Eastern Kingbird

"No!" I said, "It can't be."  I was checking the news on-line and the headline of the article was 'Astronomers Discover Vulcan.'  In the late 1800's astronomers knew there were discrepancies in Mercury's orbit.   They speculated that it was caused by another planet orbiting even closer to the sun.  Then Edmond Lescar announced he had found the planet and named it 'Vulcan' after the Roman god of fire.   So everyone was looking to confirm the planet during the solar eclipse of 1878 and two astronomers said they had also seen this new planet.  No one ever saw it after that.  Einstein's theory of General Relativity eventually explained the perturbation in Mercury's orbit and it was universally agreed the sightings of the new planet were in error.  Therefore, I just couldn't believe the planet actually did exist.   However, when I read the article what was found was an exoplanet around star Omicron Eridani - about 17 light years distant.  For non-Trekkies, that's the fictional home world of Mr. Spock which was also called 'Vulcan.'  I adore Star Trek but I would have been so much more excited if the Vulcan found had been closer to home.