[meteorite-list] Ceres, Luna, Jupiter, and ancient astronomers

From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed May 18 16:07:28 2005
Message-ID: <1ee.3c02348e.2fbcfa77_at_aol.com>

Hola List,

Down here we have terrible haze and also lately cloudy skies, so I haven't
had a chance to see Ceres, the largest Asteroid, during the brief but
remarkable appearance. Ceres is thought to be of carbonaceous chondrite composition -
and if so is probably the biggest Carbonaceous Chondrite in the Solar
System, though it is pretty likely that there has been some differientiation early
on. Ceres is currently at her brightest (opposition just passed) at about
7.1 magnitude now in the Constellation Libra. That's just a tad dimmer than
the most eagle-eyed stargazers can see with the unaided eye under the best
circumstances.

Unfortunately for the Chondritic types on the List, the Moon is now waxing
and has surpassed 50% illumination, which also means Luna is closing in on
Ceres in the sky viewingwise - which will complicate a casual gaze with off the
shelf binoculars to get a quite nice view of Ceres. I guess this could be
good news for the Lunatics on the List:)

JUPITER-MOON SHOW: As I was trying to see the optimum times to gaze upon
Ceres from my rooftop, I noticed that tomorrow (May 19, Thursday evening) in the
early evening other very interesting business will be going on at the Girl
Next Door's, Virgo, Jupiter will Mooning about soooo closely (maybe some parts
 of the world down South will have a Lunar Jovian occultation, I didn't
check). But it should be a real beautiful spectacle to see Jupiter and the Moon
so intimately together, especially around 19:30 universal time (14:30 CDT).
And I don't doubt that the active imaginations of some will report UFO, and a
meteorite of two, seeing the two brightest objects in the sky so
coincidently placed. They will still be darn close by the time of Sunset in the
northeastern America's. Even New Yorkers won't need more than their eyes and no
cloudcover to casually look up and appreciate the sight.

Two days later, the Moon will also visit Ceres in Libra, but no where near
as close as her intimate encounter with the King of the starry nights, who was
also know to be eagle-eyed for maidens and romantically devious with wives
of sleeping earthly kings.

While I am rambling in case anyone has made it this far, I guess it is worth
commenting that according to a well-researched Rutger's University
Astronomer who wrote a book about it, close encounters of Jupiter foretell the birth
of a King, and ancients believed the Moon amplifies that. Specifically, he
commented, that the best "scientific" explanation of Star of Bethlehem was that
on April 17, 6 (BC), there was a Lunar occultation of Jupiter that was
interpteted by the Zoroastrian wisemen, who were astronomers, to foretell the
birth of a great king in Judea (since it was happening in Aries the Ram, the
Constellation believed to control their destiny), and the images of a star
standing still or moving, were not of supernovae or meteoric in origin, but rather
indicated when Jupiter resumed its cyclical prograde motion, on December 19,
6 (BC), appearing to be stationary in the same key constellation, Aries, or
when it was Retrograde between August and December of 6 (BC). This theory is
more than conjecture in its author's mind as he has found independent 4th
centry "proof" to back him up in addition to crafting a very convincing story,
first based on a period Roman coin from Antioch which shows a Ram considered
to be Aries, and a star he considers the Star of Bethlehem.

Either way, I hope interested List members and family and friends can have
the opportunity to see this wonderful gibbousized symbol of ancient Byzantium
forming in the sky!

Getting back to Ceres - we need to be quick as it will fade very quickly and
unfortunately the next few days are poor due to the bright and close pass to
the Moon. Trivia: Ceres, the Goddess of Agriculture in Libra is currently
Retrograde, and her retrograding period actually coincides quite well this
year with the Spring Solstice and Vernal Equinox - starting Mar 21 and ending
near Jun 21. On June 5 Jupiter once again will stand still (switch to prograde
in the Virgin), I predict a bumper crop by November 30 when Jupiter arrives
at balances, who knows what miracles will happen when he settles his
accounts...!

Hazeless skies, Doug
Received on Wed 18 May 2005 04:07:19 PM PDT