The Dec. 10 lunar eclipse (18 Gemini) belongs to the 1262 yr. Saros series 135 which began Apr. 13, 1615 with an eclipse near the Moon's South Node. This 1615 seed-eclipse (23 Libra) fell spot on the meridian (MC-IC axis) in Los Angeles, CA. And the most recent eclipse of Saros 135, took place Nov. 28, 1993 with a heavy Saturn-90-Pluto (structural collapse-upheavals) on the angles in LA, shortly before the major Northridge earthquake hit (1/17/94).
The Dec. 10, 2011 total lunar eclipse has the Moon's Nodes (square Mars) on the horizon in Los Angeles, with Uranus at the IC-4th house cusp. As Uranus is stationary direct now, it's radical energy is even more powerfully focused around the longitude of Los Angeles. (Occupy LA was evicted from City Hall park earlier this week.)
Dec. 1 update: LA Wind Storm Disrupts Flights & Cuts Power
In fact, Uranus is changing direction precisely at 0 Aries- the World Point or World Axis. 0 Aries marks the Vernal Point, where the ecliptic and equator intersect in the east. Planets at 0 Aries, 0 Cancer, 0 Libra, or 0 Capricorn (the solstices & equinoxes) have a greater influence in shaping world events. Uranus was exactly at 0 Aries with the meltdown of nuclear reactors in Fukushima on Mar. 12, 2011. So the correspondence between the lunar eclipse and Uranus stationary-direct at 0 Aries is significant.
2011 Aries Ingress
The chart for the astrological new year 2011, the Aries ingress (Vernal Equinox), has Uranus on the IC-4th house cusp in Rome, Italy. And recent events there have confirmed the erratic and disruptive nature of Uranus the awakener. Prime Minister Berlusconi was forced to resign under a cloud of controversy, while the financial situation remains tenuous.
The nation of Spain is also on the edge of economic disaster, and it's Nov. 22, 2011 solar return shows a 2nd house (money & assets) emphasis, with the Part of Fortune at 18 Sagittarius 26. The Dec. 10 lunar eclipse falls in the 8th house (debt & loss) of this return chart, tightly opposing the return Part of Fortune (in 2nd). Spain's 2011 solar return
The Dec. 10 Gemini eclipse is a flash-point for shocking or upsetting events, because of it's correlation with the Uranus station. And with Mercury, lord of Gemini, still retrograde until Dec. 14, we could be subject to delays or mis-communication, and may not have all the facts we need to make major decisions. The mutable nature of Gemini and Mercury indicate highly changeable conditions. But the Full Moon eclipse can bring heightened awareness, and Mercury's direct-station (Dec. 14) will stimulate mental energy and the flow of information. The square from Mars to the eclipse axis suggests dynamic tension or conflict. Later in December, Jupiter, the greater benefic, will station direct on Christmas Day. Let faith, hope, and goodwill reign.
Astronomical information about the lunar eclipse: NASA's eclipse site
My colleague Peter Stockinger's blog post on the Dec. 10 Lunar Eclipse: Stars and Stones
The 2004 Transit of Venus: NASA
Rare Venus Transit 2012
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Across the Center of Centaurus A
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| From Images 108 |
A fantastic jumble of young blue star clusters, gigantic glowing gas clouds, and imposing dark dust lanes surrounds the central region of the active galaxy Centaurus A. This image from the Hubble Space Telescope has been processed to present a natural color picture of this cosmic maelstrom. Infrared images from the Hubble have also shown that hidden at the center of this activity are what seem to be disks of matter spiraling into a black hole with a billion times the mass of the Sun. Centaurus A itself is apparently the result of a collision of two galaxies and the left over debris is steadily being consumed by the black hole. Astronomers believe that such black hole central engines generate the radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray energy radiated by Centaurus A and other active galaxies. But for an active galaxy Centaurus A is close, a mere 10 million light-years away, and is a relatively convenient laboratory for exploring these powerful sources of energy.
"Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin." ~Hermann Hesse
Monday, November 28, 2011
Venus-Saturn Mutual Reception
Venus is in the sign of Capricorn from Nov. 26 until Dec. 20. All things signified by astrological Venus- love, pleasure, art, beauty, values, currencies, and relationships, are now under the direction of Saturn- lord of Capricorn. As Capricorn seeks status, long-term security, accomplishment, and structure- the tendency now is to establish solid relationships, financial stability, and conservative values that honor a traditional approach.
Saturn's in Venus ruled Libra until Oct. 2012. And Libra the Scales desires social equality, fairness, and to meet others on common ground in peace and harmony. Many imbalances in society and personal relationships are currently under the scrutiny of Saturn's checks and balances. It's a good time to define and redefine our core values and committed relationships. Relatively sound unions can get stronger with work, and those of weakened integrity may end.
Venus in Saturn ruled Capricorn, and Saturn in Venus ruled Libra, are in mutual reception until Dec. 20. And planets in mutual reception are inclined to work well together. Thus, the capacity to effectively manage our relationships and finances is thereby furthered. The houses in one's horoscope where Libra and Capricorn fall determines the areas of life directly influenced by the Venus-Saturn reception.
Skyscript: Reception
Saturn's in Venus ruled Libra until Oct. 2012. And Libra the Scales desires social equality, fairness, and to meet others on common ground in peace and harmony. Many imbalances in society and personal relationships are currently under the scrutiny of Saturn's checks and balances. It's a good time to define and redefine our core values and committed relationships. Relatively sound unions can get stronger with work, and those of weakened integrity may end.
Venus in Saturn ruled Capricorn, and Saturn in Venus ruled Libra, are in mutual reception until Dec. 20. And planets in mutual reception are inclined to work well together. Thus, the capacity to effectively manage our relationships and finances is thereby furthered. The houses in one's horoscope where Libra and Capricorn fall determines the areas of life directly influenced by the Venus-Saturn reception.
Skyscript: Reception
Vesta
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| From Images 108 |
"Asteroid Vesta is home to some of the most impressive cliffs in the Solar System. Pictured above near the image center is a very deep cliff running about 20 kilometers from top to bottom. The image was taken by the robotic Dawn spacecraft that began orbiting the 500-kilometer space rock earlier this year. The topography of the scarp and its surroundings indicates that huge landslides may have occurred down this slope. The scarp's origin remains unknown, but parts of the cliff face itself must be quite old as several craters have appeared in it since it was created. Dawn has now finished up its high altitude mapping survey and will spiral down to a lower altitude orbit to better explore the asteroid's gravitational field. During 2012, Dawn is scheduled to blast away from Vesta and begin a long journey to the only asteroid belt object known to be larger: Ceres."
As of today, the asteroid Vesta is located around 22 degrees of Aquarius. And by mid Dec. Vesta will conjoin the planet Neptune at the end of Aquarius. Neptune re-enters Pisces the Fishes on Feb. 3, 2012.
Wikipedia on Vesta:
Astronomy
Vesta is a minor planet or asteroid which orbits the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is the third largest asteroid within the asteroid belt and has a diameter of 503 km and an average distance from the Sun of 353.4 million km. Its sidereal orbital period is 3.63 years. Vesta was discovered on the 29th March 1807 by H.W. Olbers in Bremen.
Mythology
The asteroid takes its name from the Roman goddess Vesta (Greek: Hestia). Hestia was the oldest child of Rhea and Kronos (Saturn). Her brothers were Zeus (Jupiter), Poseidon (Neptune) and Hades (Pluto), her sisters Demeter (Ceres) and Hera (Juno). Hestia was very popular among the Olympian gods. Apollo, Poseidon and others tried to gain her affection but she decided to live a life of chastity. She was the most modest of Rhea's and Kronos' children and became the goddess of hearth and home. Vesta is hardly mentioned in Greek mythology.
The Romans made Vesta the tutelary goddess of the state. A cult was established, and temples devoted to her were guarded by the Vestalas, the virgin priestesses of Vesta. They had the task of guarding Vesta's eternal burning fire within the temples. It was a great privilege but also a great challenge to be ordained as one of the Vestal virgins. Only girls between the ages of six and ten with no physical afflictions were eligible. They parents had to be of free origin and still alive; the period of service was 30 years. The worst crime they could commit was to break their vow of chastity which could be punished by flagellation or being buried alive.
The asteroid specialist Demetra George points out that Vesta's supposed virginity was not part of the original myth: "Originally, sexual rituals which honoured the fertility and procreational powers of the lunar goddess were an integral part of the Vesta myth because they secured sovereignty with divine blessing. It is for this reason that Vesta was worshiped as the ideal embodiment of motherhood. However, with the rise of patriarchy this aspect of Vesta was driven into obscurity and she became transformed into the goddess of purity and sexual chastity."
Interpretation
Vesta stands for service in the name of a higher cause which promises a great degree of independence if an individual is completely devoted. Although Vesta must submit to laws in the general public interest and bears great responsibility, she is able to recognise freedom within these boundaries. For this reason, Vesta has a close relationship with nature and natural laws and some astrologers see a connection between Vesta and modern ecological awareness which tries to respect the laws of nature and knows that respecting these means living in true freedom.
In the natal chart, Vesta's position shows where it is wise to search for our uniqueness not by fulfilling personal desires, but by their apparent renouncement in the name of a greater cause which will allow us to experience our individuality on a deeper level. What matters is the inner center, the inner fire.
Vesta also highlights "the need to reintegrate spiritual and sexual energies. Vesta appears to have an affinity to both Virgo and Scorpio and might have its domicile or be exalted in one of these signs."
Aquarius is symbolized by the Waterbearer pouring the waters of knowledge into the river of humanity. The interconnectedness of all people is central to Aquarian consciousness. And with Vesta in Aquarius the current trend is to dedicate ourselves even more deeply to transmuting our personal desires so we might serve the collective better. Focus and passion can unite in actualizing humanistic ideals. Vesta's conjunction with Neptune in mid Dec. may bring further inspiration and empathy to the work at hand. Dreams or visions of the world we wish to create are more readily manifested now, when the inner fire and urge for transcendence align in the spirit of devotion.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Ancient-Wisdom: Archaeoastronomy
"For a long time now the scientific establishment has shown a resistance and even disregard to the idea of astronomy having been practiced in prehistory. Thankfully, the question of whether astronomy was practiced is now beyond debate, and the doors are open for us to discover the extent of this important development in human awareness.
The earliest suggestion of an astronomical record comes in the form of notched bones, a finding which A. Marshak and others have interpreted as Palaeolithic lunar counts. While this theory is by no means substantiated, there are several ancient structures which have a clear astronomical nature in their design and the high frequency of association between megaliths and astronomy suggests an mutual relationship."
Archaeo-astronomy homepage
The earliest suggestion of an astronomical record comes in the form of notched bones, a finding which A. Marshak and others have interpreted as Palaeolithic lunar counts. While this theory is by no means substantiated, there are several ancient structures which have a clear astronomical nature in their design and the high frequency of association between megaliths and astronomy suggests an mutual relationship."
Archaeo-astronomy homepage
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Mexico Confirms Mayan 2012 End-Date
From Yahoo!News:
"Mexico's archaeology institute downplays theories that the ancient Mayas predicted some sort of apocalypse would occur in 2012, but on Thursday it acknowledged that a second reference to the date exists on a carved fragment found at a southern Mexico ruin site.
Most experts had cited only one surviving reference to the date in Mayan glyphs, a stone tablet from the Tortuguero site in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. But the National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that there is in fact another apparent reference to the date at the nearby Comalcalco ruin. The inscription is on the carved or molded face of a brick. Comalcalco is unusual among Mayan temples in that it was constructed of bricks.
Arturo Mendez, a spokesman for the institute, said the fragment of inscription had been discovered years ago and has been subject to thorough study. It is not on display and is being kept in storage at the institute.
The "Comalcalco Brick," as the second fragment is known, has been discussed by experts in some online forums. Many still doubt that it is a definite reference to Dec. 21, 2012 or Dec. 23, 2012, the dates cited by proponents of the theory as the possible end of the world.
"Some have proposed it as another reference to 2012, but I remain rather unconvinced," David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a message to The AP.
Stuart said the date inscribed on the brick "'is a Calendar Round,' a combination of a day and month position that will repeat every 52 years."
The brick date does coincide with the end of the 13th Baktun; Baktuns were roughly 394-year periods and 13 was a significant, sacred number for the Mayas. The Mayan Long Count calendar begins in 3114 B.C., and the 13th Baktun ends around Dec. 21, 2012.
But the date on the brick could also correspond to similar dates in the past, Stuart said.
"There's no reason it couldn't be also a date in ancient times, describing some important historical event in the Classic period. In fact, the third glyph on the brick seems to read as the verb huli, "he/she/it arrives."
"There's no future tense marking (unlike the Tortuguero phrase), which in my mind points more to the Comalcalco date being more historical that prophetic," Stuart wrote.
Both inscriptions— the Tortuguero tablet and the Comalcalco brick— were probably carved about 1,300 years ago and both are cryptic in some ways.
The Tortuguero inscription describes something that is supposed to occur in 2012 involving Bolon Yokte, a mysterious Mayan god associated with both war and creation.
However, erosion and a crack in the stone make the end of the passage almost illegible, though some read the last eroded glyphs as perhaps saying, "He will descend from the sky."
The Comalcalco brick is also odd in that the molded or inscribed faces of the bricks were probably laid facing inward or covered with stucco, suggesting they were not meant to be seen.
The Institute of Anthropology and History has long said rumors of a world-ending or world-changing event in late December 2012 are a Westernized misinterpretation of Mayan calendars.
The institute repeated Thursday that "western messianic thought has twisted the cosmovision of ancient civilizations like the Maya."
The institute's experts say the Mayas saw time as a series of cycles that began and ended with regularity, but with nothing apocalyptic at the end of a given cycle.
Given the strength of Internet rumors about impending disaster in 2012, the institute is organizing a special round table of 60 Mayan experts next week at the archaeological site of Palenque, in southern Mexico, to "dispel some of the doubts about the end of one era and the beginning of another, in the Mayan Long Count calendar."
Originally published in the Dec-Jan '95 issue of The Mountain Astrologer:
THE HOW AND WHY OF THE MAYAN END DATE IN 2012 A.D., by John Major Jenkins
"Mexico's archaeology institute downplays theories that the ancient Mayas predicted some sort of apocalypse would occur in 2012, but on Thursday it acknowledged that a second reference to the date exists on a carved fragment found at a southern Mexico ruin site.
Most experts had cited only one surviving reference to the date in Mayan glyphs, a stone tablet from the Tortuguero site in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. But the National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that there is in fact another apparent reference to the date at the nearby Comalcalco ruin. The inscription is on the carved or molded face of a brick. Comalcalco is unusual among Mayan temples in that it was constructed of bricks.
Arturo Mendez, a spokesman for the institute, said the fragment of inscription had been discovered years ago and has been subject to thorough study. It is not on display and is being kept in storage at the institute.
The "Comalcalco Brick," as the second fragment is known, has been discussed by experts in some online forums. Many still doubt that it is a definite reference to Dec. 21, 2012 or Dec. 23, 2012, the dates cited by proponents of the theory as the possible end of the world.
"Some have proposed it as another reference to 2012, but I remain rather unconvinced," David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a message to The AP.
Stuart said the date inscribed on the brick "'is a Calendar Round,' a combination of a day and month position that will repeat every 52 years."
The brick date does coincide with the end of the 13th Baktun; Baktuns were roughly 394-year periods and 13 was a significant, sacred number for the Mayas. The Mayan Long Count calendar begins in 3114 B.C., and the 13th Baktun ends around Dec. 21, 2012.
But the date on the brick could also correspond to similar dates in the past, Stuart said.
"There's no reason it couldn't be also a date in ancient times, describing some important historical event in the Classic period. In fact, the third glyph on the brick seems to read as the verb huli, "he/she/it arrives."
"There's no future tense marking (unlike the Tortuguero phrase), which in my mind points more to the Comalcalco date being more historical that prophetic," Stuart wrote.
Both inscriptions— the Tortuguero tablet and the Comalcalco brick— were probably carved about 1,300 years ago and both are cryptic in some ways.
The Tortuguero inscription describes something that is supposed to occur in 2012 involving Bolon Yokte, a mysterious Mayan god associated with both war and creation.
However, erosion and a crack in the stone make the end of the passage almost illegible, though some read the last eroded glyphs as perhaps saying, "He will descend from the sky."
The Comalcalco brick is also odd in that the molded or inscribed faces of the bricks were probably laid facing inward or covered with stucco, suggesting they were not meant to be seen.
The Institute of Anthropology and History has long said rumors of a world-ending or world-changing event in late December 2012 are a Westernized misinterpretation of Mayan calendars.
The institute repeated Thursday that "western messianic thought has twisted the cosmovision of ancient civilizations like the Maya."
The institute's experts say the Mayas saw time as a series of cycles that began and ended with regularity, but with nothing apocalyptic at the end of a given cycle.
Given the strength of Internet rumors about impending disaster in 2012, the institute is organizing a special round table of 60 Mayan experts next week at the archaeological site of Palenque, in southern Mexico, to "dispel some of the doubts about the end of one era and the beginning of another, in the Mayan Long Count calendar."
Originally published in the Dec-Jan '95 issue of The Mountain Astrologer:
THE HOW AND WHY OF THE MAYAN END DATE IN 2012 A.D., by John Major Jenkins
Southern Sky Panorama
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| From Images 108 |
The Milky Way arches across this rare 360-degree panorama of the night sky above the Paranal platform, home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The image was made from 37 individual frames with a total exposure time of about 30 minutes, taken in the early morning hours. The Moon is just rising and the zodiacal light shines above it, while the Milky Way stretches across the sky.
Quote of the Day: "A pessimist is somebody who complains about the noise when opportunity knocks." ~Oscar Wilde
Friday, November 25, 2011
Eclipses and the Saros Cycle
By Martin Bulgerin:
"Many centuries ago, long before the Common Era, Babylonian astronomer-priests studied patterns of eclipses, hoping to find some ways to predict these terror-inspiring heavenly events. One of the most brilliant of their observations is the "Saros Cycle". They noticed that eclipses occur in families that link together the eclipses that happen 18+ years apart. These families evolve over cycles that last 12 to 14 centuries, encompassing 70-80 eclipses in a series. These astronomer-priests were also the astrologers of their day, leading them to study the influence of the entire Saros Cycle on the individual eclipses that make up the family. These intriguing astrological techniques have nearly been forgotten in our day, so it's well worth our time to study them once again."
Read More
BPI's main Eclipse page
MrEclipse Fred Espenak: NASA- Eclipses and the Saros
2011 Eclipse Information: Holding the Powerful Accountable
Quote of the Day: "We often block our own blessings because we don't feel good enough." ~Oprah Winfrey
"Many centuries ago, long before the Common Era, Babylonian astronomer-priests studied patterns of eclipses, hoping to find some ways to predict these terror-inspiring heavenly events. One of the most brilliant of their observations is the "Saros Cycle". They noticed that eclipses occur in families that link together the eclipses that happen 18+ years apart. These families evolve over cycles that last 12 to 14 centuries, encompassing 70-80 eclipses in a series. These astronomer-priests were also the astrologers of their day, leading them to study the influence of the entire Saros Cycle on the individual eclipses that make up the family. These intriguing astrological techniques have nearly been forgotten in our day, so it's well worth our time to study them once again."
Read More
BPI's main Eclipse page
MrEclipse Fred Espenak: NASA- Eclipses and the Saros
2011 Eclipse Information: Holding the Powerful Accountable
Quote of the Day: "We often block our own blessings because we don't feel good enough." ~Oprah Winfrey
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Breathtaking Chajnantor
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| From Images 108 |
From an altitude of over 5,000 meters, the night sky view from Chajnantor Plateau in the Chilean Andes is breathtaking in more ways than one. The dark site's rarefied atmosphere, at about 50 percent sea level pressure, is also extremely dry. That makes it ideal for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) designed to explore the universe at wavelengths over 1,000 times longer than visible light. Near the center of the the panoramic scene, ALMA's 7 and 12 meter wide dish antennas are illuminated by a young Moon nestled in the arc of the Milky Way. ALMA's antenna configurations are intended to achieve a resolution comparable to space telescopes by operating as an interferometer. At left, a meteor's streak and the Milky Way's satellite galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds grace the night.
Quote of the Day: "Gratitude is one of the least articulate of the emotions, especially when it is deep." ~Felix Frankfurter
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sagittarius the Archer
The Sun leaving the dark realm of Scorpio and entering the Jupiter ruled sign of Sagittarius at 8:08 am (PST) this morning is a positive energetic shift.
Sagittarius the Archer, by Deborah Houlding:
Personality Traits
"Sagittarians are known for their broad vision, tolerant attitude, freedom-loving philosophical air, and generally jovial spirits. These recognisable traits all stem from the influence of their planetary ruler: the expansive and magnanimous Jupiter; source of hope, optimism, confidence and generosity. Jupiter tends to appreciate abundance; the dictum 'less is more' doesn't make much sense in his realm - better to have plenty and let a little go to waste. Sagittarians have a gift for enlarging all that they embrace and throw their energies into. No sign creates a better publicist. Few can so easily take a minor matter and through their enthusiasm make it seem so all-important. Sagittarian hearts and spirits are big; their outlook is liberal and forgiving; their style is colourful and noisy; their passion for life contagious.
The upwards shooting centaur aims for the higher picture and keeps its eyes fixed to the distant horizon. Sagittarians are always planning for the future, thinking about a bigger tomorrow, and thus they tend not to worry about the here and now. They are blessed with fine intuition but can suffer through dismissing critical analysis as someone else's negative outlook; sanguine in the conviction that 'all will work out well in the end'. Sagittarians don't work well with details, and whilst known for being intrinsically candid, they can't help distorting everything towards a brighter light, especially if it embroiders in a bit more colour and interest. Such buoyancy of spirit often attracts a positive response, but like all the fire signs Sagittarians need to be wary of ignoring the voice of caution. Downfalls that affect this sign arise from taking on too much; becoming so enraptured in their own enthusiasm that they act without foresight; and pursuing a vision that exceeds the limits of reality. But even in suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune the Sagittarian copes better than most. Being a mutable sign all change is viewed as an opportunity for stimulation and renewed motivation."
read more->Skyscript
Quote of the Day: "Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way." ~Native American saying
Mundane astrologers do not usually pay attention to the Sun changing signs unless it's an equinox or solstice. But the Sagittarius solar ingress for San Francisco (where I live) has the Moon's Nodes on the horizon (AS-DS axis) and Uranus conjunct the IC-4th house cusp. The Nodes are currently aligned with the powerful Great Attractor and the heliocentric Nodes of radical Uranus. And the position of Uranus in SF as the Sun enters Sagittarius would seem to indicate that the wild and unpredictable Uranian energy is sharply focused here until the Winter Solstice. Unusual or changeable weather, earthquakes, or other kinds of uprisings are therefore forecast, if this solar ingress chart is indeed viable.
I put the Dec. 10 lunar eclipse on the outside wheel, as the eclipse chart has the Ascendant conjunct the royal star Antares- rival of Mars, the Scorpion's heart. Fixed star expert Diana Rosenberg says about Antares, "Courage, intelligence, honors, may fall from power. Strategic ability, eloquence, humor. Heart, eye problems. Mundane: Human rights issues, war, nuclear events, fires; assassinations, shipwreck, fog, smog." I'll update if relevant events unfold.
Sagittarius the Archer, by Deborah Houlding:
Personality Traits
"Sagittarians are known for their broad vision, tolerant attitude, freedom-loving philosophical air, and generally jovial spirits. These recognisable traits all stem from the influence of their planetary ruler: the expansive and magnanimous Jupiter; source of hope, optimism, confidence and generosity. Jupiter tends to appreciate abundance; the dictum 'less is more' doesn't make much sense in his realm - better to have plenty and let a little go to waste. Sagittarians have a gift for enlarging all that they embrace and throw their energies into. No sign creates a better publicist. Few can so easily take a minor matter and through their enthusiasm make it seem so all-important. Sagittarian hearts and spirits are big; their outlook is liberal and forgiving; their style is colourful and noisy; their passion for life contagious.
The upwards shooting centaur aims for the higher picture and keeps its eyes fixed to the distant horizon. Sagittarians are always planning for the future, thinking about a bigger tomorrow, and thus they tend not to worry about the here and now. They are blessed with fine intuition but can suffer through dismissing critical analysis as someone else's negative outlook; sanguine in the conviction that 'all will work out well in the end'. Sagittarians don't work well with details, and whilst known for being intrinsically candid, they can't help distorting everything towards a brighter light, especially if it embroiders in a bit more colour and interest. Such buoyancy of spirit often attracts a positive response, but like all the fire signs Sagittarians need to be wary of ignoring the voice of caution. Downfalls that affect this sign arise from taking on too much; becoming so enraptured in their own enthusiasm that they act without foresight; and pursuing a vision that exceeds the limits of reality. But even in suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune the Sagittarian copes better than most. Being a mutable sign all change is viewed as an opportunity for stimulation and renewed motivation."
read more->Skyscript
Quote of the Day: "Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way." ~Native American saying
Mundane astrologers do not usually pay attention to the Sun changing signs unless it's an equinox or solstice. But the Sagittarius solar ingress for San Francisco (where I live) has the Moon's Nodes on the horizon (AS-DS axis) and Uranus conjunct the IC-4th house cusp. The Nodes are currently aligned with the powerful Great Attractor and the heliocentric Nodes of radical Uranus. And the position of Uranus in SF as the Sun enters Sagittarius would seem to indicate that the wild and unpredictable Uranian energy is sharply focused here until the Winter Solstice. Unusual or changeable weather, earthquakes, or other kinds of uprisings are therefore forecast, if this solar ingress chart is indeed viable.
 |
| From California & San Francisco |
I put the Dec. 10 lunar eclipse on the outside wheel, as the eclipse chart has the Ascendant conjunct the royal star Antares- rival of Mars, the Scorpion's heart. Fixed star expert Diana Rosenberg says about Antares, "Courage, intelligence, honors, may fall from power. Strategic ability, eloquence, humor. Heart, eye problems. Mundane: Human rights issues, war, nuclear events, fires; assassinations, shipwreck, fog, smog." I'll update if relevant events unfold.
Monday, November 21, 2011
What is the Galactic Alignment?
I like to repost this article every once in awhile.
By John Major Jenkins
"It is important to define what the Galactic Alignment is in precise astronomical terms.
The Galactic Alignment is the alignment of the December solstice sun with the Galactic equator. This alignment occurs as a result of the precession of the equinoxes.
Precession is caused by the earth wobbling very slowly on its axis and shifts the position of the equinoxes and solstices one degree every 71.5 years. Because the sun is one-half of a degree wide, it will take the December solstice sun 36 years to precess through the Galactic equator.
The precise alignment of the solstice point (the precise center-point of the body of the sun as viewed from earth) with the Galactic equator was calculated to occur in 1998 (Jean Meeus, Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, 1997).
Thus, the Galactic Alignment "zone" is 1998 +/- 18 years = 1980 - 2016. This is "era-2012."
This Galactic Alignment occurs only once every 26,000 years, and was what the ancient Maya were pointing to with the 2012 end-date of their Long Count calendar."
Alignment2012
By John Major Jenkins
"It is important to define what the Galactic Alignment is in precise astronomical terms.
The Galactic Alignment is the alignment of the December solstice sun with the Galactic equator. This alignment occurs as a result of the precession of the equinoxes.
Precession is caused by the earth wobbling very slowly on its axis and shifts the position of the equinoxes and solstices one degree every 71.5 years. Because the sun is one-half of a degree wide, it will take the December solstice sun 36 years to precess through the Galactic equator.
The precise alignment of the solstice point (the precise center-point of the body of the sun as viewed from earth) with the Galactic equator was calculated to occur in 1998 (Jean Meeus, Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, 1997).
Thus, the Galactic Alignment "zone" is 1998 +/- 18 years = 1980 - 2016. This is "era-2012."
This Galactic Alignment occurs only once every 26,000 years, and was what the ancient Maya were pointing to with the 2012 end-date of their Long Count calendar."
Alignment2012
Unrest in Egypt
From BBC News:
"Clashes have again erupted in the Egyptian capital as security forces continue their efforts to clear Cairo's Tahrir Square of protesters. Protesters fear the interim military government is trying to retain its grip on power ahead of parliamentary elections planned to begin next week.
At least 20 people are reported to have died since the violence began on Saturday with hundreds more injured. Some 1,750 people have also been reported injured in clashes across the country.
Culture Minister Emad Abu Ghazi has resigned and 25 Egyptian political parties also called for the ministers of information and the interior to be sacked over the violence. A group of senior Egyptian diplomats have also issued a statement condemning the way the protests have been handled.
The statement, signed by more than 109 ambassadors and other diplomats, calls for violence and aggression by the security forces against protesters to be halted immediately, and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The statement also says a full hand-over of power to a civilian government should be completed by the middle of next year.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, is charged with overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Large crowds again streamed into Tahrir Square on Monday- defying the military's attempts to keep them away from the place that was the symbolic heart of demonstrations against former Mr. Mubarak.
Amr Moussa, former secretary-general of the Arab League and now a presidential candidate in Egypt, told the BBC that the use of force against the protesters could not be justified. "The way the police deals with the protesters... we're all against this kind of violence and this treatment of the people," he said.
"The military promised that they would hand over power within six months," one protester said. "Now 10 months have gone by and they still haven't done it. We feel deceived."
In recent weeks, protesters- mostly Islamists and young activists- have been demonstrating against a draft constitution they say would allow the military to retain too much power after a civilian government is elected. A proposal by the military to delay the presidential election until late 2012 or early 2013 has further angered the opposition."
Astrologically- Pluto rose in Cairo at the 2011 Vernal Equinox (Aries Ingress), setting the stage for massive change-upheaval. And Uranus of uprisings and revolutions, is going stationary direct at the 0 Aries World Point*, coincidentally with the Dec. 10 lunar eclipse that features the Moon's fateful Nodes (square Mars) on the horizon in Cairo- a portent of heated conflict (Mars-90-Nodes).
The 2011 Aries ingress for Rome, shows Uranus conjunct the IC-4th house cusp, and there have clearly been some radical and disruptive changes to the status quo in Italy. Silvio Berlusconi is out after a 17 year political reign.
*Article by Kim Falconer: The Zero Degree Aries Point
"Clashes have again erupted in the Egyptian capital as security forces continue their efforts to clear Cairo's Tahrir Square of protesters. Protesters fear the interim military government is trying to retain its grip on power ahead of parliamentary elections planned to begin next week.
At least 20 people are reported to have died since the violence began on Saturday with hundreds more injured. Some 1,750 people have also been reported injured in clashes across the country.
Culture Minister Emad Abu Ghazi has resigned and 25 Egyptian political parties also called for the ministers of information and the interior to be sacked over the violence. A group of senior Egyptian diplomats have also issued a statement condemning the way the protests have been handled.
The statement, signed by more than 109 ambassadors and other diplomats, calls for violence and aggression by the security forces against protesters to be halted immediately, and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The statement also says a full hand-over of power to a civilian government should be completed by the middle of next year.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, is charged with overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Large crowds again streamed into Tahrir Square on Monday- defying the military's attempts to keep them away from the place that was the symbolic heart of demonstrations against former Mr. Mubarak.
Amr Moussa, former secretary-general of the Arab League and now a presidential candidate in Egypt, told the BBC that the use of force against the protesters could not be justified. "The way the police deals with the protesters... we're all against this kind of violence and this treatment of the people," he said.
"The military promised that they would hand over power within six months," one protester said. "Now 10 months have gone by and they still haven't done it. We feel deceived."
In recent weeks, protesters- mostly Islamists and young activists- have been demonstrating against a draft constitution they say would allow the military to retain too much power after a civilian government is elected. A proposal by the military to delay the presidential election until late 2012 or early 2013 has further angered the opposition."
Astrologically- Pluto rose in Cairo at the 2011 Vernal Equinox (Aries Ingress), setting the stage for massive change-upheaval. And Uranus of uprisings and revolutions, is going stationary direct at the 0 Aries World Point*, coincidentally with the Dec. 10 lunar eclipse that features the Moon's fateful Nodes (square Mars) on the horizon in Cairo- a portent of heated conflict (Mars-90-Nodes).
 |
| From Asia & Mideast |
The 2011 Aries ingress for Rome, shows Uranus conjunct the IC-4th house cusp, and there have clearly been some radical and disruptive changes to the status quo in Italy. Silvio Berlusconi is out after a 17 year political reign.
*Article by Kim Falconer: The Zero Degree Aries Point
Eclipse Season
Eclipse season is upon on us again, and just in time for the holidaze.
The Nov. 25 (GMT) partial solar eclipse at 2.36 Sagittarius conjoins the Moon's North or Ascending Node as do all the eclipses of Saros series 123. The 1244 year Saros series 123 began with it's first event in the northern hemisphere on Apr. 29, 1074. And this seed-eclipse (14 Taurus) conjoined the eclipsing binary star Algol Beta Persei- the Medusa's Head or Eye. Tradition associates Algol with misfortunate and violent events involving large masses of people- whereas modern astrologer Bernadette Brady links the Algol star to female passion and intensity. Interestingly, the most recent eclipse of Saros 123 on Nov. 13, 1993 foreshadowed the costly Northridge earthquake (1/17/94) near Los Angeles- but that intense eclipse (22 Scorpio) conjoined Pluto and squared Saturn.
A solar eclipse is a powerful New Moon, and a rebooting of conscious intention. And this lunation is actually a SuperMoon event, with Luna near perigee- closest to the earth. (SuperMoon's correspond with a spike in tidal extremes and seismic activity.) If the eclipse aligns within a few degrees of a natal factor, that planet/point is subject to activation. And like all transits, it's important to understand the condition of the thing being stimulated. An eclipse will not bring anything not promised in the natal horoscope. But it could trigger a crisis period, if the the stage is already set for dramatic change. As always, consider the context.
Mercury's retro-station just before this eclipse is a key factor, and all things Mercurial will require more attention then usual. (Detail-oriented Mercury is not at it's best in broad-minded Sagittarius.) Travel, communication, and negotiations can suffer delays or go awry, without increased focus. Uranus of revolutions and reforms is trine the solar eclipse, and stations direct at the Dec. 10 total lunar eclipse. And these eclipses would then seem related to the drive for progressive change uprising in the collective mind and spirit. At the very least, we have support in finding new ways to deal with old problems. And as the eclipse conjoins the Moon's North Node of manifest destiny, it's a portent of future developments. The lunar eclipse next month looks especially radical.
Sagittarius the Archer or Centaur aspires to the highest truth with optimistic enthusiasm. The healing synthesis of mind, body, and spirit is implicit to the sign, as the centaur is both animal and human being. We can think of the solar eclipse in Sagittarius as an opportunity to reset our aspirations and search for meaning. But under stressful conditions, the eclipse may exacerbate intolerance, or mark a spiritual crisis, i.e. crisis of meaning.
The Nov. 25 solar eclipse conjoins the Ascendant in Rome, Italy, where a major reconfiguration is underway, after Silvio Berlusconi's 17 year political reign was brought to an abrupt end by the nation's financial problems. While the eclipse opposing the Midheaven in Mexico City suggests heightened domestic troubles will continue to challenge the local government there. Tradition links the country of Spain with the sign of Sagittarius.
The Solar Eclipse and the US
In the case of the United States, the eclipse is activating the nation's natal Pluto (by antiscia). As Pluto is (27-28 Capricorn) located in the US Sibly 2nd house of money and assets, these matters of concern will be highlighted by the eclipse. The July 22, 2009 longest solar eclipse (29 Cancer) of the century (on the MC in Tokyo & Fukushima) that has an influence for almost 7 years, opposed the US Pluto. And transiting Saturn will begin to square this Pluto, shortly after the Nov. 25, 2011 solar eclipse. Therefore, abuses of power, toxic assets, debt, and corrupt financial dealings will come under the glaring scrutiny of Saturn's checks and balances- on and off until Oct. 2012. New York City's natal Uranus of sudden shocks and uprisings, will also be activated by the solar eclipse. NYC
More on the Dec. 10 total lunar eclipse shortly.
My esteemed colleague Peter Stockinger's blog post on the solar eclipse of Nov. 25: Stars and Stones
NASA: Nov. 25 partial solar eclipse
Nov. 22 update- Congress Trading Stocks on Inside Info:
60 Minutes
This story reflects the solar eclipse on the US Pluto.
The Nov. 25 (GMT) partial solar eclipse at 2.36 Sagittarius conjoins the Moon's North or Ascending Node as do all the eclipses of Saros series 123. The 1244 year Saros series 123 began with it's first event in the northern hemisphere on Apr. 29, 1074. And this seed-eclipse (14 Taurus) conjoined the eclipsing binary star Algol Beta Persei- the Medusa's Head or Eye. Tradition associates Algol with misfortunate and violent events involving large masses of people- whereas modern astrologer Bernadette Brady links the Algol star to female passion and intensity. Interestingly, the most recent eclipse of Saros 123 on Nov. 13, 1993 foreshadowed the costly Northridge earthquake (1/17/94) near Los Angeles- but that intense eclipse (22 Scorpio) conjoined Pluto and squared Saturn.
A solar eclipse is a powerful New Moon, and a rebooting of conscious intention. And this lunation is actually a SuperMoon event, with Luna near perigee- closest to the earth. (SuperMoon's correspond with a spike in tidal extremes and seismic activity.) If the eclipse aligns within a few degrees of a natal factor, that planet/point is subject to activation. And like all transits, it's important to understand the condition of the thing being stimulated. An eclipse will not bring anything not promised in the natal horoscope. But it could trigger a crisis period, if the the stage is already set for dramatic change. As always, consider the context.
Mercury's retro-station just before this eclipse is a key factor, and all things Mercurial will require more attention then usual. (Detail-oriented Mercury is not at it's best in broad-minded Sagittarius.) Travel, communication, and negotiations can suffer delays or go awry, without increased focus. Uranus of revolutions and reforms is trine the solar eclipse, and stations direct at the Dec. 10 total lunar eclipse. And these eclipses would then seem related to the drive for progressive change uprising in the collective mind and spirit. At the very least, we have support in finding new ways to deal with old problems. And as the eclipse conjoins the Moon's North Node of manifest destiny, it's a portent of future developments. The lunar eclipse next month looks especially radical.
Sagittarius the Archer or Centaur aspires to the highest truth with optimistic enthusiasm. The healing synthesis of mind, body, and spirit is implicit to the sign, as the centaur is both animal and human being. We can think of the solar eclipse in Sagittarius as an opportunity to reset our aspirations and search for meaning. But under stressful conditions, the eclipse may exacerbate intolerance, or mark a spiritual crisis, i.e. crisis of meaning.
The Nov. 25 solar eclipse conjoins the Ascendant in Rome, Italy, where a major reconfiguration is underway, after Silvio Berlusconi's 17 year political reign was brought to an abrupt end by the nation's financial problems. While the eclipse opposing the Midheaven in Mexico City suggests heightened domestic troubles will continue to challenge the local government there. Tradition links the country of Spain with the sign of Sagittarius.
The Solar Eclipse and the US
In the case of the United States, the eclipse is activating the nation's natal Pluto (by antiscia). As Pluto is (27-28 Capricorn) located in the US Sibly 2nd house of money and assets, these matters of concern will be highlighted by the eclipse. The July 22, 2009 longest solar eclipse (29 Cancer) of the century (on the MC in Tokyo & Fukushima) that has an influence for almost 7 years, opposed the US Pluto. And transiting Saturn will begin to square this Pluto, shortly after the Nov. 25, 2011 solar eclipse. Therefore, abuses of power, toxic assets, debt, and corrupt financial dealings will come under the glaring scrutiny of Saturn's checks and balances- on and off until Oct. 2012. New York City's natal Uranus of sudden shocks and uprisings, will also be activated by the solar eclipse. NYC
 |
| From United States |
More on the Dec. 10 total lunar eclipse shortly.
My esteemed colleague Peter Stockinger's blog post on the solar eclipse of Nov. 25: Stars and Stones
NASA: Nov. 25 partial solar eclipse
Nov. 22 update- Congress Trading Stocks on Inside Info:
60 Minutes
This story reflects the solar eclipse on the US Pluto.
Quote of the Day
"In this visceral, canny, militantly nonviolent phase of our march to real democracy, we will “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” We will regroup, lick our wounds, brainstorm and network all winter. We will build momentum for a full-spectrum counterattack when the crocuses bloom next spring." ~Adbusters
And from the same article~ "When the youth in Tunisia rose up demanding change, Ben Ali scoffed. When they occupied Tahrir Square, Mubarak resorted to paternalism and mob violence. In Syria, Assad’s troops fire daily into the crowds. This kind of military mind-set and violent response to nonviolent protesters makes no sense. It did not work in the Middle East, and it’s not going to work in America, either. This is the bottom line... you cannot attack your young and get away with it."
The epic Uranus-Pluto world transit has already kicked in, but will intensify with the first exact square on June 24, 2011. So the spirit behind these uprisings and revolutions is just starting to take root.
OWS - The Revolution is Love: YouTube
And from the same article~ "When the youth in Tunisia rose up demanding change, Ben Ali scoffed. When they occupied Tahrir Square, Mubarak resorted to paternalism and mob violence. In Syria, Assad’s troops fire daily into the crowds. This kind of military mind-set and violent response to nonviolent protesters makes no sense. It did not work in the Middle East, and it’s not going to work in America, either. This is the bottom line... you cannot attack your young and get away with it."
The epic Uranus-Pluto world transit has already kicked in, but will intensify with the first exact square on June 24, 2011. So the spirit behind these uprisings and revolutions is just starting to take root.
OWS - The Revolution is Love: YouTube
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Stellar Nursery
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| From Images 108 |
How do stars form? A study of star forming region W5 by the sun-orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope provides clear clues by recording that massive stars near the center of empty cavities are older than stars near the edges. A likely reason for this is that the older stars in the center are actually triggering the formation of the younger edge stars. The triggered star formation occurs when hot outflowing gas compresses cooler gas into knots dense enough to gravitationally contract into stars. Spectacular pillars, left slowly evaporating from the hot outflowing gas, provide further visual clues. In the above scientifically-colored infrared image, red indicates heated dust, while white and green indicate particularly dense gas clouds. W5 is also known as IC 1848, and together with IC 1805 form a complex region of star formation popularly dubbed the Heart and Soul Nebulas. The above image highlights a part of W5 spanning about 2,000 light years that is rich in star forming pillars. W5 lies about 6,500 light years away toward the constellation of Cassiopeia.
Quote of the Day: "There is time for work. And there is time for love. That leaves no other time." ~Coco Chanel
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Starry La Silla
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| From Images 108 |
The stars rotate around the southern celestial pole during a night at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in northern Chile. The fuzzy parts in the trails on the right are due to the Magellanic Clouds, two small galaxies neighbouring the Milky Way. The dome seen in the image hosts ESO’s 3.6-metre telescope and is home to HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher), the world’s foremost exoplanet hunter. The rectangular building seen in the lower right of the image contains the 0.25-metre TAROT telescope, designed to react very quickly when a gamma-ray burst is detected. Other telescopes at La Silla include the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope, and the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope, the first telescope to use active optics and, as such, the precursor to all modern large telescopes. La Silla was ESO’s first observing site and is still one of the premier observatories in the southern hemisphere.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Great Filament
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| From Images 108 |
It's one of the biggest things in the entire solar system. A dark filament of magnetism measuring more than 800,000 km from end to end is sprawled diagonally across the face of the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory took this ultraviolet picture of the structure during the late hours of Nov. 17th. If the filament becomes unstable, as solar filaments sometimes do, it could collapse and hit the stellar surface below, triggering a Hyder flare. Indeed, part of the filament already erupted on Nov. 16th, but Earth was not in the line of fire. A similar event today would likely be geoeffective because of the filament's central location on the solar disk.
Moon-Venus-Jupiter Conjunction
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| From Images 108 |
In the night sky over ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) observatory at Paranal, the Moon shines along with two bright companions: already aloft in the heavens and glowing in the centre of the image is Venus, Earth’s closest planetary neighbour, and, to its right, the giant, though more distant planet, Jupiter. Such apparent celestial near misses— although the heavenly bodies are actually tens to hundreds of millions of kilometres apart— are called conjunctions.
Still other sights delight this night view at Paranal: the radiant, reddish plane of the Milky Way, smouldering on the horizon, with two telescopes in the foreground.
A Colorful Side of the Moon
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| From Images 108 |
This colorful topographical map of the Moon is centered on the lunar farside, the side not seen from planet Earth. That view is available to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter though, as the spacecraft's wide angle camera images almost the entire lunar surface every month. Stereo overlap of the imaging has allowed the computation of topographical maps with coverage between 80 degrees north and south latitude. The results have about a 300 meter resolution on the lunar surface and 10 to 20 meter elevation accuracy. Data closer to the north and south poles is filled in using the orbiter's laser altimeter. In this map, white, red, green, and purple represent progressively lower elevations. In fact, the large circular splotch tending to purple hues at the bottom is the farside's South Pole-Aitken Basin. About 2500 kilometers in diameter and over 12 kilometers deep, it is one of the largest impact basins in the Solar System.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Ptolemy and Ancient Astronomy
From BBC Radio:
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy, and consider how and why his geocentric theory of the universe held sway for so many centuries. In his seminal astronomical work, the Almagest, written in the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy proposed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe and explained all the observed motions of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars with a system of uniform circular motions which he referred to as 'epicycles'. But Ptolemy was a polymath and did not confine his study of the stars to mathematical equations. He was also interested in astrology and his book on this topic, the Tetrabiblos, tackled the spiritual aspects of the cosmos and its influence on individual lives and personalities.
Ptolemy's model of the universe remained the dominant one for over a thousand years. It was not until 1543, and Copernicus's heliocentric theory of the world, that the Ptolemaic model was finally challenged, and not until 1609 that Johannes Kepler's New Astronomy put an end to his ideas for good. But how and why did Ptolemy's system survive for so long?
BBC Radio 4
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy, and consider how and why his geocentric theory of the universe held sway for so many centuries. In his seminal astronomical work, the Almagest, written in the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy proposed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe and explained all the observed motions of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars with a system of uniform circular motions which he referred to as 'epicycles'. But Ptolemy was a polymath and did not confine his study of the stars to mathematical equations. He was also interested in astrology and his book on this topic, the Tetrabiblos, tackled the spiritual aspects of the cosmos and its influence on individual lives and personalities.
Ptolemy's model of the universe remained the dominant one for over a thousand years. It was not until 1543, and Copernicus's heliocentric theory of the world, that the Ptolemaic model was finally challenged, and not until 1609 that Johannes Kepler's New Astronomy put an end to his ideas for good. But how and why did Ptolemy's system survive for so long?
BBC Radio 4
Straight to the Heart of the Milky Way
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| From Images 108 |
The Laser Guide Star (LGS) is launched from the VLT´s Yepun Telescope and aims at the centre of our galaxy, in the heart of the brightest part of the Milky Way. The laser beam is part of the VLT´s adaptive optics system. It creates an artificial star at 90 km altitude in the Earth´s mesosphere. This star is used as reference to correct images and spectra for the blurring effect of the atmosphere. The plane of the Milky Way is crossed by prominent dark lanes, huge clouds of interstellar dust that block the visible light. Thanks to the infrared instruments mounted in the Yepun Telescope, astronomers can “see through” and study the complex and turbulent core of our galaxy, where a supermassive black hole is lurking.
Quote of the Day: "There is a time for the maturing of thoughts, such as there is a time for the maturing of wheat, of wine, of stars... ~Mariana Fulger
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Moon in Leo Quotes
The Moon's in the sign of Leo until Friday afternoon (PST).
"Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music." ~Mac Anderson
"You've got to keep the child alive; you can't create without it." ~Joni Mitchell
"Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music." ~Mac Anderson
"You've got to keep the child alive; you can't create without it." ~Joni Mitchell
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Scintillating Sol
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| From Images 108 |
Our Sun is becoming a busy place. Taken just last week, the Sun was captured sporting numerous interesting features including one of the larger sunspot groups yet recorded: AR 1339 visible on the image right. Only last year, the Sun was emerging from an unusually quiet Solar Minimum that lasted for years. The above image was recorded in a single color of light called Hydrogen Alpha, inverted, and false colored. Spicules cover much of the Sun's face. The gradual brightening towards the Sun's edges is caused by increased absorption of relatively cool solar gas and called limb darkening. Just over the Sun's edges, several scintillating prominences protrude, while prominences on the Sun's face are seen as light streaks. Possibly the most visually interesting of all are the magnetically tangled active regions containing cool sunspots. As our Sun's magnetic field winds toward Solar Maximum over the next few years, increased activity will likely create times when the Sun's face is even more complex.
News and information about the Sun-Earth environment: SpaceWeather.com
Congo's Nyamuragira volcano eruption biggest for a century: video
Quote of the Day: "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." ~Buddha
Monday, November 14, 2011
Waterfall, Moonbow, and Aurora from Iceland
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| From Images 108 |
The longer you look at this image, the more you see. Perhaps your eye is first drawn to the picturesque waterfall called Skogarfoss visible on the image right. Just as prevalent, however, in this Icelandic visual extravaganza, is the colorful arc of light on the left. This chromatic bow is not a rainbow, since the water drops did not originate in rainfall nor are they reflecting light from the Sun. Rather, the drops have drifted off from the waterfall and are now illuminated by the nearly full Moon. High above are the faint green streaks of aurora. The scene, captured one night last month, also shows a beautiful starscape far in the background, including the Big Dipper, part of the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major).
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Butterfly Nebula
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| From Images 108 |
Few butterflies have a wingspan this big. The bright clusters and nebulae of planet Earth's night sky are often named for flowers or insects, and NGC 6302 is no exception. With an estimated surface temperature of about 250,000 degrees C, the central star of this particular planetary nebula is exceptionally hot though -- shining brightly in ultraviolet light but hidden from direct view by a dense torus of dust. This dramatically detailed close-up of the dying star's nebula was recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope soon after it was upgraded in 2009. Cutting across a bright cavity of ionized gas, the dust torus surrounding the central star is near the center of this view, almost edge-on to the line-of-sight. Molecular hydrogen has been detected in the hot star's dusty cosmic shroud. NGC 6302 lies about 4,000 light-years away in the arachnologically correct constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius).
Killer Solar Flare Won't Destroy Earth in 2012- NASA Says: SPACE.com
We can all breathe a sigh of relief now. Cheers...
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Silvio Berlusconi Eclipsed
From BBC News:
"Silvio Berlusconi has resigned as prime minister of Italy, after dominating the country's politics for 17 years.
Mr Berlusconi lost his majority amid an acute debt crisis that threatens the eurozone. He promised to go once MPs had approved new austerity measures.
Crowds celebrated outside the presidential palace, shouting "buffoon" as he entered.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says Mr Berlusconi's last journey as prime minister was an undignified one.
Police struggled to control a large, hostile crowd which booed and jeered as his convoy swept by, and after his resignation he left by a side exit to avoid the protesters.
He said he felt "embittered" after hearing the insults.
Mr Berlusconi is Italy's longest-serving post-war prime minister. His premiership has recently been marred by many scandals. He is a consummate survivor, but he was overwhelmed by the scale of the financial crisis which has engulfed Italy."
Solar eclipses tend to cast a shadow on persons wielding power and influence- especially male leaders, as the Sun is a symbol of masculine force. In the case of Mr. Berlusconi, the partial solar eclipse of Nov. 24-25 is conjunct his progressed Part of Fortune- a significator of grace, wealth, prosperity, and happiness. And he is leaving office under a dark cloud.
Mr. Berlusconi resigned today with his progressed Part of Fortune at 2.53 Sagittarius. But by the time of the Nov. 25 solar eclipse at 2.36 Sagittarius, the orb between the two will have tightened to a mere 4 minutes of arc. The eclipse would therefore seem to have eclipsed Mr. Berlusconi's political fortunes- along with the final exact square of transiting Pluto to his natal Sun on Nov. 18.
(Mexico's Secretary of the Interior, Francisco Blake Mora, was fatally eclipsed yesterday in a helicopter crash. Natal Sun = 1 Gemini.)
"Silvio Berlusconi has resigned as prime minister of Italy, after dominating the country's politics for 17 years.
Mr Berlusconi lost his majority amid an acute debt crisis that threatens the eurozone. He promised to go once MPs had approved new austerity measures.
Crowds celebrated outside the presidential palace, shouting "buffoon" as he entered.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says Mr Berlusconi's last journey as prime minister was an undignified one.
Police struggled to control a large, hostile crowd which booed and jeered as his convoy swept by, and after his resignation he left by a side exit to avoid the protesters.
He said he felt "embittered" after hearing the insults.
Mr Berlusconi is Italy's longest-serving post-war prime minister. His premiership has recently been marred by many scandals. He is a consummate survivor, but he was overwhelmed by the scale of the financial crisis which has engulfed Italy."
Solar eclipses tend to cast a shadow on persons wielding power and influence- especially male leaders, as the Sun is a symbol of masculine force. In the case of Mr. Berlusconi, the partial solar eclipse of Nov. 24-25 is conjunct his progressed Part of Fortune- a significator of grace, wealth, prosperity, and happiness. And he is leaving office under a dark cloud.
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| From Mundane Charts 2 |
Mr. Berlusconi resigned today with his progressed Part of Fortune at 2.53 Sagittarius. But by the time of the Nov. 25 solar eclipse at 2.36 Sagittarius, the orb between the two will have tightened to a mere 4 minutes of arc. The eclipse would therefore seem to have eclipsed Mr. Berlusconi's political fortunes- along with the final exact square of transiting Pluto to his natal Sun on Nov. 18.
(Mexico's Secretary of the Interior, Francisco Blake Mora, was fatally eclipsed yesterday in a helicopter crash. Natal Sun = 1 Gemini.)
Milky Way
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| From Images 108 |
The Mayan Lord of Creation and 2012- In the Roots of the Milky Way Tree:
by John Major Jenkins
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday 11/11/11 & the Mayan Calendar
From SPACE.com:
"Friday's numerical date is written out as 11/11/11. And for some people, that number sequence is more than a coincidence or inevitability— it's a spiritual signal linked to 2012 Mayan prophecies of both doom and spiritual renewal.
Nov. 11, 2011 mythologies are pervasive on New Age corners of the Internet, with believers suggesting that 11/11 numerical sequences are signals from angels or numbers with hidden meanings. Even people who think little of numerology are finding meaning in the day: The Orlando Sentinel reports that Walt Disney World will host 11 weddings on 11/11/11.
But perhaps the most intriguing 11/11/11 mythology to pop up is the number's link with the supposed 2012 Mayan Apocalypse. The ancient Mayan long-count calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012, and some people believe that this date will usher in a new spiritual era, or even doomsday. Nov. 11, 2011 most likely became linked with Dec. 21, 2012 when believers noticed that the U.S. Naval Observatory had set the exact time of the 2012 winter solstice for 11:11 Universal Time on Dec. 21, according to John Hoopes, a scholar of Maya history at the University of Kansas."
Read More
Scholar John Hoopes notes that the Mayan long count calendar ending on the 2012 Winter Solstice began in 3013 B.C. (on our calendar)- which corresponds to the period when two royal stars of Persia known as Aldebaran (Eye of the Bull) and Antares (Heart of the Scorpion), were near the Vernal and Autumnal equinox points (0 Aries-Libra). But as result of the precession of the equinox's, these major stars are currently located about 10 degrees of the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. And they are astrologically linked with the so-called 'nuclear axis' identified by Mark Lerner, as horoscopes for key nuclear events tend to have planets near 10 Gemini-Sagittarius.
Aldebaran, or Alpha Tauri, is a binary star system located in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Its proper name, Aldebaran, is derived from the Arabic "Al Dabaran" for the Follower because the star appears to track the night time movement of the Pleiades or "Seven Sisters" star cluster.
On May 20, 2012, a partial solar eclipse mostly visible in the SF Bay Area, occurs at 0 Gemini conjunct Alcyone, 'the weeping star'- central star of the Pleiades. This eclipse is clearly relevant to the Mayan calendar end-date (Dec. 21, 2012), as the Tzolk'in or sacred calendar of the Maya is based on the cycles of the Pleiades. Their calendar year began when the Maya priests first viewed the Pleiades rising heliacally in the east, just before the Sun. In the beginning, the Maya understood that they came from the Pleiades, or “Tzab-ek" (Rattlesnake's tail). The special relationship between the Pleiades and the Mayan world is written in the sacred books of the Maya. The elders say the universe comes from the Pleiades, and the Mayas observe the precession of time through the Pleiades. Alcyone Eta Tauri- brightest of the Pleiades, only recently precessed into the sign of Gemini, but was previously in Taurus for 2160 years, and Taurus (Orion constellation) represents the Earth Goddess. The lessons from Alcyone are those dealing with compassion, higher wisdom, vision, and Earth consciousness. Therefore, Alcyone and the Pleiades-Seven Sisters figure prominently in Mayan astronomy, as the Mayas believe it is the home of their ancestors. In Mayan cosmology the precession of the Pleiades is tracked using the Calendar Round (52 years)- and the present-day Maya in Guatemala make use of the Pleiades to begin their planting for the year.
Oddities About the Number 11
"Friday's numerical date is written out as 11/11/11. And for some people, that number sequence is more than a coincidence or inevitability— it's a spiritual signal linked to 2012 Mayan prophecies of both doom and spiritual renewal.
Nov. 11, 2011 mythologies are pervasive on New Age corners of the Internet, with believers suggesting that 11/11 numerical sequences are signals from angels or numbers with hidden meanings. Even people who think little of numerology are finding meaning in the day: The Orlando Sentinel reports that Walt Disney World will host 11 weddings on 11/11/11.
But perhaps the most intriguing 11/11/11 mythology to pop up is the number's link with the supposed 2012 Mayan Apocalypse. The ancient Mayan long-count calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012, and some people believe that this date will usher in a new spiritual era, or even doomsday. Nov. 11, 2011 most likely became linked with Dec. 21, 2012 when believers noticed that the U.S. Naval Observatory had set the exact time of the 2012 winter solstice for 11:11 Universal Time on Dec. 21, according to John Hoopes, a scholar of Maya history at the University of Kansas."
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Scholar John Hoopes notes that the Mayan long count calendar ending on the 2012 Winter Solstice began in 3013 B.C. (on our calendar)- which corresponds to the period when two royal stars of Persia known as Aldebaran (Eye of the Bull) and Antares (Heart of the Scorpion), were near the Vernal and Autumnal equinox points (0 Aries-Libra). But as result of the precession of the equinox's, these major stars are currently located about 10 degrees of the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. And they are astrologically linked with the so-called 'nuclear axis' identified by Mark Lerner, as horoscopes for key nuclear events tend to have planets near 10 Gemini-Sagittarius.
Aldebaran, or Alpha Tauri, is a binary star system located in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Its proper name, Aldebaran, is derived from the Arabic "Al Dabaran" for the Follower because the star appears to track the night time movement of the Pleiades or "Seven Sisters" star cluster.
On May 20, 2012, a partial solar eclipse mostly visible in the SF Bay Area, occurs at 0 Gemini conjunct Alcyone, 'the weeping star'- central star of the Pleiades. This eclipse is clearly relevant to the Mayan calendar end-date (Dec. 21, 2012), as the Tzolk'in or sacred calendar of the Maya is based on the cycles of the Pleiades. Their calendar year began when the Maya priests first viewed the Pleiades rising heliacally in the east, just before the Sun. In the beginning, the Maya understood that they came from the Pleiades, or “Tzab-ek" (Rattlesnake's tail). The special relationship between the Pleiades and the Mayan world is written in the sacred books of the Maya. The elders say the universe comes from the Pleiades, and the Mayas observe the precession of time through the Pleiades. Alcyone Eta Tauri- brightest of the Pleiades, only recently precessed into the sign of Gemini, but was previously in Taurus for 2160 years, and Taurus (Orion constellation) represents the Earth Goddess. The lessons from Alcyone are those dealing with compassion, higher wisdom, vision, and Earth consciousness. Therefore, Alcyone and the Pleiades-Seven Sisters figure prominently in Mayan astronomy, as the Mayas believe it is the home of their ancestors. In Mayan cosmology the precession of the Pleiades is tracked using the Calendar Round (52 years)- and the present-day Maya in Guatemala make use of the Pleiades to begin their planting for the year.
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| From Images 108 |
Oddities About the Number 11
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Murmuration
Sharing this in the spirit of Neptune. A chance encounter and shared moment with one of natures greatest and most fleeting phenomena. A collection of starlings is called a Murmuration.
Full Moon Earthquake Hits Turkey
"A 5.6-magnitude earthquake has killed at least three people in eastern Turkey, and trapped many more under collapsed buildings.
About 20 buildings have collapsed, including a six-storey hotel in the city of Van, where dozens of aid workers and journalists were staying.
The quake hit at 21:23 (19:23 GMT) and was centred 16km south of Van.
The same region was struck last month by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake which killed more than 600 people." (BBC News)
The Taurus Full Moon is especially powerful as it aligns with the transiting Uranus/Pluto (midpoint), i.e. 'building on the ruins of the old.'(Ebertin) And the Full Moon axis forms a grand fixed cross at Van, Turkey. So the dynamic Full Moon = Uranus/Pluto midpoint picture is sharply focused at the epicenter of this earthquake.
Sun/Moon = Ascendant = Uranus/Pluto!
Can we predict earthquakes?
About 20 buildings have collapsed, including a six-storey hotel in the city of Van, where dozens of aid workers and journalists were staying.
The quake hit at 21:23 (19:23 GMT) and was centred 16km south of Van.
The same region was struck last month by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake which killed more than 600 people." (BBC News)
The Taurus Full Moon is especially powerful as it aligns with the transiting Uranus/Pluto (midpoint), i.e. 'building on the ruins of the old.'(Ebertin) And the Full Moon axis forms a grand fixed cross at Van, Turkey. So the dynamic Full Moon = Uranus/Pluto midpoint picture is sharply focused at the epicenter of this earthquake.
Sun/Moon = Ascendant = Uranus/Pluto!
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| From Mundane Charts 2 |
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| From Mundane Charts 2 |
Can we predict earthquakes?
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Neptune and the Full Moon
Neptune makes it's annual station-direct tomorrow for the final time in the sign of Aquarius the Waterbearer, where the planet of dreams, visions, and ideals has been sojourning since late Nov. 1998. Neptune dipped into the murky Piscean waters for the first time April 2011, and will travel through the sign of the Fishes till 2025. When a planet changes direction as Neptune is doing now, it's energy is especially powerful and concentrated. Think of a cruise ship making a u-turn. It does not turn on a dime, but slows, and changes course slowly.
The collective dreams or myths of an era are informed by astrological Neptune- it's sign and aspects. Currently, Mars of energy and initiative at the 29th degree of Leo is opposing Neptune, just before the red planet enters Virgo for an extended stay. In fact- Mars is conjunct the royal star Regulus Alpha Leonis- the heart of the Lion, that is leaving Leo for Virgo after 2160 years. When will (Mars) and inspiration (Neptune) blend well, we have art, dance, music, and dynamic service. Otherwise, we have diffused, unfocused energy- which is less productive, but not all bad.
Neptune has been retrograde since June 3, 2011, and therefore less able to actualize it's essential nature. In some ways, the urge for transcendence signified by Neptune has been partly inverted in the process of reviewing our most authentic and highest vision. We are only limited by the limits of our imagination and aspirations. And with Neptune shifting into forward motion just before the Taurus Full Moon, we may feel a renewed sense of creative and/or spiritual inspiration. The mystic or artist within is redeemed- empathy and compassion enhanced.
The collective dreams or myths of an era are informed by astrological Neptune- it's sign and aspects. Currently, Mars of energy and initiative at the 29th degree of Leo is opposing Neptune, just before the red planet enters Virgo for an extended stay. In fact- Mars is conjunct the royal star Regulus Alpha Leonis- the heart of the Lion, that is leaving Leo for Virgo after 2160 years. When will (Mars) and inspiration (Neptune) blend well, we have art, dance, music, and dynamic service. Otherwise, we have diffused, unfocused energy- which is less productive, but not all bad.
Neptune has been retrograde since June 3, 2011, and therefore less able to actualize it's essential nature. In some ways, the urge for transcendence signified by Neptune has been partly inverted in the process of reviewing our most authentic and highest vision. We are only limited by the limits of our imagination and aspirations. And with Neptune shifting into forward motion just before the Taurus Full Moon, we may feel a renewed sense of creative and/or spiritual inspiration. The mystic or artist within is redeemed- empathy and compassion enhanced.
Monday, November 07, 2011
Nov. 10 Full Moon in Taurus
The Nov. 10 Taurus Full Moon is another flash-point for the evolutionary revolution gaining momentum with the world transit of Uranus square Pluto, as this potent lunation aligns with the crucial midpoint of our times (Uranus/Pluto).
The Sun-Moon relationship mirrors the union of vital-creative spirit with the body and soul; the conscious and unconscious; leaders and the people they lead. Whereas, the Uranus-Pluto principle reflects the process of transformation- the collapse of the old order of things, the construction of the new. Revolution. (Reinhold Ebertin)
The Nov. 10 Taurus Full Moon at 18.05 Taurus = the transiting Uranus/Pluto (midpoint) at 18.19 Aquarius. (Deposed Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi met his demise with Mars = Uranus/Pluto on Oct. 20.) Ebertin says about the midpoint picture Sun = Uranus/Pluto, "The urge for independence and freedom, the tendency to make the highest demands on one's physical energy, strong emotional tensions. Over-excitement of the nerves, a breakdown, a catastrophe." And for Moon = Uranus/Pluto he has, "Intuition, restlessness, daring and audaciousness, ambition, determination. Bringing about changes by force."
As a fixed sign polarity, the confrontation between Taurus and Scorpio can be particularly entrenched and unyielding. Naturally associated with the 2nd/8th house axis, the inherent conflict on this axis revolves around issues of resources and ownership, values and possessions, both personal and shared. While Taurus prefers to stay within its own sphere of comfort and stability but tends to stagnancy- the opposing sign of Scorpio seeks to breaks down fixed structures in the interests of growth and new life, even if this involves crisis.
When all is considered, the Taurus Full Moon of Nov. 10 (the 2nd of 6 Full Moon's at the 18th degree of their respective signs) looks like a celestial flash-point for major world events. And it's not much of a stretch to see the New Moon's link with the Occupy Wall Street movement, on a mission to reform (Uranus) a corrupt financial system that has brought on a global recession and mass suffering. Not surprisingly, the Full Moon chart for Wall Street has the lunation axis lighting up the 2nd and 8th houses (the $ houses).
Occupy Wall Street on the Move, by Ralph Nader
The Sun-Moon relationship mirrors the union of vital-creative spirit with the body and soul; the conscious and unconscious; leaders and the people they lead. Whereas, the Uranus-Pluto principle reflects the process of transformation- the collapse of the old order of things, the construction of the new. Revolution. (Reinhold Ebertin)
The Nov. 10 Taurus Full Moon at 18.05 Taurus = the transiting Uranus/Pluto (midpoint) at 18.19 Aquarius. (Deposed Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi met his demise with Mars = Uranus/Pluto on Oct. 20.) Ebertin says about the midpoint picture Sun = Uranus/Pluto, "The urge for independence and freedom, the tendency to make the highest demands on one's physical energy, strong emotional tensions. Over-excitement of the nerves, a breakdown, a catastrophe." And for Moon = Uranus/Pluto he has, "Intuition, restlessness, daring and audaciousness, ambition, determination. Bringing about changes by force."
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| From United States |
As a fixed sign polarity, the confrontation between Taurus and Scorpio can be particularly entrenched and unyielding. Naturally associated with the 2nd/8th house axis, the inherent conflict on this axis revolves around issues of resources and ownership, values and possessions, both personal and shared. While Taurus prefers to stay within its own sphere of comfort and stability but tends to stagnancy- the opposing sign of Scorpio seeks to breaks down fixed structures in the interests of growth and new life, even if this involves crisis.
When all is considered, the Taurus Full Moon of Nov. 10 (the 2nd of 6 Full Moon's at the 18th degree of their respective signs) looks like a celestial flash-point for major world events. And it's not much of a stretch to see the New Moon's link with the Occupy Wall Street movement, on a mission to reform (Uranus) a corrupt financial system that has brought on a global recession and mass suffering. Not surprisingly, the Full Moon chart for Wall Street has the lunation axis lighting up the 2nd and 8th houses (the $ houses).
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| From United States |
Occupy Wall Street on the Move, by Ralph Nader
Nebula S106
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| From Images 108 |
Massive star IRS 4 is beginning to spread its wings. Born only about 100,000 years ago, material streaming out from this newborn star has formed the nebula dubbed Sharpless 2-106 Nebula (S106), pictured above. A large disk of dust and gas orbiting Infrared Source 4 (IRS 4), visible in dark red near the image center, gives the nebula an hourglass or butterfly shape. S106 gas near IRS 4 acts as an emission nebula as it emits light after being ionized, while dust far from IRS 4 reflects light from the central star and so acts as a reflection nebula. Detailed inspection of images like the above image has revealed hundreds of low-mass brown dwarf stars lurking in the nebula's gas. S106 spans about 2 light-years and lies about 2000 light-years away toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus).
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Massive Sunspot Observed
"One of the largest sunspots in years has appeared on the sun, darkening part of its glowing face. The massive sunspot, called AR1339, is about 50,000 miles long, and 25,000 miles wide, reports SpaceWeather.com. For comparison, Earth itself is only 8,000 miles wide.
The sunspot behemoth isn't yet facing our planet, but was spotted today (Nov. 3) by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite. The spacecraft's photos of the giant sunspot show the solar region as it comes into view on the northeastern edge, or limb, of the sun.
When it does turn our way in the days ahead, it should be an "easy target for backyard solar telescopes," according to SpaceWeather.com."
The sunspot is actually a group of nearby darkened spots on the sun, some of which are individually wider than planet Earth.
Sunspots appear when intense magnetic activity ramps up on the sun, blocking the flow of heat through the process of convection, which causes areas of the sun's surface to cool down. These isolated areas then appear dimmer than the surrounding area, creating a dark spot.
The intense magnetic activity around sunspots can often cause solar flares, which are large releases of energy that can actually brighten up the sun. Flares are also accompanied by flows of charged particles out into space, called coronal mass ejections, which can wreak havoc on satellites and power grids on Earth if they head our way.
Monster Solar Flare 2/24/11
SpaceWeather.com warns that a huge sunspot like AR1339 comes with a large potential for solar flares. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a 50 percent chance of medium-class M solar flares over the next 24 hours due to this sunspot.
In fact, the spot has already produced one class M4 solar flare on Nov. 2 that was observed by SDO. A large coronal mass ejection from this flare was observed, but it was not directed toward Earth. However, as the sunspot turns toward our planet in the coming days, we may be in for a greater chance of these ejections."
SPACE.com
Did Space Storms Drive Us Mad?
The sunspot behemoth isn't yet facing our planet, but was spotted today (Nov. 3) by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite. The spacecraft's photos of the giant sunspot show the solar region as it comes into view on the northeastern edge, or limb, of the sun.
When it does turn our way in the days ahead, it should be an "easy target for backyard solar telescopes," according to SpaceWeather.com."
The sunspot is actually a group of nearby darkened spots on the sun, some of which are individually wider than planet Earth.
Sunspots appear when intense magnetic activity ramps up on the sun, blocking the flow of heat through the process of convection, which causes areas of the sun's surface to cool down. These isolated areas then appear dimmer than the surrounding area, creating a dark spot.
The intense magnetic activity around sunspots can often cause solar flares, which are large releases of energy that can actually brighten up the sun. Flares are also accompanied by flows of charged particles out into space, called coronal mass ejections, which can wreak havoc on satellites and power grids on Earth if they head our way.
Monster Solar Flare 2/24/11
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| From Images 108 |
SpaceWeather.com warns that a huge sunspot like AR1339 comes with a large potential for solar flares. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a 50 percent chance of medium-class M solar flares over the next 24 hours due to this sunspot.
In fact, the spot has already produced one class M4 solar flare on Nov. 2 that was observed by SDO. A large coronal mass ejection from this flare was observed, but it was not directed toward Earth. However, as the sunspot turns toward our planet in the coming days, we may be in for a greater chance of these ejections."
SPACE.com
Did Space Storms Drive Us Mad?
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Holidays, Equinoxes, Solstices & Cross Quarter Days
Steven Gibson compiled the list below from different sources of the most common national and religious holidays observed in the U.S., along with some older holidays tied directly to points in the Sun's annual journey around the sky, and the astronomical dates which underlie many of them.
Most have heard of the Spring and Fall Equinoxes (times of equal-length day and night) and the Summer and Winter Solstices (longest and shortest days) before. In current usage these each define the official beginning of a season- for example, summer "begins" around June 21st. However a less-used parallel system holds that June 21st is actually Midsummer's Day, which then requires the start of summer to be in early May. This date and three others like it are known as the Cross-Quarter Days, because they are evenly spaced between the fundamental Quarter Days of the Solstices and Equinoxes. The Cross-Quarter Days thus mark the middle of each season under our current system, or seasonal boundaries under the alternative system. Due to the insertion of a Leap Day on February 29th every four years, the exact dates of these eight astronomical events shift back and forth, with a total range of about 54 hours.
Ancient peoples were very attentive to seasons and the Sun's position in the sky, because their livelihood depended on planting and harvesting at the proper times. All eight of the above-listed Days were observed as pagan holidays of one sort or another- a few, like Halloween, have survived to modern times in somewhat recognizable form. What is more interesting is the number of supposedly modern holidays which lie close to the same dates. Christmas (Winter Solstice) and Easter (Spring Equinox) are two obvious examples; one may make the argument that these holiday times were inherited. Others are quite surprising- like Father's Day and the Summer Solstice.
January 1 - New Year's Day
January 5 - Twelfth Night
January 6 - Eastern Orthodox Christmas
- Twelfth Day
or Epiphany
or Old Christmas
January 20 - Inauguration Day
- Saint Agnes' Eve - woman dreams of future husband
2nd New Moon after
Winter Solstice - Chinese New Year (lunar calendar)
February 2-6 1st Cross-Quarter Day
February 2 - Groundhog Day
- Candlemas
or feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary
or of the Presentation of the Child Jesus
- 40th Day of Christmas
- Imbolg / Imbolc (other Celtic names)
or Brighid
or Oimelc
February 14 - Valentine's Day
March 2nd Sunday - Begin U.S. Daylight Savings Time (clocks 1 hour forward)
March 15 - Ides of March - 1st month middle, Roman calendar
also assassination of Julius Caesar
March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - sowing of peas in Ireland
March 19-21 1st Quarter Day - Spring (Vernal) Equinox
March 21 - Ostara / Eostre (Saxon goddess of Spring)
Full Moon after SE - Passover
Following Sunday - Easter
Previous Friday - Good Friday
April 1 - All Fool's Day (old new year's day)
April 30 - May Eve
or Walpurgisnacht (witches' Sabbath)
or Walpurgis Night (after St. Walpurga)
May 1 - May Day - May Poles, May Queens, May-dew, etc.
- Beltane / Bealtaine - Celtic bonfire festival
May 4-7 2nd Cross-Quarter Day
May 5 - Cinco de Mayo (Mexico)
May 2nd Sunday - Mother's Day
May last Monday - Memorial Day ("Decoration Day", officially May 30)
June 14 - Flag Day
June 3rd Sunday - Father's Day
June 20-22 2nd Quarter Day - Summer Solstice
June 21 - Litha (Norse/Anglo-Saxon for "longest day")
June 23 - St. John's Eve - European Midsummer celebration
July 1 - Dominion Day (Canada)
July 4 - Independence Day (U.S.)
August 1 - Lammas ("loaf mass") - harvest festival
or festival of St. Peter's Chains
or of the Maccabees
or of the Gule ("mouth") of August
- Lugnasad - Gaelic summer "games of Lug" (sun-god)
or Lughnasada
or Lunasa
August 5-8 3rd Cross-Quarter Day
September 1st Mon - Labor Day
September 21-24 3rd Quarter Day - Fall (Autumnal) Equinox
September 21 - Mabon (Welsh for "son")
New Moon after FE - Rosh ha-Shanah (Jewish New Year)
10 days later - Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement")
October 2nd Monday - Thanksgiving (Canada)
October 31 - Hallowe'en
or All Hallows E'en
or Hallowmas Eve
November 1 - Dia de los Muertos
or Day of the Dead (Mexico)
- All Saints' Day
or Hallowmas or Allhallowmas or Allhallows
- Samhain - Celtic feast of departing Sun & new year
or All Souls' Night
November 2 - All Soul's Day - prayer for souls in purgatory
November 1st Sun. - End U.S. Daylight Savings Time (clocks 1 hour back)
November 1st Tues
after 1st Mon - U.S. Election Day
November 5-8 4th Cross-Quarter Day
November 5 - Guy Fawkes Day
November 11 - Veterans' Day (World War I Armistice Day)
- Martinmas (death of St. Martin)
or Martinmas-in-Winter
November 4th Thurs - Thanksgiving (U.S.)
December 13 - St. Lucy's Day ("the year's midnight")
December 19 - Saturnalia - Roman midwinter festival, 7 days long
December 20-23 4th Quarter Day - Winter Solstice
December 21 - Yule (Norse for "wheel") - Germanic 12-day feast
December 24 - Christmas Eve
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 31 - New Year's Eve
>On Nov. 7, 2011 the Sun is at the 4th cross quarter day of the year- 15 degrees Scorpio.
Most have heard of the Spring and Fall Equinoxes (times of equal-length day and night) and the Summer and Winter Solstices (longest and shortest days) before. In current usage these each define the official beginning of a season- for example, summer "begins" around June 21st. However a less-used parallel system holds that June 21st is actually Midsummer's Day, which then requires the start of summer to be in early May. This date and three others like it are known as the Cross-Quarter Days, because they are evenly spaced between the fundamental Quarter Days of the Solstices and Equinoxes. The Cross-Quarter Days thus mark the middle of each season under our current system, or seasonal boundaries under the alternative system. Due to the insertion of a Leap Day on February 29th every four years, the exact dates of these eight astronomical events shift back and forth, with a total range of about 54 hours.
Ancient peoples were very attentive to seasons and the Sun's position in the sky, because their livelihood depended on planting and harvesting at the proper times. All eight of the above-listed Days were observed as pagan holidays of one sort or another- a few, like Halloween, have survived to modern times in somewhat recognizable form. What is more interesting is the number of supposedly modern holidays which lie close to the same dates. Christmas (Winter Solstice) and Easter (Spring Equinox) are two obvious examples; one may make the argument that these holiday times were inherited. Others are quite surprising- like Father's Day and the Summer Solstice.
January 1 - New Year's Day
January 5 - Twelfth Night
January 6 - Eastern Orthodox Christmas
- Twelfth Day
or Epiphany
or Old Christmas
January 20 - Inauguration Day
- Saint Agnes' Eve - woman dreams of future husband
2nd New Moon after
Winter Solstice - Chinese New Year (lunar calendar)
February 2-6 1st Cross-Quarter Day
February 2 - Groundhog Day
- Candlemas
or feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary
or of the Presentation of the Child Jesus
- 40th Day of Christmas
- Imbolg / Imbolc (other Celtic names)
or Brighid
or Oimelc
February 14 - Valentine's Day
March 2nd Sunday - Begin U.S. Daylight Savings Time (clocks 1 hour forward)
March 15 - Ides of March - 1st month middle, Roman calendar
also assassination of Julius Caesar
March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - sowing of peas in Ireland
March 19-21 1st Quarter Day - Spring (Vernal) Equinox
March 21 - Ostara / Eostre (Saxon goddess of Spring)
Full Moon after SE - Passover
Following Sunday - Easter
Previous Friday - Good Friday
April 1 - All Fool's Day (old new year's day)
April 30 - May Eve
or Walpurgisnacht (witches' Sabbath)
or Walpurgis Night (after St. Walpurga)
May 1 - May Day - May Poles, May Queens, May-dew, etc.
- Beltane / Bealtaine - Celtic bonfire festival
May 4-7 2nd Cross-Quarter Day
May 5 - Cinco de Mayo (Mexico)
May 2nd Sunday - Mother's Day
May last Monday - Memorial Day ("Decoration Day", officially May 30)
June 14 - Flag Day
June 3rd Sunday - Father's Day
June 20-22 2nd Quarter Day - Summer Solstice
June 21 - Litha (Norse/Anglo-Saxon for "longest day")
June 23 - St. John's Eve - European Midsummer celebration
July 1 - Dominion Day (Canada)
July 4 - Independence Day (U.S.)
August 1 - Lammas ("loaf mass") - harvest festival
or festival of St. Peter's Chains
or of the Maccabees
or of the Gule ("mouth") of August
- Lugnasad - Gaelic summer "games of Lug" (sun-god)
or Lughnasada
or Lunasa
August 5-8 3rd Cross-Quarter Day
September 1st Mon - Labor Day
September 21-24 3rd Quarter Day - Fall (Autumnal) Equinox
September 21 - Mabon (Welsh for "son")
New Moon after FE - Rosh ha-Shanah (Jewish New Year)
10 days later - Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement")
October 2nd Monday - Thanksgiving (Canada)
October 31 - Hallowe'en
or All Hallows E'en
or Hallowmas Eve
November 1 - Dia de los Muertos
or Day of the Dead (Mexico)
- All Saints' Day
or Hallowmas or Allhallowmas or Allhallows
- Samhain - Celtic feast of departing Sun & new year
or All Souls' Night
November 2 - All Soul's Day - prayer for souls in purgatory
November 1st Sun. - End U.S. Daylight Savings Time (clocks 1 hour back)
November 1st Tues
after 1st Mon - U.S. Election Day
November 5-8 4th Cross-Quarter Day
November 5 - Guy Fawkes Day
November 11 - Veterans' Day (World War I Armistice Day)
- Martinmas (death of St. Martin)
or Martinmas-in-Winter
November 4th Thurs - Thanksgiving (U.S.)
December 13 - St. Lucy's Day ("the year's midnight")
December 19 - Saturnalia - Roman midwinter festival, 7 days long
December 20-23 4th Quarter Day - Winter Solstice
December 21 - Yule (Norse for "wheel") - Germanic 12-day feast
December 24 - Christmas Eve
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 31 - New Year's Eve
>On Nov. 7, 2011 the Sun is at the 4th cross quarter day of the year- 15 degrees Scorpio.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Month of November
"The name 'November' is believed to derive from 'novem' which is the Latin for the number 'nine'. In the ancient Roman calendar November was the ninth month after March. As part of the seasonal calendar November is the time of the 'Snow Moon' according to Pagan beliefs and the period described as the 'Moon of the Falling Leaves'
by Black Elk."
by Black Elk."
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