Reminder: Meteor Showers

Just a quick reminder that tonight's new moon makes it perfectly timed to watch the Perseids, which should be visible until at least the 20th.  Nice and dark.  This meteor shower as I posted earlier is one of the two strongest, most dependable displays (the other is the Geminids of December).  Earth will pass through the richest part of the shower tomorrow the 13th around 1 A.M. EST, best for North American and western Europe.

These meteors were shed from the Swift-Tuttle Comet centuries ago, and as Earth orbits the sun it passes through this "river of rubble" every August.  Each meteoroid rips into our upper atmosphere at 37 miles per second, (whoosh!) creating that glowing trail of hot, ionized air.  This trail is what you'll see.  The Perseids are known to last upwards of two weeks, and some stragglers have been recorded as late as the 24th, so keep a watch.  The later at night, the more you'll see.  

As usual, the best way to watch Perseids is, find a spot with open space, no glaring lights.  Lie back and gaze into the darkest part of space - if you know your constellations, Cassiopeia is the radiant (point of perspective).  As the radiant gets higher in the night sky, the meteors will arrive nearly straight down, so you'll see more of them.  They will look like they're coming directly at you! 

Fantastic. 

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Facts courtesy of Sky & Telescope, R&L, Skywatcher, sky charts 

 

 

The Second Coming

Orignally posted 7/10/2006 - this is my personal opinion.    

The second coming of Christ - it means to most exactly what it proclaims.  I've had a different experience with this and want to share it.

To those who believe Jesus walked this earth, whether the historical Jesus or the Christ (Blessed) of God, we know this man existed, spoke, gathered crowds and was executed.  We read our Bible and find He plans to come again to this earth, "to judge the living and the dead" and one can interpret that as they feel most comfortable with.  I personally don't accept it. 

I've had Extreme Unction 3 times in my 56 years.  So while I awaited death, naturally I prayed that God would come for me in peace (and of course very little physical pain) and I'd become a part of the Universe, a speck of a molecule of the "body" of God.  "I" meaning my soul.  So I've been close.

I also had to bury a very dear friend.  She promised to send a message, as she truly believed she'd have that ability.  But what happened to me, as I sat at her funeral in a blinding mist of tears, was truly an epiphany of amazing truth:  

When Jesus, Son of God, God Himself, proclaims that He will come again, I now know He means He will come intimately, personally, as ONE, to EACH of us INDIVIDUALLY, alone, which will be the time of our physical death.  It will be a PRIVATE, singular thing for each of us, at our time.  "Prepare, for the time is at hand."  Of course it's at hand.  It's always at hand, we don't know our date with death!    To God, a life of 5 minutes or 95 years is all the same, for time to Him means not as it does to us.  Our physical lives are short and He WILL come for us at our deaths to reclaim the soul he instilled, the soul which yearns for its home.  I believe His second coming is the personal coming for us at the moment of death, each one INDIVIDUALLY, and separate from any other, He comes for our soul, the soul He created apart from anything of this physical world.  The soul which yearns for its Maker, as a child for its Father.  I know how anthropomorphic that sounds but I think ALL humans have the tendency to assign human characteristics to their God, whatever that may be.  I do not believe He will appear on earth to draw crowds, or to throw lightening bolts, or anything that remotely resembles judgment.  A true God doesn't need to judge - why WOULD He?  If God knows all that will happen, he knew before you were born what kind of person you'd be.  And if God needs a hell, a "place" of eternal, unbearable, firey bloody vengeful suffering, sounding alot like a hateful punishment to me, what kind of God is He?  Not one I would surrender belief to.  Which is also why I don't believe in heaven, and for the same reason.  How could time and space exist for a Judeo-Christian God?  Could ANY God worth His salt sit in glory and honor knowing his own children were burning alive, but some were not?  Would God be partial like that?  I could never hope to understand how He thinks or why He allows certain things to exist in our world, but I believe this:  The earth won't be opening up with dead people ascending to heaven.  That's a key word there:  "ascending" it means "up" which is definitely not where heaven would be, would it.  Just as hell would not be "down there".  Down where??  Again, "up" and "down" denote time and space, which we only experience because of our brain, gone once we're dead.  If indeed, Jesus Christ will appear on a cloud with a book and condemn his children for all eternity, I'm completely lost.  It makes no sense at all.  This "Second Coming" where He will do nothing short of thumbs up, thumbs down now come on, that sounds a bit too HUMAN to me.  A true God doesn't need to consider, to judge, to contemplate, He IS.  And He said it Himself:  "I AM THAT I AM."   

So I do believe His "second coming" will be private, for you, for me, individually, at our time of physical death, as a Father for his beloved children, and that will be His return.  Yes, Jesus will come again, when it's time for the soul to be reunited back into the One God who created it.  The soul, our "God-part".    

The "second coming" of Jesus occurs at the moment of our death.  That is what He asks us to "prepare the way" for.  And oddly, when I read my written journal for that time in 2004, I kept seeing the word "Prepare!"  It was the continual response I'd get whenever I'd put my mind on the Lord and meditate on His goodness.  At first I thought, well maybe He's telling me to get my affairs in order as I was going to die to this world.  Then I realized the truth:  Of course we should prepare His Way, for it will come for each one of us when we shed these fleshy coils and the soul will be released back into the vast Universe that is God.  There is no second coming except the last one, our deaths. 

In believing this, I know I have disclaimers.  It doesn't matter, faith is faith and if you live by what you believe, what can harm you?  God does not require our faith in Him in order to exist.  "I am that I am."  When the second coming arrives for me, the world will continue and people will live on, until their own second coming is at hand. 

Name That Kid

Those are my parents with 3 out of what became 8. My Father had this endearing habit of assigning us nicknames as each was born and started growing. They never made a lick of sense, but stick to this day. He's been in the Light since 1988, only lived 67 years, yet these childhood memories linger like perfect trophies of an easier time.

Here's the countdown in order of age, and the respective monikers he gave us (I have NO idea what some meant to him).

Marianne ..... Fat Belly McGirk

Cathy ......... Koogay Sinatra, Sheriff Puddy

Chris .......... Redi-Roosche

Richard ....... Prince Montalban

Linda .......... Lolly-Looper

Karen ......... Gogey Green

Johnny ........ Booshie Bear, Boosh Boy

Sean ........... Pome Pome (his first name's Robert, no one ever called him that)

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As we've aged, seems we've developed our own version of this naming thing, using several, which came about quite by accident after personalities developed:

Marianne ...... Mern, The Claw, Maddiooche

Cathy .......... Luddie pron LOOdee(as in Ludwig vB), Ptinski

Chris ........... Tee, Manuel Labor, Rappy, Fritz

Ricky ........... Louie Louie Louie, The Schooch

Linda ........... Dewey, Linny, Rose

Karen .......... Butter, Greeny

Johnny ....... John

Sean .......... Sean (which is odd since he has a strong Scorpian personality.)

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Four Galaxies Collide

So it was just another day in space for good old Spitzer, NASA's pride and joy of a space-scope.  It's infra-red eyes were scanning a part of a distant galaxy called blah blah blah, (actually it's CL0958+4702) when something was spotted so incredible, though expected, still so amazing to finally see what previously we could only imagine with computer animation.  About 5 billion light years away, it spotted an unusually large plume of light emerging from the "clash" of four blob-shaped galaxies.  Three of these galaxies were the size of ours, the other almost 4 times as large.

Nothing astrophysicists hadn't known would happen, this merging of four distant galaxies.  From previous posts you might recall that our own Milky Way is set to merge with our nearest galactic neighbor, Andromeda, in 5 billion years.  Anyway, this four-part merger was the largest ever "seen" and we've been able to witness many.  This one was beyond gigantic.  Billions of elderly stars were ejected out during the clash, and about half will eventually fall back into whatever galaxy will remain.  Imagine its size.  It could be the largest galaxy the universe has ever known, once it finally forms itself into that body.  Easily 10 times the size of our own Milky Way - and these were also elliptical galaxies that collided, or merged, not spiral.     

This one is different because, unlike other known mergers, the galaxies involved in this quadruple collision have no gas, and that's the fuel source material that gives birth to stars.  As a result, astronomers predict that relatively few new stars will be born in this new, ultra-immense new galaxy.  Without stars, there's little chance of life emerging on any astral body orbiting one.  Once again, it gives me that odd feeling about the incredible rarity of life, anywhere. 

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Basics courtesy of Sky & Telescope, R&L, Skywatcher, Spacecom. 

 

 

The Bear Facts

Brother Chris is back from his month-long stay in hospital, and getting healthier slow but sure.  He took this picture only about 10' away from the many black bear in his suburban area.  Chris welcomes wildlife with a healthy respect for their terriorial needs.  Not everyone does, however (no kidding)  I had a discussion with someone the other day that started like this:

"Oh these black bears are all over New Jersey, what a nuisance and a danger!  They're all over our property, we can't feel safe!" ad inf.

I dared to think, and then spoke:  "Actually, we're all over their property and making a nuisance of ourselves leaving our junk garbage within easy reach, making it unsafe for them" ad inf. 

After some back and forth, I asked if this person thought there were too many humans on the planet, comparitively speaking.  They weren't sure.  I brought up many examples of dire problems caused by over-popuation, the whole 9 yards.  Then  I took a breath and said:

"If a depletion in humans would solve the myriad problems and pandemics we face, I'd be first in line to go - as long as I could take a few hundred million with me." 

Just a question:  would you?   

Jupiter, Light Of August - And A Total Lunar Eclipse

Ah, it's the time of Jupiter already!  The planet with a disc, one ring, like Saturn's many, something you can't see without binocs but is so worth the small investment.  After the sun sets in the west, turn to the left a slight bit.  You'll see something brighter than anything else in the sky:  that is Jupiter, the big guy.  Also, our Luna has an early show in store, the 2nd full moon total eclipse of the year.  It starts before dawn around 3:25 so I'm setting the alarm - maybe just stay up all night.     

Jupiter at dusk, before nightfall.  Lunar eclipse before dawn, on the 28th.  You may even see Mars at early daybreak.   

Look southerly for Jupiter at nightfall.  Jupiter, the Roman god equivalent of the Greek god Zeus - was named for a reason.  Any guesses?  It will be the first light you'll see and as nightfall deepens it'll grow brighter and brighter.  Only 5 degress below orange-gold Antares (the nearest star to us than Sol, our "sun") Antares is also the "heart" of Scorpio, 1/20th as bright.  Antares is a star, like our sun.  I know you're aware, but remember when you're looking at stars, they aren't up there, you're seeing how they looked LIGHT YEARS ago, that's how long it takes for light to reach earth.  Doesn't that just....?!?!?

Jupiter will halt its retrograde (westerly) motion and begin going back toward the east, before achieving conjuction with Antares.  It's motion will be slow and bright, impossible to miss with binocs.  From night to night during August, it will continue changing its position.

A new moon occurs on Aug 12th making it dark and easier to see a wonderful Perseid meteor shower that night.  Meteors ("falling stars") are in abundance every night. 

We're about to see the second full moon total eclipse of the year, on August 28th.  Centered on the Pacific, it will be visible for more than half the globe, including North America before dawn.  You'll have to wake very early to see it, around 3:25 a.m.  Insomniacs, rejoice!  Also, totality is long ( 91 minutes ) and deep, so the moon will get rather dark by 3:37 a.m. PDT   

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Facts couresty of Sky & Telescope, Skywatcher, star charts, R&L.  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

Wolf Hunt - Who's Nuts Here??

Arent't you amazed and struck silent at the incredibly natural sight of a wild animal, a wolf perhaps?  Who doesn't know the legends and myths passed down for generations through our American Indian brothers about this mystical, magical creature.  Wolves are precious, they're the forebears of the canine pets we've all come to love so much, for their unquestioning love, loyalty, companionship.

The clock is TICKING for the wolves of the Yellowstone region.  If we don't act now, wolves in Wyoming and Idaho could face aerial gunners as soon as this fall.  And this, while they are still protected under the Endangered Species Act.

We have until this MONDAY August 6th to flood the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with comments opposing this new anti-wolf proposal. 

The Bush/Cheney Show is ready to sanction the killing of more than half the wolves in the Yellowstone area and parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.  These proposals would set the stage for gunning these wonderful creatures from the air.  Shooting them down from the sky as they run for their lives from the sound of helicopters.  BANG!

Remember the successful reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park a decade ago, how overjoyed we were?  Those wolves could now be shot on sight, even in National Forests and Wilderness Areas, if they leave the safety of the park.  This is courtesy of the Bush/Cheney Travelling Hideous Show.     

I'm not political but for cryin out loud!!  Come on, this is criminal!  It took so long to repopulate our land with these beautiful, natural creatures, our brother life-forms whose planet we share.  You can sign a petition if you want, here it is, you can watch the little video and listen to what Bush says.  There are plenty of activists who do this for a living God bless them and I'm not going to sit and let them do my job, not on this issue.Stop the Latest Assault on Our Wolves Petition Thanks for listening!