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.

Geronimo's descendants sue Skull and Bones

Although I've heard rumors of this before, it seems the lawsuit has been filed Tuesday (2.17.09) against Skull and Bones on behalf of Geronimo and his kin - read about in the Yale Daily News.

'Bout time to get Geronimo's skull back where it belongs! Give it up, Bonesmen. Otherwise you'll seem even more the power elite thieves - with Taft and Nazi fetishes - that many people believe you to be.

Planets this week: the power of 10!

This week several planets have resided at 10th degrees: Venus in Aries, Mars and Jupiter in Aquarius - and by the pre-dawn hours of Feb 22, the Moon will join in to spark a lovely line-up of Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars in Aquarius.

'10' relates, of course, to 10th sign, Capricorn, and thus to its natural house (the 10th) which links with Career, Public Status, and World Events.

Astrologer Monica Starr, author of the excellent Astrology Mundo blog, is relating the power of the number 10 with Pres. Obama's signing of the Stimulus Bill this week; plus, Monica gives her expert advice on how we may use the power of 10 within our own lives!

As an Astrology novice with four natal planets in Capricorn, I appreciate this very much from one of my favorite astrologers and I hope you'll check out her blog whenever you can...in fact, bookmarking Astrology Mundo would be highly efficacious for you, imo.

UCLA professor may know where bin Laden burrows

UCLA geography Professor Thomas Gillespie may have ferreted out the location of Osama bin Laden's 'hidey hole' based on scientific considerations.

But does the US now have the political will to nab him and make a martyr out of him on behalf of 9/11?

Well, synchronistically, here's a link to the post I published 3 minutes prior to discovering the above article, in which I mention the 79th anniversary of Pluto's Discovery tomorrow, Feb 18, at its discovery spot: the Lowell Observatory.

I mention the post because it contains a reference to bin Laden's Dec 2001 escape from the caves (Pluto) of Tora Bora so if Prof. Gillespie is correct, it's good to know where America's former (or current?) colleague, Osama, is hanging out these days.

Ron Paul on Stimulus Bill: video

Ron Paul says there were only 5 copies of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made available to congressional members which was "business as usual," says Dr. Paul.

Perhaps someone should have snagged the copy that Boehner dropped to the floor in (mock?) contempt.

Rep. Paul is correct on their usual sorry ways, for sure, but they never seem to read - or have their staffers read - the bills they pass anyway (except the parts they may sponsor.)

So if five of them had read the thing before voting, that would be 5 more than usual! And I doubt that Boehner had time to read it before he dropped it.

Ahhh, Capitol Hill Theater...1st act 9:30 am, matinee after lunch.

Pres Obama signs Stimulus Bill but what did he say?

The full text of Obama's Stimulus Bill remarks are available at CNN, so get 'em while they're hot.

JD Hayworth on Hardball - video 2.16.09

....

Former House rep J.D. Hayworth was on Hardball last evening blaming George Soros and Chuck Schumer for the economic collapse.

Absurd! Soros and Schumer played their roles, but it took a lot of greedy people many years (centuries - see post below) to cause the world's pyramid scheme of worthless paper money to show its true (blank) face.

Now I don't know much of Hayworth's career in Congress (R-AZ; 1995 - 2007), but I don't remember his doing anything worthwhile about the monetary situation while there, do you? He played his role, too.

There was a forgery incident in 1996 (his signature forged by staff on a campaign affadavit - he fired the culprits, kept himself) but other than the fact that he was a TV sportscaster and radio journalist prior to coming to Capitol Hill, I know only what I read of Hayworth on Wikipedia.

So for some reason GOP strategists seem to have called on Hayworth to stem the tide against the many criticisms of 8 years of Republican overspend by arguing on Hardball.

This is the kind of political damage control that always reminds me of the Sabian Symbol for America's natal Jupiter, planet of expansion, money, ideals, and optimism:

'6 Cancer': "Game Birds Feathering Their Nests"...METICULOUSNESS.

positive: high intelligence and skill in enlisting the potentials of experience for the service of self;

negative/unconscious/shadow side: unnecessary concern over everyday security. (The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Marc Edmund Jones.)

And here's an excerpt on '6 Cancer' from Lynda Hill's book 360 Degrees of the Zodiac: making yourself comfortable and right at home; raising money; preparation; laying the groundwork for those to come (my bold); creating a base to feel safe; taking over other people's territory.

Visit Lynda at Sabian Symbols.com for more of her excellent work and insights.

Davos and the Bank of England

Darryl Schoon's article Davos, Debt, and Denial just knocked my socks off...perfect for the Saturn-to-Neptune transit which the US is in process of having now.

And here's a site with details on the founding and chartering of the Bank of England on July 27, 1694, by the Jesuits.

There's much to be said about the horoscope from 1694 but I'll simply add one midpoint picture because it is now being stimulated by transformative Pluto...

Saturn-NN = tr Pluto: loss through others; giving up the struggle; suffering shared with others. (Tyl: Ebertin.)

Yes, their jig is up and so is ours, but be sure to read the ending of the above-linked article for there is a candle at the end of the tunnel.