Meteor Showers Nights

 

Source.

Three meteor showers are lighting up the heavens and they're providing the only reprieve I can find in a world filled with tension. TLDR: look south for the first two and northeast / east for the third one. Earthsky's guide to watch the meteor showers for your area is here.

• Alpha Capricornids peak 29-30 July 2025, active until 12 August
• Southern Delta Aquariids peak 29-30 July 2025, active until 12 August
• Perseids, start now, peak 12 August 2025

 

Coronavirus Fragments 12: No Fate But What We Make

Anti-COVID19 measures in Pakistan. Video Source: 4chan.

If you look at anything this week, please see this summary of medical research articles on nCov. At a glance, it gives you a broad understanding of the symptoms and complications of COVID19:

COVID-19 ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY

Image Source: NYT via 4chan.

There is a good piece at the NYT about the virus's genome, here, which points out that the end of the RNA strand concludes with a long string of a's.

Complications

The complications of COVID19 are horrifying. The latest medical article which stands out in that regard was published on 31 March 2020 in Radiology: COVID-19–associated Acute Hemorrhagic Necrotizing Encephalopathy: CT and MRI Features (https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2020201187). This might explain why people who are functioning normally drop in their tracks, as in the account from the US and Ireland, below.

Click to enlarge. Image Source: 4chan.

The earliest mention of coronavirus in Hubei province appears now to be 18 September 2019 (see image below). Chatter from China is turning hostile, as from one anon on 31 March 2020:

"The arrogance displayed by the Western powers is beyond disgraceful and only shows the real condition of the Western nations blindly adhering to the nonsensical leftist notions of human rights without sufficiently accentuating human sacrifice and the necessity to collectivize so as to truly arrive at the societal prosperity. The West is perpetually immersed in the miasma of hedonistic stupor and instead of trying to lift its own populations from the mire of degeneracy and senseless consumerism, the Western administrations eagerly encourage rampant consumerism with a view to perpetuating their own tenuous rule. The fact that people of the West find the conduct of the Chinese administration problematic is most ironic given Western democracies' absolute lack of regard for their own native populations whose real condition is concealed under a flimsy guise of human rights and consumerist rights. The West is going to get what they're asking for, way sooner than they expect. All people responsible for contemptible acts of brazen imperialism against People's Republic of China shall soon face harsh, but just consequences."

Click to enlarge. Image Source: 4chan.

There are deniers on the Internet who are saying that the virus is a hoax or a mild flu, an excuse to implement police states. I don't doubt the totalitarian bent of a budding global technocracy. Still, people have trouble understanding the seriousness of the virus. This was made worse by the fact that that authorities and the MSM initially played down the dangers of COVID19.

Stay home cuz this is reality. (1 April 2020). Video Source: Youtube.

In the video above, a Brooklyn man witnessed bodies being removed from Brooklyn Hospital at 10:40 a.m. on Sunday, 29 March 2020. This was not news on the Internet or television from far away. For this man, Brooklyn, New York is the bottom line. It is real reality, and in that real reality, there are clearly so many people dying from COVID19 that the hospital's morgue is overflowing. On 31 March 2020, a tent was erected over the entrance to the hospital's freezer truck, to conceal hospital staff as they drop off bodies.

NYPD ESCORT FOR AMBULANCE WITH CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS IN NEW YORK CITY (3 April 2020). Video Source: Bitchute.

NYPD IN NEW YORK CITY ENFORCING SOCIAL DISTANCING (3 April 2020). Video Source: Bitchute.

MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK CITY WITH CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS (3 April 2020). Video Source: Bitchute.

⚠️#CoronaVirus Update⚠️#Spain is on the verge on passing #Italy with the most deceased COVID-19 patients per day.

It's been 800+ for a few days now.

This is the new hospital in #Madrid #COVID19 #COVID2019 #COVIDー19 #COVID_19 pic.twitter.com/ipmyVaeNPd

— Ghassan (@Baltahji) April 2, 2020

#CoronaUpdate | Kerala makes a mark. Elderly Couple aged 93 & 88 who were tested for COVID 19 along with other age related ailments & remained critical have now discharged from hospital. pic.twitter.com/8COoBDpck5

— Shailaja Teacher (@shailajateacher) April 3, 2020

My #COVID19 experience:

40/50s common, not just elderly. Elev RR, sats 80s but alert/talking/appear well. Present late. Deteriorate~day 7. Radiological changes progress rapidly w/sudden deterioration (hours). Lac often ok.

Morally heartwrenching & the storm has barely started..

— Becks Cranfield (@EmergencyMedDr) April 2, 2020

Thieves raid 92-year-old woman's home in coronavirus scam, tricking her into believing her neighbour had died https://t.co/kVLfmMeRhS

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 3, 2020

Due to #COVID19 lockdown, many people are starving. I receive countless calls from struggling families. Some boda boda riders are helping us pick items from supermarkets & deliver to some elderly, PWDs & families of slain comrades. We've now asked the @MinofHealthUG to pick items pic.twitter.com/QIuAH9y2kJ

— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) April 3, 2020

Not only is the pandemic real, but it is highlighting and testing weaknesses and blind spots in our societies. The insensitivity shown by some toward the elderly is terrible. My heart goes out to every person who is alone in a nursing home as this disease ravages these institutions, especially if these older people are cut off from their friends and families. Older people are devalued because of their limited productive capacity in a broken system. Those who use that metric to decide who will live and die exhibit the bankrupt mindset of a bankrupt economy.

Covid-19: Fury as Toby Young says saving elderly is 'irresponsible' use of cash https://t.co/3bJUmCyL6C

— sue#NHSLove (@SueSuezep) March 31, 2020

Pivot away from the Macro, toward the Micro

That bankrupt economy will likely collapse. The time frame for the pandemic is likely two years, followed by an economic depression, social transformation, and possible wars. Life is not likely to return to 'normal' as we knew it for another decade.

We need to recover lost skills, lost techniques in food cultivation, preparation and storage. We need to rebuild lost industrial capabilities. And we need to stop expecting our governments to do everything for us and the mainstream media to spoonfeed us pablum information. Individuals have to evolve, as do their governments.

Blaming our leaders is a coping mechanism, and provides a false illusion of control which in fact weakens us. With our eyes always fixed in fear on top-down political action and abstraction, we become weak and susceptible to totalitarianism. Stop blaming the evil fascist President Trump, or the cabal, or the Deep State. Focus on the microcosm. Work online to develop and strengthen community-level networks and initiatives in the virtual space. Reach out by telephone to ensure that seniors, impoverished and isolated people in your community are supported and protected.

A New Moon and an Old Omen

Image Source: Straits Times.

There is a new moon in Aquarius on Friday 24 January 2020 (4:42 p.m. Eastern; 9:42 p.m. UTC). Astrologers expect a purge of what has been stagnant or stuck, a jackhammering of old deals and agreements, followed by disruptive, shocking, crazy changes, and a subsequent, exhausted recovery through recognition of suppressed truths. After that, there will be a series of brand new developments in completely uncharted territory. Venus is extremely bright in the southwestern night sky and will have a rare conjunction with Neptune.

Image Source: Chinese New Year.

The tone is echoed by the MSM: this is - could be - the calm before the storm. On 25 January, much of Asia, and Asians abroad, will mark the lunar New Year of the Rat, already overshadowed by its potential for a sparking a coronavirus pandemic.

The conspiracy theories about the virus began to swirl yesterday, when Green Pill Youtuber Jordan Sather found a 2015 coronavirus patent.

🤔https://t.co/yURjjFD8es

— Jordan Sather (@Jordan_Sather_) January 22, 2020

Thanks for looking into this. I didn't' bother because I assumed it was the case.

Just like ZIKA was patented in ' 70s and then revived as a not so benign virus. Did you know you can purchase Zika?

Only 685 Euros. Buy the virus for a loved one today.

💉🦆🦆 pic.twitter.com/wiXK2qG1BK

— Maryam Henein/ #Shadowbanned (Follows Appreciated) (@MaryamHenein) January 22, 2020

#WuhanCoronavirus reporting from the red zone. this is the message we received from the school authorities this morning. pic.twitter.com/hsD4BGk32T

— Vince Vela Nova (@vela_vince) January 23, 2020

#WuhanCoronavirus this may seems funny but the situation is worsening by the day pic.twitter.com/qXunxBBaVw

— Vince Vela Nova (@vela_vince) January 23, 2020

Wow! They're spraying Shanghai (500 miles from Wuhan) with some kind of industrial version of ~ Lysol. Every part of this seems like Sci-Fi. Question - #WuhanCoronavirus #China #coronovirus https://t.co/wJbWxVdJdq

— Christine M (@ColEffort) January 23, 2020

💥BREAKING: Wuhan Virus caused by Snakes 🐍 Chinese market - live snakes in a cage are very common throughout restaurants in #China paving route for zoonotic transmission #WuhanCoronavirus #snakes

pic.twitter.com/ZrInMiS3xl

— narrowpath (@Glory2G_d) January 23, 2020

#Wuhan #WuhanCoronavirus Praying for wuhan: Chinese factories are working overtime during Chinese lunar new year to supply masks for the entire nation! Source:Weibo pic.twitter.com/LLOlKfpOhN

— dd-G (@dong2g) January 23, 2020

#WuhanCoronavirus bulaşma ve semptomları https://t.co/ZbN1IMlzPp

— Cenap Güngör (@cenapgungor) January 23, 2020

Did #Netflix time the release of their docuseries #Pandemic to coincide with the spread of the #WuhanCoronavirus, or is it the other way around? pic.twitter.com/HplTGESGw1

— James Hansen (@Mazer1138) January 23, 2020

#HongKong #WuhanCoronavirus https://t.co/SWLPIWvD7x

— 凍飲加3蚊 (@kamamamahker) January 23, 2020

I wonder how many of them will stay alive after the first half of 2020 #WuhanCoronavirus #WuhanPneumonia https://t.co/oSA1LMbDNb

— 🐶靚女IT狗👩🏻‍💻💕 (@wmsoysauce) January 23, 2020

🇨🇦: 5 individuals are being tested for the 'Wuhan' coronavirus in Quebec City and Montreal after travelling to Wuhan and showing symptoms of a respiratory virus.
Airports begin precautionary health screenings.#WuhanCoronavirus pic.twitter.com/ZdJ3i0uDdz

— ILoveCanada 🇨🇦 #PPC (@ILoveCanada14) January 23, 2020

See all my posts on Epidemics here and here.

The Martian Moment in 2018

Image Source: Strange Sounds.

It may sound odd, but the event that stands out in my mind as encapsulating the year of 2018 was astronomical. Mars was brightest in the night sky from 27-30 July 2018; it reached opposition with the sun, and then shortly afterwards came closest to Earth on 31 July 2018. Mars had not been so close to the Earth since 2003.

Space and Struggle to Become Responsible

Vice President Pence Unveils U.S. Space Force Plans (C-SPAN) (9 August 2018). Video Source: Youtube.

The news is full of space headlines. On 9 August, the American Vice President Mike Pence announced that the United States will build a sixth branch of its armed forces, a "space force" to "prepare for the next battlefield." The full statement is here.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Image Source: Metro.

Just as an Aquarian partial solar eclipse covers Antarctica, those who follow lunar calendars are celebrating the New Year. Happy New Year! In Chinese astrology, this is the Year of the Earth Dog.

直播回看：2018中央电视台春节联欢晚会 | 2018 CCTV Spring Festival Gala (15 February 2018). Video Source: Youtube.

CGTN: Pray for the New Year at the Lama Temple大年初一雍和宫上香 (15 February 2018). Video Source: Youtube.

Iceland between Eclipses

Árstíðir - Heyr himna smiður (Icelandic hymn) in train station (16 September 2013). Video Source: Youtube.

Today marked the exact half-way point between the 31 January 2018 lunar eclipse and the 15 February 2018 solar eclipse. To relieve that point of suspended tension, listen to the Icelandic group, Árstíðir, sing the hymn, Heyr himna smiður, in a German train station on 15 September 2013. From the video notes:

"Heyr, himna smiður was written by Kolbeinn Tumason in 1208. The music was composed in the 1970s by Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson (1938-2013), one of Iceland's foremost contemporary composers."

Ice cave in Vatnajökull glacier, in south-east Iceland. Vatnajökull is visible from space and covers 8 per cent of the country. Image Source: Glacier Guides.

Iceland Ice Cave 2017 (17 January 2017). Video Source: Youtube.

Above, see one of Iceland's mysterious glowing blue ice caves and below, see the virtual travel ambient Route One tour, from the avant-rock musical group, Sigur Rós. Their three videos in the playlist below show a journey driving around the outer coast of Iceland:

"on the 2016 summer solstice, sigur rós unveiled a 24-hour ‘slow tv’ event live on iceland’s national television – and streamed live globally via youtube – set to a constantly evolving soundtrack based around elements of their latest song óveður. ‘route one’ is a 1332km journey the whole way round iceland’s coastal ring road, you can now relive that journey in full 1080p hd or 4k 360°.

Part 2 and Part 3 follow Part 1 in this playlist: Sigur Rós - Route One [Part 1 - 1080p] (19 July 2016). Video Source: Youtube.

Little Meteorite Earthquakes

Image Source: Sky News.

The heavens are visiting. This eerie photo was taken from a dashcam in Michigan on 16 January 2018 at 8:08 p.m. The impact of the one-tonne space rock caused a 2.0 earthquake. The USGS report on the meteorite is here.

Never wary, the Internet quickly plunged into Steven Spielberg territory, with rumours about the Hawaii and Japanese missile scares, Chinese laser weapons, spy satellite launches (Elon Musk's Falcon 9 launch of the mysterious Zuma being only the most prominent of these), space junk, and most outlandishly, secret alien space wars.

Welcome the December Solstice 2017

Stones of Stenness, Orkney, Scotland, UK. Image Source: pinterest.

Welcome the December Solstice. It arrives at 16:28 UTC, heralding the arrival of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.


Today, the blog belatedly observes this year's 80th anniversary of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic, The Hobbit, which was first published on 21 September 1937. Above, for the solstice, hear Tolkien read a section from The Hobbit (hat tip: Brain Pickings via Sound Cloud).

Mystery of the Universe: "This ancient building is called Fornace Penna. It was an ancient fabric of bricks destroyed because of bombing in the second world war. Behind this beautiful historic wreck you can see the milky way in all its magnificence." (Sicily, Italy; 23 May 2015) Image © Salvatore Cerruto via TWAN.

Look Skyward: December Supermoon of 2017

Image Source: The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Today is the Cold Moon full moon and occurs at 3:47 p.m. London UK time; 10:47 a.m. in New York; 9:17 p.m. in Mumbai; and 2:47 a.m. on 4 December 2017 in Sydney. You can see more time zones here. This moon is also a Supermoon, the only one in 2017, and the first of three in a row, with more to come on 1 and 31 January 2018. The 31 January 2018 full moon will also be a lunar eclipse. A Supermoon occurs at or near perigee, making it appear much larger than usual.

You can watch live footage of the moon on the Slooh telescope below, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern (NYC time) on 3 December 2017. Or you can watch it here.

The Supermoon Challenge (3 December 2017): "At 9 p.m. EDT Sunday (Dec. 3) the astronomy broadcasting service Slooh will air a free webcast about largest full moon of 2017, the December supermoon Cold Moon." Video Source: Youtube. (Hat tip: Space.com.)

I don't read horoscopes to understand history, of course, but astrologers do. It can be entertaining on days like this. For those who follow lunar calendars and astrology, the moon passes through a different zodiac sign every 2-3 days, unlike the sun, which takes a month to do so.

This full moon will be in the sign of Gemini, and astrologers have announced that if you want to shift your life and achieve your highest calling and establish your legacy, you'd better start doing it before the December solstice: "Jump now!" Review and make peace with your past, because the wormhole of opportunity is closing.

We are about to end a period of debates on social roles, personal and national boundaries, borders, immigration, limits, citizenship, and how we perceive those ideas. On 19-20 December 2017, those changes will lead to a two-and-a-half year period of hard work and brutal honesty as we face fears, confront karma from the past 29 years, revamp belief structures, expose secrets, and begin rebuilding reality. Think of it as one prolonged dental visit, but your smile will look great in 2020, if we don't have a world war first.

The last time there were similar aspects in the sky (Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn) was 18 December 1517, almost five hundred years to the day on this solstice. This date in 1517 of course marked the onset of Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation. There is an upcoming interview on this blog about that event; previously scheduled for November, it will be posted soon.

Astrologer David Palmer states that the fire is going out before a long winter. The picture he draws resembles Game of Thrones: after ages of warning that 'winter is coming,' in fact, now, 'winter is here.' Those who are resilient, work hard, have planned for the period of testing in the snow and the darkness will achieve great things. The test is spiritual and emotional before it is financial and physical. So 'working hard' implies spiritual work first and how that determines your work in the world. This is not about your work and money coming first and you sort out your emotions and state of your soul later.

A previous similar astrological crossroads in the sign of Capricorn occurred on 19 December 1284, a time which marked the end of the Crusades in what is now the Middle East, and led to the suppression of the Knights Templar in the early 1300s.

On today's full moon, the way to prepare for the upcoming period and how to do your best work in the coming years may not be evident. When seeking the big picture of your situation, it may look like you are trapped in a rat maze and facing brick walls. If you are scientifically minded, logical, and always want reasonable answers, you're advised to chill out and let the answers come to you. Astrologer Timothy Halloran: "Be like a flower that opens up to the sun to receive that information, without trying to grab it."

In the first week of December, be careful when driving because people will be tense. Avoid arguments, coffee, and Facebook.

For today, the following meditation is suggested at Om Journal:

"The Moon is in its maximum power. The best meditation for this day is silence. Either early in the morning or in the evening time, sit in a comfortable pose and listen to the silence of your mind. Try to stop your thoughts, so they won't disturb you anymore. Your thoughts are like clouds, flying by the clear sky of your mind. Try to keep this balanced feeling as long as possible and don't strain your body. Rejuvenation procedures are favorable today; ideal places for them are natural bodies of water, where you can swim along the moonlight."

If swimming in a large body of water under the moonlight (!) is unavailable, or just too cold, I checked Youtube, which has over 13,300 results (and counting) on videos for meditations just for this full moon of December 2017, here.

Tweet of the Day 2: A Dreamy Full Moon

Full Moon rising over Toronto, last night.

(Beautiful picture from friend Andrew Yee) @blogTO @TorontoComms @torontolife pic.twitter.com/GpNmWg4wN6

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) November 4, 2017

America's Total Eclipse of the Sun

Image Source: Travel and Leisure.

Other countries have solar eclipses cross their territories all the time. But America never does things by halves, and 21 August 2017 is no exception.

Jalu, Libya: 2006 Total Solar Eclipse (29 March 2006). Video Source: Youtube.

Total Solar Eclipse in Svalbard 2015 (Crowd Reaction) (20-21 March 2015). Video Source: Youtube.

Alaska Airlines Solar Eclipse Flight #870 (8-9 March 2016). Video Source: Youtube.

This is the first time a total solar eclipse will exactly span the United States in nearly a century; the last such eclipse took place on 8 June 1918. The moon’s penumbral shadow will produce a partial eclipse visible from most of North America. The most recent total solar eclipse prior to this one, which crossed parts of the USA and Canada, occurred on 26 February 1979.

Video Source: The Weather Network.

To celebrate this Monday's eclipse, there are family road trip eclipse maps; viewers which fit over your iPhone; shades and special eclipse binoculars; glow-in-the-dark t-shirts and other apparel; tote bags; travel mugs; and commemorative Californian wines called Umbra and Totality. The company Possets released a dedicated perfume:

"On a bed of gentle sandalwood rest two softly animalic musks that encompass a suggestive intermingling of a spot-on lilac accord and a measure of sweet hawthorne. This is one sexy and classy perfume that will invite dimming of the lights..."

There is even a 2017 book about the 1878 solar eclipse: American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World. Bonnie Tyler will sing her 1983 pop classic, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas off the coast of Florida.

A total solar eclipse sweeping across the US- BBC News (21 August 2017). Video Source: Youtube.

Image Source: NASA.

Look Skyward: Partial Eclipse of the Moon

The darker blue and pink areas show where the lunar eclipse will be visible on 7-8 August 2017. Image Source: Time and Date.

There is a partial lunar eclipse of the Sturgeon Full Moon occurring on 7-8 August 2017. The eclipse begins at 15:50:01 UTC and ends at 20:50:56 UTC. For your local time, go here. Space.com:

"The Slooh community observatory will stream live views of the partial lunar eclipse of Aug. 7, 2017, which will only be visible over Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. Watch live from 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT) to 3:20 p.m. EDT (1520 GMT), courtesy of Slooh. You can go to Slooh.com to join and watch this live show, chat with audience members and interact with the hosts, and personally control Slooh's telescopes."

Image Source: LA Times.

During the eclipse, you can watch a live feed of the moon passing through the earth's shadow on the video screen below. Eclipses come in pairs, so expect another, solar eclipse in two weeks on 21 August 2017. It will be visible on the other side of the world, in North America.

Partial Lunar Eclipse (7 August 2017). Video Source: Youtube.

Tweet of the Day: The Solstice

To mark the #SummerSolstice we built a Stonehenge out of archaeoastronomy books in the Library. pic.twitter.com/FlIDiEoMpF

— Astronomical Mouse (@Astronimouse) June 21, 2017

Welcome the Summer Solstice 2017

Image Source: mindbodygreen.

Welcome to Midsummer in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. For a description of the importance of the solstice to ancient people and pagans, go here.

Ivan Kupala Day in Eastern Europe. Image Source: CNN.

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). London Philharmonic Orchestra (David Nolan, Bryden Thomson). Video Source: Youtube.

Image Source: Amy Van Artsdalen / pinterest.

Exoplanets In Kepler's Eye

Click to enlarge. Image Source: Stellarium.

I have the free program Stellarium on my computer and set it to show the night sky on my computer while I am reading. I turned on the 'exoplanets' option and jumped! What are those alien green blobs? In the screenshot above, the green circular grid near Vega in the night sky shot for 4 May 2017 shows where the Kepler space telescope has focussed, with corresponding discoveries of exoplanets. They are marked as bright green dots. There is another cluster of exoplanets in the bottom corner in the constellation of Sagittarius, by the star Alnasl and the planet Saturn.

April 17, 2014. NASA's Kepler Telescope Discovers First Earth-Size Planet in 'Habitable Zone' pic.twitter.com/iE2k8LgVSy

— History (@HistoryTime_) April 17, 2017

EVE Online crowdsources the search for distant planets using Kepler space telescope https://t.co/3ph1AcP7vb pic.twitter.com/mVpksOuwtQ

— Neowin (@NeowinFeed) April 10, 2017

Launched in 2009, the Kepler space telescope trails Earth in a heliocentric orbit. NASA's Kepler and K2 projects have yielded several thousand exoplanets, of which 21 are almost habitable like Earth. A list of the projects' news releases is here. On 20 April 2017, the lead Kepler scientists were included among Time's 100 most influential individuals in the world:

"Three extraordinary planet-hunters have been recognized by TIME Magazine as this year’s top 100 most influential people: Natalie Batalha from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley; Michael Gillon from the University of Liège in Belgium; and Guillem Anglada-Escudé from the Queen Mary University in London.

'It is truly exciting to see these planet-hunters among the other movers and the shakers of the world,' said Paul Hertz, Astrophysics division director at Headquarters in Washington. 'These scientists have transformed the world’s understanding of our place in the universe, and NASA congratulates them for their well-deserved recognition.'"

Later in 2017, players of the MMPORG game, EVE Online, are participating in the crowd-sourced scientific discoveries of Kepler exoplanets. Raw Kepler data will be added to the game.

Welcome the March Equinox

From a whole page devoted to dogs with flower garlands on their heads. Image Source: pinterest.

Today is the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere, and the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere (20 March 2017 10:29 UTC). Above, an Afghan hound modeling Pantone's greenery palette colours of 2017. See my earlier posts, Spring is Here and Equinox Synchronicity.

Look Skyward: The Supermoon of Supermoons

Image Source: Science Alert.

On 14 November 2016, at 13:52 UTC, the moon will come the closest it has been to the earth in nearly 70 years. It is the second of three consecutive supermoons closing the year 2016. EarthSky:

"November 14 presents the moon’s closest encounter with Earth in over 68 years, since January 26, 1948. The full moon on November 14, 2016, will feature the closest full moon (356,509 kilometers) until November 25, 2034 (356,448 kilometers)! Maybe this helps you see that supermoons – while interesting – are fairly routine astronomical events."

Telegraph:

"The moon will come 221,524 miles from Earth - almost touching distance in space terms. ... The closest full moon of the whole of the 21st century will fall on December 6, 2052. Make sure you don't forget."

Another supermoon follows on 14 December 2016 at 00:05 UTC. You can see information on viewing these full moons here, here and here.

NASA's science cast on the unusual, last three supermoons of 2016. Video Source: Youtube.

The Farmer's Almanac explains that the full moons which bring the year to a close are known in Native American or First Nations' traditions as October's Hunter's Moon; November's Beaver Moon (which sounds rude to Brits - it is also called the Frost Moon); and the Cold Moon of December.

Moonrise behind the Taj Mahal. Image Source: Condé Nast Traveller.

A supermoon over Himeji Castle, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Image Source: The Mirror.

Supermoon in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona, USA (5 May 2012). Image Source: Dave Seibert/The Republic via AZ Central.

The supermoon in the Sultanate of Oman (June 2012). Image Source: Priya Kumar via EarthSky.

A supermoon rising over the ancient temple of Poseidon in Greece on 23 June 2013. Image Source: National Geographic.

Miami Beach, Florida, USA (September 2015): this supermoon was also eclipsed. Image Source: CNN.

Scientists deny this, but people believe that supermoons cause earthquakes and tsunamis. Conspiracy theorists are in uproar over November's supermoon because it seems to mark a full circle with the supermoon of January 1948, and the state of Israel was founded on 14 May 1948. Some say November 2016's full moon also relates to the fate of Israel and world affairs because of President Obama's Israel Surprise. Fundamentalist Christians believe that this supermoon confirms the Second Coming of Christ. Others believe that this full moon is a sign of the end of times, or apocalyptic war. Perhaps not apocalypse, although I have started a series of posts on this blog to research and explore World War III projections. This post asks how the symbolism around the supermoon can help us cope with change.

Welcome the September Equinox

Today is the September Equinox (22 September 2016 14:21 UTC); the equinox arrives on 23 September in places at least 10 hours ahead of Greenwich. The day marks the start of autumn in northern countries and spring in southern ones.

Jovian Poles and Auroras

Juno's infrared view of the auroras at the Jovian south pole, not visible from earth (27 August 2016). The  Image Source: NASA/JPL.

NASA has released more data from Juno's mission to Jupiter over the past week, including a heat vision photograph of the southern lights over the maw that is the planet's south pole. Photographs from 27 August 2016 revealed that the north pole features a sea of giant cyclones. NASA also published an audio recording of Jovian polar aurora activity.

Composite photograph of Jupiter's south pole from Cassini mission (11-12 December 2000). Image Source: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.

Jovian north pole: "The JunoCam instrument obtained this view on August 27, about two hours before closest approach, when the spacecraft was 120,000 miles (195,000 kilometers) away from the giant planet (i.e., for Jupiter's center). Unlike the equatorial region's familiar structure of belts and zones, the poles are mottled with rotating storms of various sizes, similar to giant versions of terrestrial hurricanes. Jupiter's poles have not been seen from this perspective since the Pioneer 11 spacecraft flew by the planet in 1974." Image Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS.

Video Source: NASA via Youtube.

Caption for the above video: "Thirteen hours of radio emissions from Jupiter's intense auroras are presented here, both visually and in sound. The data was collected when the spacecraft made its first orbital pass of the gas giant on Aug 27, 2016, with all spacecraft instruments turned on. The frequency range of these signals is from 7 to 140 kilohertz. Radio astronomers call these 'kilometric emissions' because their wavelengths are about a kilometer long."