View the Leonids Nov 17, 2009

Space Weather News for Nov 16, 2009

LEONID METEOR SHOWER: The Leonid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, Nov 17, with a new Moon providing ideally-dark viewing conditions. Forecasters expect a relatively mild display (20 to 30 meteors per hour) over North America followed by a much stronger outburst (100 to 300 per hour) over Asia. No matter where you live, the best time to look is during the dark hours before sunrise on Tuesday morning.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for full coverage of the Leonids, including live audio from a meteor radar, a live chat with a NASA meteor scientist, sky maps, photos and more. #

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And you may wish to scroll to my previous post for astro-details on today's New Moon in Scorpio.

Jupiter and the Moon Oct 26, 2009 + a new sunspot

Space Weather News for Oct 25, 2009

BIG SUNSPOT: The sun is showing signs of life. Sunspot 1029 emerged over the weekend, and it is crackling with B- and C-class solar flares. The active region's magnetic polarity identifies it as a member of new Solar Cycle 24. If its growth continues apace, sunspot 1029 could soon become the biggest sunspot of 2009.

Check SpaceWeather for animations and updates.

MONDAY NIGHT SKY SHOW: When the sun sets on Monday, Oct 26, go outside and look south. Jupiter and the Moon are converging for a beautiful conjunction. The bright pair can been seen even through thinly-clouded skies and city lights. Don't miss it!

CONNECT YOUR PHONE TO THE SKY: Would you like a call when Earth-orbiting satellites detect strong solar flares and solar wind gusts? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE to turn your telephone into a bona fide solar activity alert system.

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Ah yes, the "sun is showing signs of life" - in time for 2012?

Jupiter's vanishing Moons Sep 2 - 3, 2009~Geomagnetic Megastorm

Space Weather News for Sept 2, 2009

GEOMAGNETIC MEGASTORM: Northern Lights swept over Cuba and Hawaii. Telegraph offices caught fire. Earth's magnetic field shook for nearly a week. That's what happened 150 years ago today when our planet experienced a shocking "geomagnetic megastorm."

Today's story Could It Happen Again? explores the possibilities.

VANISHING MOONS OF JUPITER: Tonight, Sept 2 and 3, for the first time in many years, the moons of Jupiter are going to disappear. At least that's how it will seem when Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto line up in front of and behind the giant planet. A casual look through a backyard telescope will show no moons at all.

The 2-hour vanishing act begins at 9:43 p.m PDT on Sept 2 (4:43 UT on Sept 3.)

Check a sky map, animations and more information at SpaceWeather.com.

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Astrologically in the Tropical zodiac, Jupiter is now Rx @ '20AQ', a degree whose Sabian Symbol is "A Big White Dove, a Message-Bearer" for which Dane Rudhyar gives this Keynote:

'The answer of spiritual agencies to thorough, sustained, and victorious individual efforts.'

Mankind must be victorious over the forces of inertia and destruction. The Divine is totally "present" in the heart of all true victories. (...) What the "message" is depends on the particular situation, but the white dove always signifies peace; at the very heart of this peace is the CERTIFICATION of individual worth and victory.'

(An Astrological Mandala, Dane Rudhyar.)

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Sounds rather lovely, doesn't it? Yet a 'dove' is also a symbol for America as 'Columbia' with all the 'manifest destiny' rigamorole, secret power plays, and pocket-linings which that may entail. The power elite took us out of the realm of 'peace' when they propagandized it into a rallying cry for war and more war - its opposite, as in, 'black = white', 'particulate-filled air = clean', 'war = peace', etc.

Those satanists! Always gaming us by using an opposite to veil the hideousness in plain sight!

Here are 'Two Hours' more for you - and don't give up your vigil, for the time cometh...



When the White Bird Returns to the White Tree.

Or is it a black bird to a black tree?

Drawing by Jude Cowell 2009+.

Jupiter's Moons Captured on Film: Io and Ganymede!

Space Weather News for August 18, 2009

JUPITER MOON MOVIE: An amateur astronomer in the Philippines has photographed one of Jupiter's moons, Io, casting its circular shadow across another, Ganymede. The movie he made of this rare event is must-see cinema for astronomers.

It's playing now on SpaceWeather.com.

Monday, Aug 17, 2009: Venus, Crescent Moon, ISS flyby

This just in...

Space Weather News for Aug 16, 2009

MONDAY MORNING SKY SHOW: Set your alarm for dawn. On Monday morning, Aug 17, Venus and the Crescent Moon will gather beautifully close together in the eastern sky. For many observers in North America, the International Space Station (ISS) will make an appearance, too. It's a fantastic way to begin the day.

Check SpaceWeather.com for a sky map and ISS flyby predictions.

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And astrologically we check our software or ephemeris to see that Moon @ 13Cancer will be conjunct US natal Sun at sunrise on Aug 17, 2009, with Venus in Cancer, too - almost at critical degree, 20 Cancer. That's emphasizing Pluto's Heliocentric North Node '20Can'; and Venus/Pluto contacts can bring jealousies, transformative Art and/or Love, and bankruptcies, among other things.

Relationships of all kinds are being given a celestial heads-up.

August 17, 2009 in Washington, DC, sunrise edt:

Sun 24Leo39 rises in opposition to US natal Moon in Aquarius, Sun/Moon midpoint conjoins President Obama's natal Mercury 2Leo20 for this picture...

Sun/Moon = Mercury: thoughts about marriage and relationships in general; plans for fulfillment. (This picture is supported by the involvement of 2009 Inaugural Mercury Rx 00AQ+.)

And perhaps Mr. Obama's natal Jupiter in AQ (opposite his n Mercury) can join in for a big ole group hug:

Sun/Moon = Jupiter: enthusiasm for life; success; desire for joint endeavors; sound mental and emotional disposition; marriage; a happy relationship.

Well, Happy Monday, Everyone - even if you 'accidentally' sleep past dawn's lovely celestial show!

Perseid meteors hide from a Lightening-Lit Moon - Aug 12, 2009

In evening, then the early morning of August 12, 2009, the Perseid meteor shower peaked but we were prevented from seeing nary a glimmer of them. What we did see near Atlanta, Georgia, was a powerful display of cloud-to-ground lightening which occasionally lit up an edge of the Moon and gave the near-night sky a hyper-real quality of great beauty.

The photgrapher's use of black and white captures the almost-eery effect more closely than color would have done, I think. Any thoughts?

Plus, this celestial event of grandeur was the true kind of awesome, not the stage-crafted kind we hear so much about over and over until the term is meaningless and opinion-numbing.

Checking the Astrology chart to see where the Moon glowed in the zodiac when this photo was taken, Earth's lantern glowed at '29Aries'..."A Celestial Choir Singing."

And was Luna reflecting an archetype of the asteroid persuasion during her photo op, by chance?

Yes.

Minerva, whose bird is the wise Owl; keywords: the urge to be accomplished.

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Photo by Maya. All rights reserved.

Perseids peak 8.12.09 and warriors abound

Space Weather News for August 11, 2009

The Perseid meteor shower is about to peak. The show begins after sunset on Tuesday, August 11, and continues until the sun rises on Wednesday, August 12. A time of particular interest is 0800-0900 GMT (1-2 am PDT) on the 12. That's when Earth is expected to pass through a denser-than-usual filament of dust from Perseid parent Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Forecasters are unsure what will happen, but some have speculated that meteor rates could surge as high as 200 per hour. Bright moonlight will blot out many of those Perseids, but even a fraction of 200 is a good show.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for full coverage of the Perseids.

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And see my previous post for another other celestial event on August 12: America's Mars Return 2009.

As you remember, the constellation Perseus is called, The Prince. The brightest star in Perseus is Mirfak (Alpha Perseus); keywords: young male energy. Perseus is the young warrior proud of his strength. Listening to the wisdom of others or being cautious isn't part of the script for Perseus who may overestimate his physical prowess.

Beta Perseus is none other than the raging star, Algol; keywords: intense female passion. Algol isn't always a negative influence, but an unconscious compulsion to take revenge is mankind's usual application of its energy when connected to planets in a chart.

Algol has a partner, another difficult star - a cluster actually - in Perseus, Capulus; keywords: male kundalini energy. Ruthlessness and savagery are often seen with this faint fellow who nevertheless is very action-oriented.

(On one level, these currently emphasized energies bring to mind townhall shouters and rioters across America!)

Yes, all three stars can make for a destructive team, yet their energies may be used positively, too, for clear and focused action. For as it often is, it's motivation that makes all the difference.

Star details: Brady's Fixed Stars.

August 7, 2009: Moon, Jupiter, and Fomalhaut

EarthSky displays a map of the night time sky for August 7, 2009, showing the alignment of a waning gibbous Moon, Jupiter, and Fomalhaut.

Find out why Fomalhaut, one of the four Royal Stars of Persia, is called "the loneliest star"!

Brady's Book of Fixed Stars gives Fomalhaut's key phrase as: being humanitarian and poetic, and indicates that if Fomalhaut is linked to planet in your natal chart, you must be very clear and honest with yourself about the motives for your goals - and that 'personal glory' should not be your driving force.

Clues are given by the character of the planet in contact: Jupiter with ideals and expansion, Mercury with communications, thinking, and plans, Venus with relationships, romance, and values, etc.

Another side of this Star is the 'bittersweet madness of the poetic mind challenged to remain in the physical world.' This relates on one level to the child stolen by fairies who must fight to return to the mortal world!

Fomalhaut is one of the great Stars of the heavens and will definitely affect your life if it links to your chart....there may be fairies there...



Fairy Glenn, from my Secret Moon Art collection.

Planet Venus has a new Bright Spot: July 29, 2009

Did you hear that a new 'bright spot' has been found recently on the planet Venus?

And I thought 'she' was beautiful and shiny enough already! Lovely Venus is natal chart-ruler of Los Angeles, California...see previous post for details on how the current July 21, 2009 Solar Eclipse season is spotlighting California's budget crisis and domestic difficulties.

Jupiter's Moons Europa and Ganymede Eclipse! May 2009

Space Weather News for May 10, 2009


JUPITER MOON MOVIE: An amateur astronomer in Australia has photographed a very rare event--one of Jupiter's moons eclipsing another. Earth is now passing through the orbital plane of Jupiter's satellite system allowing such "mutual occultations" to be seen through backyard telescopes.

Check SpaceWeather.com for a movie of Europa passing directly in front of Ganymede and links to more information for observers who wish to try to record such movies themselves.

SATELLITE DEBRIS: On Feb 10, 2009, Iridium 33 crashed into Cosmos 2251 and the two satellites were shattered. Since then, US Strategic Command has catalogued nearly a thousand pieces of debris. Today's edition of SpaceWeather News presents 3D maps showing where the fragments are located on the three-month anniversary of the unprecedented collision.

One large piece of Iridium 33 wreckage is visible to the naked eye as it tumbles through the night sky flashing every 4.7 seconds. Check the Simple Satellite Tracker for flyby times.

eta Aquarid meteors from Hally's Comet May 6, 2009

A day late but nary a meteor short. Get ready for Wednesday morning...

Space Weather News for May 4, 2009

METEOR SHOWER: Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Halley's Comet, the source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Wednesday, May 6, with as many as 85 meteors per hour over the southern hemisphere. Rates in the northern hemisphere will be less, 20 to 30 per hour.

The best time to look is during the dark hour before local sunrise on Wednesday morning. Visit http://spaceweather.com/ for sky maps and details. #


And here's what I posted last year this time (a day late then as well) on the eta Aquarid meteors from Hally's Comet which had something of a http://starsoverwashington.blogspot.com/2008/05/aquarid-meteors-moon-and-dem-nominee.html">Moon-Mercury/Politics flavor to it due to the 2008 campaign.

As you know, the Moon 'sailed by Mercury' all right and on to another governmental position which may soon morph again into a Supreme Court justice seat on The Bench.

New solar wings for ISS + Jupiter's Moons conjunct the Sun

Space Weather News for March 21, 2009

ISS GETS NEW WINGS: The International Space Station's solar arrays are the largest deployable space assemblies ever built. Yesterday, astronauts unfurled a pair on the starboard side of the outpost, adding more than 8000 sq. feet of light-collecting surface area to the station's profile.

Hours after the new wings were deployed, the ISS flew over Europe where amateur astronomers photographed the changes. Their movies and photos are featured on today's edition of SpaceWeather News.

SOLAR CONJUNCTION OF JUPITER'S MOONS: Another must-see movie comes from NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft. On March 15 and 16, the solar observatory watched Jupiter and its moons converge on the sun just as a coronal mass ejection was exploding "overhead." Visit SpaceWeather.com for footage.

Comet Lulin now visible to naked eye

Space Weather News for Feb 18, 2009


COMET LULIN UPDATE: Comet Lulin is approaching Earth and brightening rapidly. Observers say it is now visible to the naked eye as a faint (magnitude +5.6) gassy patch in the constellation Virgo before dawn. Even city dwellers have seen it.

Backyard telescopes reveal a vivid green comet in obvious motion. Just yesterday, amateur astronomers watched as a solar wind gust tore away part of the comet's tail, the second time this month such a thing has happened. Lulin's closest approach to Earth (38 million miles) is on Feb 24; at that time the comet could be two or three times brighter than it is now.

Browse the gallery for the latest images.

SATELLITE DEBRIS: More than a week has passed since the Feb 10 collision of Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 over northern Siberia, and the orbits of some of the largest fragments have now been measured by US Strategic Command.

Today's edition of SpaceWeather features global maps showing where the debris is located. Only 26 fragments are currently plotted, but that number will grow as radar tracking of the debris continues. Check back often for updates.

Weekend Skies: Fireballs and Sonic Booms

Space Weather News for Feb 16, 2009

WEEKEND FIREBALLS: A daylight fireball over Texas on Sunday, Feb 15, triggered widespread reports that debris from a recent satellite collision was falling to Earth. Those reports were premature. Researchers have studied video of the event and concluded that the object was more likely a natural meteoroid about one meter wide traveling more than 20 km/s--much faster than orbital debris. Meteoroids hit Earth every day, and the Texas fireball was apparently one of them.

There's more: On Friday, Feb 13, people in central Kentucky heard loud booms, felt their houses shake, and saw a fireball streaking through the sky. This occurred scant hours after another fireball at least 10 times brighter than a full Moon lit up the sky over Italy.

Although it is tempting to attribute these events to debris from the Feb 10 collision of the Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 satellites, the Kentucky and Italy fireballs also seem to be meteoroids, not manmade objects.

Italian scientists are studying the ground track of their fireball, which was recorded by multiple cameras, and they will soon begin to hunt for meteorites.

Videos, eye-witness reports and more information about these events may be found at SpaceWeather.com.

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Ah, yes, apparently the fireballs are only meteoroids - not to fret, silly Earthlings!

But if you'd like an example of more fireball, sonic boom, and earthquake - yes, earthquake - reports, click Leuren Moret's article link and scroll about halfway down to the section on the Aum Shinrikyo Sect for eye-witness accounts from May 28, 1993. It's instructive and shows what certain experiments can cause in our skies.

Aren't fireballs and sonic booms occurring rather frequently these days? And 'satellite debris' from the Feb 10 'collision' being semi-portrayed as the possible cause of these mysterious celestial events may be only a smokescreen to muddy the issue...for how would we know any differently?

Hear debris pings from Feb 10's satellite collision

Good! The Newsletter finally arrived with details concerning the satellite collision of Feb 10:

Space Weather News for Feb 12, 2009

COLLIDING SATELLITES: Experts are calling it an "unprecedented event." Two large satellites have collided in Earth orbit. Kosmos 2251 crashed into Iridium 33 on Tuesday, Feb 10, approximately 800 km over northern Siberia; both were destroyed. The resulting clouds of debris contain more than 500 fragments, significantly increasing the orbital debris population at altitudes where the collision occurred.

The Air Force Space Surveillance Radar is monitoring the clouds as they pass over the radar facility in Texas. We, in turn, are monitoring signals from the radar and you may be able to hear debris "pings" by tuning in to our live audio feed.

This is a story that will unfold in the days ahead as researchers study the evolution of the debris clouds and piece together the details of the collision.

Stay tuned to Spaceweather.com for full coverage.

Headed for China: the August 1 Solar Eclipse

Space Weather News for July 31, 2008


SOLAR ECLIPSE: On Friday, August 1st, the Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun producing a total solar eclipse. The narrow path of totality stretches from arctic Canada through Greenland, Siberia, and Mongolia, and comes to an end in China where millions of people will witness the event.

Even more people will see the partial eclipse, visible from almost all of Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia and a corner of North America.

The action begins at approximately 09:20 UT (5:20 am EDT) when the Moon's shadow first hits Earth in northern Canada and begins its rapid sweep toward China.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for photos, webcasts, timetables and full coverage of the eclipse. #

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On August 17, 2007 I wrote a post about the NYSE's Pre-Natal Eclipse Series - which repeats tomorrow, Aug 1, 2008, along with a few notes from astrologer Sybil Leek concerning Neptune in Scorpio, sign of big business and marking the start of living beyond one's means bwo credit cards, plus some comments on Ben Bernanke. (Given today's financial mess the 'experts' have dumped us in, I want to type Stanky Bernanke but guess I'd better not. What then would I call the rest of 'em?)

Anyway, here's the post link if you'd like to peruse:

NYSE and its Solar Eclipse Series 2008