Van Gogh's Moon Story aired: Friday, July 11, 2003
Picture this: from a wheat field, a bright squiggly object rises behind a mountain range partially blocked by an overhanging cliff. It's a celestial scene that has puzzled art historians for years. Was it a setting sun? Or a rising moon? And what's the story with the oddly-shaped building in the background?
A team of astronomers, lead by Dr. Donald Olson from Southwest Texas State University, has now unraveled the mystery behind Vincent van Gogh's 1889 painting, titled "Evening Landscape with Rising Moon."
On July 13th, the 150th anniversary of Van Gogh's birth, Dr. Olson predicts the moon will appear again, exactly as Van Gogh depicted it, in Saint-Remy, France.
Sky & Telescope magazine's associate editor Stewart Goldman joins Here and Now to discuss the moon sighting theory.
Guests:
Stewart Goldman, Sky & Telescope magazine's associate editor who worked on the Van Gogh "Moonrise" project.
