ASTRONOMERS DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING

They tell us that Mercury, now the smallest planet, will pass in front of the sun on 11/7. It will appear as a dot as it passes. I know better.

The planets have to be all lined up just right for a phenomenon to happen. One did on Friday 11/3. You see, that's the date my sister-in-law Joann made a hole-in-one. So I suspect the planets were in alignment and Mercury passed in front of Ol' Sol on that date. And on 11/7 it will just be a speck passing in front.

Now, am I jealous of her achievement? Envious, yes, but happy for her. Am I rough on her, saying that she's not a very good golfer? No. She and her sister have beaten me (and her husband) on many occasions. But her scorecard on Friday read like this: 7-9-1-7-9. I won't go on. She did start playing better and carded a 105 for the round . In addition, she knocked another one two feet from the pin on another par 3. I didn't have the heart to ask if she made the putt.

So don't bother trying to go to a planetarium to watch Mercury pass. It already did. And you missed it. Just like the astromers who said Pluto wasn't a planet anymore.