Teaching Through Tolkien: The Astronomy of Middle-earth

``The Hobbit,'' ``The Lord of the Rings,'' and others of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy tales have delighted readers for decades. Tolkien was careful to include scientific details in his work, in an attempt to add depth and realism to his mythological creation, Middle-earth. For example, he invented numerous constellations, some of which correspond well with actual star groupings, others of which remain a mystery to Tolkien scholars (and astronomers) to this day. The internal chronology of ``The Lord of the Rings'' was timed to the cycle of lunar phases. In more obscure writings, Tolkien described a mythological beginning for the moon which closely mirrored the actual scientific theory of the day, the ``fission theory'' of G.H. Darwin. Bringing to light these and others of his scientific triumphs (and blunders) through class discussions and laboratory exercises is a creative and timely way to demonstrate the interdisciplinary relevance of science (especially astronomy) to non-science majors.