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.

Atlantis launch 5/11/09: horoscope

Not liking the looks of this chart, is it too much to hope that the launch of the Atlantis space shuttle this afternoon might be delayed or cancelled?

Today's launch is a re-schedule already and I certainly want them to repair the aging Hubble Telescope which, if successful, will have its photography life extended by 5 years or more.

Cape Canaveral, FL, 2:01 pm edt.

5 is the number of Creativity and when applied to Astrology's '5th house' can imply Speculation and Risk-Taking. But of course any space venture is a risk being taken - and this time there are 7 astronauts on board.

It's now 12:03 pm edt and NPR is reporting that the countdown, which began at 4 pm edt on Friday, has been flawless so far.

The chart of the most recent lunation, the Full Moon 18Sco41 of May 9, 2009 contained a YOD (Finger of God pattern (special task; crisis; adjustment - as with repairing Hubble) with Mercury 1Gem35 Rx as apex planet with a definite leaning toward scientific recognition and fame.

Guess I can type out the word pictures (midpoint pictures) pointing to energetic Mars, strong in mid-Aries, 8th house; conjunct Part of Organization, and the asteroid Terpsichore, whose archetypes include: the orchestrator.

Two T-Squares form, both with the Ascendant 3Vir03 and Ceres. This is one degree from the US Secondary Progressed Moon Sec Full Moon in Dec 2008 if progressions are based on the US Sibly chart - soon-to-occur in 2009 if based on other US natal charts - but still at the same 4Vir/Pis10 degrees. You may go to Jude's Threshold and look in Pages column in left sidebar for chart with details.)

Jupiter/ASC = Mercury: gladdening news; intense exchange of thoughts; good suggestions, stimulating ideas; delight in contact.

Jup/ASC = MC: being in the right place at the right time; successful positioning; success with public contacts; harmony.

Neptune/ASC = Mercury: guided by wrong impressions or perceptions; being deceived regarding other people's character; exploiting others' weaknesses; taking the wrong path; malicious scheming.

So you see quick-traveling Mercury, conjunct Fixed Star Alcyone 00Gem00 (something to cry about; exile - Anthony Louis, Horary Astrology) elevated in the launch chart if all goes as scheduled today at 2:01 pm edt. A retrograde Mercury can indicate glitches but could signify the glitches they're going into space to fix, too. (With Astrology as it describes Life, it's all about levels, isn't it?)

If you click to enlarge the chart you see a midpoint which falls on action-oriented Mars in 8th house...

Neptune/MC = Mars: playing a role; charisma for gain in the arts; acting without clear understanding or purpose; desire to bring wrong ideas into realization; study of metaphysical subjects; a desire to harm other people. (Tyl; Ebertin.)

The midpoint pictures given above are mixed at best, and with asteroid Hopi 1Gem51 (ambush; prejudice) at Midheaven as well, I don't want to say more about the chart with risk-taker who fell to Earth Icarus at '10Pis' = 'An Aviator in the Clouds'...but only whisper a little prayer for safe mission and a safe return for all.

~:~ Roxanna Saberi has been released from an Iranian prison today - hoorah!

GOP lets out its inner Newt

In its desperate attempts to regain cred with its base and sucker the gullible into the fold, the GOP let Newt Gingrich amaze us with wild accusations on FOX - where else?

Meet the Press must have already been booked.

Newt's voice: what the Republican Party on-the-ropes sounds like - when Cheney isn't screeching.

Reporter threatened for asking drug trade Qs in Afghanistan

A McClatchy reporter has been threatened for asking President Karzai's brother inconvenient questions about his involvement in drug trafficking in Afghanistan.

White House Correspondents Association Dinner: video 5.9.09

Stop the presses: Mainstream Media congratulates itself once again while letting the public down and promoting the NWO script!

President Obama's remarks are contained within two videos captured by Huffington Post if you missed Friday night's White House Correspondents Association Dinner and photo-op media circus.

Until now I hadn't taken the speculation seriously but really: is Mrs. Obama sporting a baby bump? Check out her snazzy pink dress in the photos.

Yes, I watched the festivities in real time on C-Span and thought Wanda Sykes' jokes were hilarious (easy to say since they weren't directed at me - she had some really good zingers though.)

Huffington Post also has a slideshow of the evening's photos of celebrities and politicos - some posing, some schmoozing with one another, but I must warn you if you view the slideshow: don't let NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg's bow tie frighten you unduly (sunglasses might be appropriate if you value your eyesight. Wish I'd known.)

And the caption for the pic of Whoopi Goldberg taking a snap of the president with her crossbones-decorated cell phone seemed odd to me because there was another famous person standing next to her who went unidentified in the caption! Perhaps his name will be added upon the morrow...

Gitmo-ees? Not in my neighborhood: video

How about a little 'Republican' propaganda on video concerning the (apparent) closing of the US internment camp at Guantanamo Bay?

It is a thorny situation, isn't it?

NY Fed Chairman abruptly resigns: Mercury Rx!

An early casualty of Mercury retrograde?

The Chairman of the NY Federal Reserve Bank has abruptly resigned thus making 're-signs' an obvious re- of retrograde Mercury (contracts; agreements.)

Yes, Stephen Friedman was a naughty Fed boy with lots of Goldman Sachs in his portfolio so he's leaving with - my guess - his millions of marbles intact...the golden kind, I mean. Or is he simply attempting to clear out of Dodge before the sheriff shows up at the door?