Astronomer Patrick Moore’s April Fool’s Day Gaff

A recent call on the net asked astrologers to please avoid April Fools Day. This in the light of the recent 13th Sign nonsense and the wiki-war. However despite this well meant request – I think astrologers are made of sterner stuff and we should avoid taking ourselves too seriously. I have loved April Fool’s Day since the day I told my grandfather his pocket was on fire – it was on fire – but he didn’t believe me because it was April 1st!! The old man had the habit of putting his pipe in his jacket pocket!!

But forewarned is forearmed and we should have our wits about us. My all time favorite April Fool’s Day gaff – was made by astronomer Patrick Moore in 1997. Moore announced on BBC radio 2 that a rare planetary alignment between Jupiter and Pluto would lessen the earth’s gravity. Moore – who always has considerable gravitas – told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation.  When 9:47 AM arrived, the BBC began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her eleven friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room.

The horoscope for this April Fool’s Day Gaff: Source: Patrick Moore April 1, 1976 – at 09.47 am. I have taken London as the location. But as this was a world wide phenomena do feel free to re-locate!! LOL !