Mankind has long gazed toward the heavens, searching to put meaning and order to the universe around him. Neither an asteroid nor a comet will hit us in September but rather a total lunar eclipse will take place on September 28, 2015.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes within Earth's umbra (shadow). As the eclipse begins, the Earth's shadow first darkens the Moon slightly. Then, the shadow begins to "cover" part of the Moon, turning it a dark red-brown color. The Moon appears to be reddish because of Rayleigh scattering (the same effect that causes sunsets to appear reddish) and the refraction of that light by the Earth's atmosphere into its umbra.

The following simulation shows the approximate appearance of the Moon passing through the earth's shadow. The Moon's brightness is exaggerated within the umbral shadow. The northern portion of the Moon was closest to the center of the shadow, making it darkest, and most red in appearance.

If you’re interested in astronomy and obtaining the perfect instrument to navigate your way to view the lunar eclipse, then look no more. We have two special items in store; the first is a brass cased Surveyor’s Compass with original leather pouch, made by W. MacDonnell & Co., Sydney c1900. This is an instrument used in surveying to measure horizontal angles. It consists of a circular brass box containing a magnetic needle, which moves freely over a brass circle, or compass divided into 360 degrees. The needle is protected by a glass covering. A pair of sights is located on the North-South axis of the compass.

The second is an ebony and ivory sextant in original box, c1840. A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. The primary use of a sextant is to determine the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon for the purposes of celestial navigation. Here at Greene & Greene, we couldn’t think of anything better for an astronomy enthusiast.

Antique Scientific Instruments

The Lunar Eclipse is moving closer to earth so better be quick and collect some of our antique scientific instruments. Come and visit us at Greene & Greene Antiques, Woollahra.

Father's Day is a celebration honouring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. In Australia, Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, which is the first Sunday of Spring, so don’t forget that’s this Sunday!

There are some suggestions that the idea of Father's Day may originate in pagan sun worship. Some branches of paganism see the sun as the father of the universe. The idea of a special day to honour fathers and celebrate fatherhood was not surprisingly introduced from the United States. A woman named Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by the American Mother's Day celebrations and planned a day to honour fathers early in the 20th century. The first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910. Father’s Day has become increasingly popular throughout the world over the years.

Now are you looking for the perfect present for Dad? Then look no further. Cufflinks are one of the few items of jewellery made especially for men. Cufflinks are the ultimate understated yet sophisticated accessory for all stylish men. They are used to secure shirt cuffs and can be manufactured from a variety of different materials, such as glass, stone, leather, metal, precious metal or combinations of these. Come in store and marvel at our masterful display of cufflinks with extreme variation that would suit any type of dad.

In North America and northern Europe, the custom found an especially practical value due to those regions' continental and wet climates. During the 19th century in America, prior to the advent of the vacuum cleaner, Spring was often the best time for dusting because it was getting warm enough to open windows and doors (but not warm enough for insects to be a problem), and the high winds could carry the dust out of the house. 

What better to help you keep the shimmer on your silver, your glass looking spotless and your wood looking brand new. Here at Greene& Greene we carry a full range of Antiquax, Hagerty's, Connoisseurs and Gilly Stephenson's waxes, polishes and cleaners for furniture, silver and jewellery, even old fashioned yellow dusters! We have more products in store and look forward to seeing you soon.

Spring has sprung and it’s time to clean top to bottom. Come and visit us at Greene & Greene Antiques, Woollahra.