about it, two habitable planets could theoretically orbit very close to each other in a stable 1:1 resonant orbital pairing.

Bruce

Indeed, imagine if there had been another planet sharing the orbit of the Earth? I can't help thinking that that might been an additional rather severe general hazard to the life forms of this Earth, which I would rather do without!

I'll try to post another puzzle. I'm sorry that my first clue is going to be quite confusing:

Rom. Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—
Jul. O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon

Yes, that was from Romeo and Juliet! And the "inconstant moon" was the clue. But beware, I'm not asking about a moon. I am, however, asking about something that is inconstant - but amazingly constant, too!

I know. That was pretty impossible.

I'll be back later!

Ann

I said before that the solution to my puzzle is not a moon. It is certainly not a black hole, either! But this piece of news about Sgr A* does contain a bit of info (or maybe a time span?) that is relevant to my puzzle.

Just don't stray all the way down to the center of the Milky Way. The answer is much closer to home.

Ann

This man may have had something to do with the answer to my puzzle... or not.

Ann

Ann wrote:
And the "inconstant moon" was the clue. But beware, I'm not asking about a moon.
I am, however, asking about something that is inconstant - but amazingly constant, too!

• Incontinestant poop(deck)

Oh, the Poop (deck)! (For the incontinent star - poor RS Puppis!)

Good guess, but no cigar!

Ann

That was a year that was...

But astronomical discoveries were made, too.

Ann

Check out the painting of the man with the quill and the illustrated book of inventions, with various modern inventions in the background. You can see him a few of my posts ago. His clothing provides a little hint to the solution of my puzzle.

Ann

The man who made this painting has quite a little something to do with the solution to my puzzle. But this particular painting does not show the "thing" I'm asking about.

Ann

This picture, too, has something to do with my puzzle.

Ann

The falling off the skateboard is not a part of my puzzle, but the wobbling is.

Ann

Gee Ann, you're tough! You even use the wobble of a skate board in your puzzles.
All these clues, that have a little something about the solution to your puzzle.
Ah... if only i were a clue, i might have an idea as to what the solution is. But I'm not ... and i don't.

The guy on the skateboard was wearing a dark, maybe a black, jacket. Imagine him wearing this jacket instead.

And no, "Superman" is not the answer. Nevertheless, the thing I'm asking about is pretty super... and its color is not black!

Ann

Okay, I'll post this really easy clue, then!

Ann

Really???

By Jove!!!

Ann

So let's summarize. I'm asking about something that is inconstant, but constant. It is not a moon or a black hole. 300 years ago has something to do with it, more specifically the year 1665. The engineer Robert Hooke has been credited with the discovery of the object I'm asking about, but probably wrongly. A detail in his clothing in the picture I posted is slightly reminiscent of my mystery object. A man named Donato Creti made a nice painting of people in a landscape with an astronomical object in the sky, and although you can't see the object I'm asking about in the picture I posted, Donato Creti made a similar painting with people in a landscape and "my object" just visible as a detail in the sky.

I posted a picture of a boy leaning into the wind to tell you that my object is really windy. I posted another picture of a boy on a skateboard to show you that my object wobbles. The maroon superman jacket is there to say that my object isn't black but rather maroon (though its color varies), and the ring with the carnelian is really reminiscent of my object's color, shape and setting. Admittedly the carnelian ought to have been "lying down" instead of "standing up".

Surely that can't be so impossible?

By Jove!

Ann

Here's one more clue.

And here's my last one! My goodness, by Jove!

Ann

Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

FINALLY!!!

Thanks, Bruce!

Ann

I can't resist showing you this painting of a nightly landscape where people are observing Jupiter. Jupiter has three moons and a Great Red Spot. Donato Creti, who made this painting, died in 1749, so the picture was made no later than that. Isn't it lovely?

Ann

Those pictorial clues were hard! It's a case of too much information, too many irrelevant details to sift through. It was only after your seeing your written summation that I had any chance at all.

I think I'll pass on playing for now. Anyone who wishes can take my place.

Bruce