SpaceWeather News: Lunar Eclipse Dec 21, 2010

Space Weather News for Dec 19, 2010

LUNAR ECLIPSE: For the first time in many years, northern winter is beginning with a total lunar eclipse. On Dec 21, 2010, the date of the northern winter solstice, the full Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, turning the lunar orb a delightful shade of coppery-red. Sky watchers in North America are favored with an overhead view as the eclipse unfolds on Tuesday morning between 02:41 am and 03:53 am EST.

Visit SpaceWeather News for full coverage of the event including live webcasts, observing tips, and a look at the surprising connection between lunar eclipses and Earth's climate.

SOMETHING NEW: Spaceweather.com is proud to announce SpaceWeather TEXT, an innovative alert service that turns your cell phone into a real-time space weather monitoring system. Subscribers receive text messages announcing X-class solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and CME impacts as they are happening.

Learn more at SpaceWeather TEXT.

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Scroll down this blog's sidebar for Astrology-with-chart of the Dec 21, 2010 Lunar Eclipse @29Gem21.

New Comet glides by Saturn; Sunspot 1121 update

Space Weather News for Nov 8, 2010

POSSIBLE COMET OUTBURST: A comet discovered just a few days ago by amateur astronomers in Japan is gliding by Saturn in the pre-dawn sky. Comet Ikeya-Murakami (C/2010 V1) is not visible to the unaided eye, but observers say it is a fairly easy target for backyard telescopes. Images obtained over the weekend reveal what appears to be an outburst in progress.

The comet's coma (atmosphere) bears a striking resemblance to the coma of Comet Holmes, which famously exploded in 2007. Check Space Weather News for photos and more information.

SOLAR ACTIVITY UPDATE: After unleashing one of the brightest X-ray flares in years on Saturday afternoon, Nov 6th, sunspot 1121 took Sunday off. No strong flares were recorded for the rest of the weekend. Nevertheless, the active region's magnetic field is complex and harbors energy for more eruptions. NOAA forecasters estimate an 85% chance of M-flares during the next 24 hours.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when solar storms hit Earth? Sign up for Space Weather Phone.

Bright X-Ray Solar Flare from Sunspot 1121

Space Weather News for Nov 6, 2010

BRIGHT SOLAR FLARE: Active sunspot 1121 has just unleashed one of the brightest x-ray solar flares in several years, an M5.4-class eruption at 15:36 UT on Nov 6th. Radiation from the flare created a wave of ionization in Earth's upper atmosphere that altered the propagation of low-frequency radio waves. There was, however, no bright CME (plasma cloud) hurled in our direction, so the event is unlikely to produce auroras in the nights ahead.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for a movie of the eruption and more information about this increasingly active sunspot.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when solar storms hit Earth? Sign up for Space Weather Phone.

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Now you know that sunspots are implicated in the New Millennium/'2012' prophecy scenarios frequently touted here and there in the modern, if trendy, mainstream and usually based on the Mayan Calendar's ending date of December 21, 2012 (if translations and calculations are correct) - and Venus is a major culprit, it is said.

Today, with Venus in Scorpio's current situation of Rxing back into Libra (and thus conjoining my Sec SN), then slowly picking up steam as she careens through the smoldering sign of Scorpio once again and out of her own slinky shadow (13Sco13 and beyond), I'm not in the mood this Sabbath Day for typing out loud about end-time topics...at least, not in the popular online-kinda-way we've all come to expect.

Besides. No man knows the hour of His Coming.

But we do know that He Is Risen.

It's Orionid Meteor season! Oct 21 and 22, 2010

With the stars of the constellation Orion at the top of my natal chart and with Autumn being my favorite season, anything that involves Orion always claims my attention. In fact, many of my Cosmic and Moon Art illustrations have Orion tucked somewhere in the sky if you look closely!

Space Weather News for Oct. 20, 2010

SUNDIVING COMET: A newly-discovered comet is plunging toward the sun for a close encounter it probably will not survive. The comet is too deep in the sun's glare for human eyes to pick out, but it is showing up nicely in coronagraph images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for the latest movies.

ORIONID METEOR SHOWER: Earth is passing through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, and this is causing the annual Orionid meteor shower. Bright moonlight is reducing the number of visible meteors; nevertheless, sky watchers are reporting some bright Orionids.

The best time to look is during the hours before local dawn on Thursday, Oct 21st, and again on Friday, Oct 22nd. Check SpaceWeather News for a sky map and more information.

Draconids, Venus Rx, and the Green Comet! Oct 2010/11

Venus turning Rx on Oct 8, 2010 @ 13Sco13 isn't all that's hot in the heavens for Oct 8 is the annual date of the Draconid Meteor Shower:

Space Weather News for Oct 8, 2010

DRACONID METEORS: Every year around Oct 8, Earth passes through a minefield of dusty debris from Comet Giacobini-Zinner, source of the annual Draconid meteor shower. This year, forecasters expect Earth to narrowly miss several of the debris streams, resulting in no appreciable display for 2010.

Next year, however, could be different.

On Oct 8, 2011, Earth will have a nearly head-on collision with a tendril of dust, setting off a strong outburst of as many as 750 meteors per hour. One year from now, sky watchers could see the strongest meteor shower since the Leonid storms a decade ago. Mark your calendar and, meanwhile, follow the links at SpaceWeather.com for more information.

COMET HARTLEY 2 UPDATE: Comet 103P/Hartley 2 continues to approach Earth for an 11-million-mile close encounter on Oct 20. It is not yet visible to the unaided eye, but amateur astronomers are finding it easily using backyard telescopes. The comet's vivid green atmosphere now subtends an angle equal to some of the biggest craters and seas on the Moon.

Visit SpaceWeather News for sky maps and latest images.

THE COMET HUNTER: Looking for the right optics to observe Comet Hartley 2? We recommend the David H. Levy Comet Hunter.

Green comet's close encounter w Earth Oct 20, 2010

Time to look up! And NASA is sending Deep Impact for a closer peek...

Space Weather News for Oct 1, 2010

APPROACHING COMET: Green comet 103P/Hartley 2 is approaching Earth for a close encounter on Oct 20th.

At that time, the comet will be only 11 million miles (0.12 AU) from our planet and should be dimly visible to the naked eye from dark sky sites. It already looks great through backyard telescopes, as shown by images featured on today's edition of SpaceWeather News.

NASA's Deep Impact/EPOXI spacecraft is en route to this comet for close-up studies and a daring flyby on Nov 4th.

UPSIDE-DOWN LIGHTNING OVER THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER: An amateur photographer has photographed rare lightning-like discharges called "gigantic jets" shooting up from storm clouds near NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Visit SpaceWeather.com for a movie and more information about the phenomenon.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: With the coming of northern autumn, aurora season is underway. Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms erupt at your latitude? Sign up for Space Weather Phone! #




Comet Skies, a cosmic art drawing by Jude Cowell.

Earth meets Jupiter (aligned w Uranus) 9.20/21.10

Midnight. Be There!

Space Weather News for Sept. 20, 2010

JUPITER AT ITS BEST: Tonight, Sept 20-21, Earth and Jupiter converge for their closest encounter in decades. The giant planet will soar across the sky at midnight, outshining everything except the Moon itself. Although big, bright Jupiter will remain close to Earth for weeks to come, tonight is the closest of all.

Check SpaceWeather.com for images and more information.

SPACE STATION RADAR ECHO: Over the weekend, the International Space Station flew through the radar beam of the US Air Force Space Surveillance System in Texas. The echo was strong enough to be heard by amateur radio operators across the southern USA. A sample echo is highlighted on today's edition of SPACE WEATHER ALERTS. (My bolds and italics; their news - jc.)

With the coming of northern autumn, aurora season is underway. Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms erupt at your latitude? Sign up for Space Weather Phone: Space Weather Phone. #

You realize what this means, right? The current emphasis on Jupiter by the astronomical community simultaneously spotlights its 'conjoined' companion, Uranus, thus lifting up the Jupiter/Uranus pair of planets, their energies working synergistically. Their Great Conjunction (appr a 14-year cycle from conj to conj) is a planetary signature of 2010 on into 2011 since their third and final tango occurs on January 4, 2011 @ 27Pis02 (timed with my personal Solar Return 2011 - thanks, Universe! jc)

Astrologically, the above alert speaks of Sun 28Vir23 opposite Jupiter 28Pis23 Rx (conjunct Uranus 28Pis37 Rx) which is physically why the Earth-Jupiter encounter will be such a spectacle! From 'A Man Gaining Knowledge from an Ancient Scroll' to 'A Prism', this should be an interesting evening....really, all week has celestial events occurring, in fact. Such as Autumn EQ 2010 on Wednesday a and Full Moon on the Cardninal axis 00Aries/Libra00, a World Point of Manifestation. This makes for a very strong and eventful Autumn Equinox horoscope.

(Wish more could be added here but my article is simmering on the hob, awaiting a final go-round toward fini-dom...)

So! In your happiest Jupiter/Uranus fashion, discover more on the amazing things that happen when Jupiter Meets Uranus from the amazing-herself astrologer of the Scottish persuasion (and if I were better at tracking my ancestry, we might turn out to be cousins, who knows?)...Anne Whitaker!

There shall be signs: new Comet McNaught on the way

This SpaceWeather Alert may be a day late but comes not a comet too soon...expect the unexpected. Especially with quirky Uranus and generous Jupiter at Aries Point these days!

Space Weather News for June 8, 2010

NEW COMET McNAUGHT: A fresh comet is swinging through the inner solar system, and it is brightening rapidly as it approaches Earth for a 100 million mile close encounter in mid-June.

Comet McNaught (C/2009 R1) has a vivid green head and a long wispy tail that look great through small telescopes. By the end of the month it could be visible to the naked eye perhaps as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper.

Because this is the comet's first visit to the inner solar system, predictions of future brightness are necessarily uncertain; amateur astronomers should be alert for the unexpected.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for sky maps, photos and more information.

Mystery Impact on Jupiter and The Great Stone Face

Space Weather News for June 3, 2010

SOMETHING HAS JUST HIT JUPITER: Veteran amateur astronomers Anthony Wesley of Australia and Christopher Go of the Philippines have independently observed an impact event on Jupiter.

The strike occurred at 20:31 UT on June 3rd and produced a bright flash of light in the giant planet's cloud tops. Visit SpaceWeather.com for images and video. #

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Well! Here's Jupiter in the news just as the jolly red giant approaches the Aries Point of Prominence, Fame, and Recognition for its rendezvous with quirky Uranus @ 00Ari18 (their Great Conjunction is on June 8 but they parallel one another for a few hours on June 19 which could be the more important date of the two.)

Now yesterday when the mysterious impact occurred (and don't forget Jupiter's other mystery, the recent disappearance of the planet's southern ring - not the first time the ring has 'disappeared' or become invisible from Earth) Jupiter's Tropical position in the zodiac was 29Pis41 so rounding up for its Sabian Symbol we have a very interesting word picture considering that massive Jupiter now emphasizes it:

'30 Pisces' = "The Great Stone Face" = DISCERNMENT:

positive expression: self-integrity in its irresistible impact on the course of events;

negative/unconscious/shadow side: wholly inarticulate and ineffectual self-realization.

That's from Marc Edmund Jones' The Sabian Symbols in Astrology (my bold.) Dr. Jones goes on to explain the degree as 'a symbol of human responsibility as an immortality of the soul, and of a way of living which has become a continual manifestation of its ideal so a constant dramatization of its self-discovery to others as an encouragement to them in their own alignment to eternal reality.

Each individual selects the image within himself to which he would shape himself outwardly, and this he comes to resemble as in Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale. Destiny is character as it most persistently constitutes itself.'

Click and you'll notice the word 'titan' in Hawthorne's story as Jupiter's titanic size crowds the mind, plus 'impact' is mentioned in the degree's positive expression as Jupiter's 'integrity' is somewhat breached by an impact of some sort.

And now, a smidgen of Art, a drawing perpetrated a while back as an illustration for '30 Pisces', a very inspiring degree where my own goal oriented Sun/Mc midpoint hangs out!



Temple of the Great Stone Face from Secret Moon Art, my Art-Astrology blog of images and Art Slideshows.

Those lovely noctilucent clouds are back!

It's Noctilucent Time once again! Cloudy, with a chance of noctilucents?

Space Weather News for June 3, 2010

Every summer since the late 19th century, Earth's polar skies have lit up with gossamer, electric-blue clouds, twisting and rippling in the twilight sky. They're called noctilucent ("night-shining") because they can be seen after dark. The origin of the clouds, which hover at the very top of Earth's atmosphere in close proximity to space itself, is uncertain. They have been linked to causes as varied as meteoroids, climate change, and the icy exhaust of the space shuttle.

News flash: The 2010 noctilucent cloud season has just begun in the northern hemisphere, with sightings over Russia, Scotland and Denmark. Although noctilucent clouds were once a phenomenon of high latitudes only, in recent years they have been sighted in the United States as far south as Colorado and Utah.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for photos and observing tips. #

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Hmmmm...since the late 1800s? Sounds like a case against massive Industrialism's atmosphere fouling to me, for starters. But perhaps I jump to conclusions...

US Air Force space plane X-37B sighted

Space Weather News for May 25, 2010

X-37B SIGHTINGS: Amateur satellite watchers have spotted a US Air Force space plane similar in appearance to NASA's space shuttle circling Earth in a heretofore secret orbit. Known as the "X-37B," it can be seen in the night sky shining about as brightly as the stars of the Big Dipper.

Flyby predictions and more information may be found @ SpaceWeather News.

Would you like to turn your iPhone into an X-37B tracker? There's an app for that: simpleflybys.

AURORA WATCH: A magnetic filament on the sun erupted yesterday (May 24), and the blast hurled a coronal mass ejection in the general direction of Earth. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras around May 27 when the advancing cloud is likely to deal a glancing blow to our planet's magnetic field.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for more details.

Solar Transit Photo and Sun Gemini-Moon Libra May 23, 2010

First, some Astronomy:

Space Weather News for May 23, 2010

SOLAR TRANSIT: Yesterday in Switzerland, Thierry Legault photographed the International Space Station and space shuttle Atlantis passing directly in front of the sun, not far from new sunspot 1072. The veteran astrophotographer calls the image his "best ever of a solar transit," and indeed the silhouette of the docked spaceships backlit by "solar fire" is a must see.

It is featured on today's edition of SpaceWeather News.

DOUBLE FLYBY ALERT: Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Sunday, May 23, at 11:22 am EDT, setting the stage for double flybys over many towns and cities around the world.

Need a flyby prediction? There's an app for that called simpleflybys. #

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Now for a smidgen of Astrology:

Checking Sunday May 23, 2010 at 11:22 am edt I see that the Sun is in very early Gemini (air flight) while the Moon is in the first decan of Libra, a sociable and light placement for La Luna.

Here are the 'Images for Integration' for Sun Gem-Moon Lib with its 'wandering spirit' vibe:

A shuttle diplomat brings together warring factions...An elegant hostess puts on a party and exhibition to help a worthy cause...Elgar's Enigma Variations - 'to my friends depicted within'. ('Sun Sign-Moon Sign', Charles and Suzi Harvey.)

Additionally, the double Air blend of Sun Gem-Moon Lib is shared natally by at least three people for whom I shall type a quote from each of them but I'll mix up their names with a red herring tossed in so you have to hazard brilliant guesses as to who said what:

1. "I wasn't really naked. I simply didn't have any clothes on."

2. "Henceforth, the adequacy of any military establishment will be judged by its ability to keep the peace."

3. "Read. My. Lips. No. New. Taxes."


All are gibberish on some level as Airiness abounds! Want clues? Then read on...

Possible spouters are: Henry Kissinger, Josephine Baker, George H. W. Bush, and Daffy Duck. (I'm just kidding about one of them.)

For of course I jest! Because there's really no comparison between Poppy Bush and Daffy Duck. One walks with a waddle, kind of wobbly, quacks out of the side of his mouth, and has been around for what seems like forever...and the other one is Daffy Duck.

(All credit goes to Mr. Craig Ferguson of CBS's The Late Late Show for the basic form of this jibe but not its precise content.)

View a 3D movie of the ISS! (no special glasses needed)

May 14 - 16, 2010 will be a good weekend to look up!

Space Weather News for May 14, 2010

Today's edition of SpaceWeather News features a remarkable 3D movie of the International Space Station (ISS) recorded by French astrophotographer Thierry Legault. No special glasses are required to see the ISS pop out of your screen in amazing detail.

The movie will whet your appetite for a weekend of bright spaceships and planets.

On Friday, May 14 at 2:20 pm EDT, space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center on its final voyage to the ISS. An on-time liftoff would set the stage for an incredible sky show. On Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16, many observers will be able to see Atlantis and the ISS flying past Venus and the crescent Moon in the evening sky.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for sky maps and more information. Seeing the ISS is easy if you know when to look.

Sign up for SpaceWeather PHONE and we will call you when the space station is about to fly over your hometown.

Sun eats Comet and Solar Winds blow April 2010

The following April 20, 2010 SpaceWeather Alert may be a day late and it's definitely a comet short:


Space Weather News for April 10, 2010

SUNGRAZING COMET: This morning, the sun had a comet for breakfast. The icy visitor from the outer solar system appeared with little warning on April 9th and plunged into the sun during the early hours of April 10th. One comet went in, none came out.

Visit SpaceWeather.com to see a death plunge movie from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.

SOLAR WIND STORM: The first major solar wind storm of the new solar cycle has come to an end. The event, which stretched from April 4 to April 8, ignited auroras over both poles and many points in between. Highlights include Northern Lights over an active volcano in Iceland, green skies in Minnesota, and a kaleidoscopic display of Southern Lights over Antarctica.

Start browsing the updated aurora gallery.

View Sunset Planets Mercury and Venus: Apr 3 and 4, 2010

SUNSET PLANETS: This is for everyone. Venus and Mercury are having a close encounter on April 3rd and 4th. Look west at sunset to see the two bright planets beaming through the twilight only 3 degrees apart.

Sky maps, pictures and more information may be found at SpaceWeather.com.

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And to all my readers who take to heart His Rising: Happy Easter 2010!

Jude

Strong Sunspot activity Feb 8, 2010

Space Weather News for Feb 8, 2010

BIG SUNSPOT: The sudden emergence of big sunspot 1045 over the weekend has caused a sharp uptick in solar activity. The active region has produced three M-class and almost a dozen C-class solar flares since it appeared on Saturday. The strongest blast, an M6-class eruption on Feb 7, may have hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth.

High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead as a result of this activity. Also, ham radio operators are picking up strong solar radio bursts using shortwave receivers.

Sample sounds and images may be found at SpaceWeather.com.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when the next geomagnetic storm erupts? Sign up for SpaceWeather PHONE.

Perigee Full Moon in Leo Jan 30, 2010 est

FULL MOON AND MARS: Friday night's full Moon is the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year. It's a "perigee Moon," as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter than other full Moons you'll see later in 2010. But that's not all.

Mars is having a close encounter with Earth, and on Friday night, Jan 29, it will join the Moon for an all-night-long conjunction. Don't miss it!

You'll find sky maps and images at SpaceWeather.com.

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There are too may storm clouds here this evening to view 2010's perigee Moon. And I know you've never heard this before, but it's a rainy night in Georgia. jc

View Jan 15, 2010 Solar Eclipse photos

Space Weather News for Jan 19, 2010

FARSIDE SOLAR ACTIVITY: Over the past two days, NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft has detected two eruptions from an active region just behind the sun's eastern limb. The source of the blasts appears to be old sunspot 1039. The sun's rotation will begin turning the spot toward Earth this week, so there could be some Earth-directed solar activity in the offing.

Check SpaceWeather News for movies and updates.

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE: On Jan 15th, the Moon passed directly in front of the sun, producing a "ring of fire" solar eclipse over the Indian Ocean and surrounding lands. The eclipse gallery contains many must-see images.

Start browsing here.

Jan 15, 2010 Solar Eclipse: SpaceWeather News

Space Weather News for Jan 14, 2010

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE: The Moon is about to pass directly in front of the sun, producing an annular solar eclipse on Jan. 15th between 0500 and 0900 GMT. The zone of visibility stretches from Africa across the Indian Ocean to eastern Asia. Onlookers in those places should be alert for crescent-shaped shadows on the ground and "ring of fire" suns in the sky.

Visit SpaceWeather.com today for an animated preview and again tomorrow for photos and movies of the actual event.

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For Astrology of the Jan 15, 2010 Solar Eclipse (25Cap01) scroll down to the next two and three posts where you'll find mention of Mercury's Direct Station, also on Jan 15, Friday, @ 11:52 am est and a horoscope of the Eclipse set for Washington, DC.

Dec 31, 2009's Blue Moon Eclipse excites worldwide interest

SpaceWeather News for Dec 31, 2009

SUNSPOT SURGE: 2009 is ending with a flurry of sunspots. The month of December has had more "spotted days" than any previous month of the year by a significant margin, and all of the month's sunspot groups have been members of new Solar Cycle 24.

Could this herald an end to the deepest solar minimum in nearly a century? That remains to be seen. Sunspot counts and trends are shown on today's edition of SpaceWeather News.

SOMETHING NEW: Turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into a field-tested satellite tracker! Spaceweather.com presents the Satellite Flybys app.

BLUE MOON ECLIPSE: For the first time in almost 20 years, there's going to be a "Blue Moon" on New Year's Eve. In Europe, sky watchers will witness an even rarer event--an eclipse of a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve. What are the odds?

Probabilities and observing tips may be found at SpaceWeather.com.

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View the Astrology chart of 2009's Blue Moon Eclipse with details; chart set for Washington, DC, natch. This is Stars Over Washington, after all.