Comet Lulin: When the Moon is In the 7th House

Long, long ago (ok, not that long ago) in a galaxy far, far away (actually, it was in our own galaxy), there was a song made popular by a group known as The Fifth Dimension. The song's opening lines went like this:

When the moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius...

Coincidentally (or not), it seems the moon is (or will soon be) in the seventh house, and Jupiter is aligned with Mars (as well as Mercury). The moon, too, will be in close conjuction with Venus on Feb. 27. Once more, one can only think of those famous lines from Shakespeare: "There are more things in heaven and on earth..."

Is ours the dawning of the Age of Aquarius? Let's hope not because, despite the song lyrics, it is not the kind of New Age to desire. At any rate, should we choose to gaze at the current celestial events, we might also consider sharing with the kiddos that little historical tidbit on an old song.

In the meantime...

Look at that awesome photograph of Comet Lulin's tails (the blue tail is the anti-tail). Astro-photographer Phil Jones recently took the fantastic photo [seen upper right], accomplished with a long exposure through a 4-inch Takahashi refractor, from the grounds of the Central Texas Astronomical Society Observatory in Clifton, Texas.

Btw, for those of us who are not professional astronomers, there are two ways to see Comet Lulin this very night:

1) With your own eyes (aided by binoculars or telescope is best for viewing if the skies are clear)

In the Northern hemisphere, look to the south-southwest for constellation Leo (the backward question mark with six stars in its formation). Btw: It's easy to confuse the Leo constellation with Leo Minor, which has seven stars - and usually, only three stars in Leo Minor are very bright. If you first find Leo Minor, look below it for the constellation Leo: the backward question mark with six stars.

When looking at Leo the Constellation: Visually go straight for the very bright "dot" of the question mark. That's Regulus, aka "Cor Leonis" (the Heart of the Lion).

From Regulus, let your glance travel straight across the heavens (to the left) until you see a very bright spot; that's Saturn. Just two degrees away is Comet Lulin!

2) With a live webcast

If you’ll miss Comet Lulin because your skies are cloudy tonight, you still have a great option! Real-time webcast viewing will be made available by the Coca-Cola Space Science Center in Columbus, Georgia.

"We're going to transmit the view through our observatory's 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope," says astronomy professor Rosa Williams of Columbus State University.

Tonight’s webcast of Comet Lulin:
Mon., Feb. 23 (starting tonight at 11 p.m, EST) - through 5 a.m. EST tomorrow morning, Tues., Feb 24 from this observatory!

May you truly enjoy the beauty of the heavenly skies this night!

Comet Lulin Update: Tonight One Hour Past Midnight

What's the best time to view Comet Lulin tonight? After all, in about 5 hours (EST), the comet is going to converge with Saturn, in the constellation Leo. Also tonight, four of Saturn's moons will "transit the disk" and should be viewable with clear skies and family backyard telescopes. (For details on celestial events, from tonight through Feb. 27, please see the post directly below this one, entitled Comet Lulin: More Things in Heaven and on Earth, Horatio.)

Here's a great tip for tonight (technically, 'tomorrow' since the timing is one hour after midnight):

Where ever you are in the world and whatever your time zone, most reports are now claiming the best viewing time for Comet Lulin and the triple-planetary conjunction will occur early this morning at 1:00 a.m.

That's right: If local skies are clear, Comet Lulin can be seen by everyone around the world, tonight - just after midnight.

In the Northern Hemisphere, look in the south-southeast sky at 1:00 a.m. In the Southern Hemisphere, look in the north-northwest at 1:00 a.m. Remember, Comet Lulin is traveling 'backward" and it will also be close to the triple-planetary conjunction now lining up.

Unaided "naked eye" viewing will probably see a small, faint patch of gas (next to Saturn) - that's the comet. Help from binoculars or a telescope, however, will allow those with clear skies to see comet details, as well as witness Comet Lulin's actual motion as it moves across the stars.

Only those living on the Pacific Rim, however, will see the quadruple transit of Saturn's four moons (3 a.m., PST).

Comet Lulin: More Things in Heaven and on Earth, Horatio

There’s a lot happening in the heavens, especially from Feb. 23 (the eve of Ash Wednesday) and right through Feb. 27! All within five days, Comet Lulin will be at its closest proximity to Earth, sharing a visual conjunction with Saturn. We’ll see a new moon and a conjunction of Jupiter, Mars and Mercury – with the result that Ceres (the 590 mile-wide asteroid recently reclassified as a “dwarf planet”) cameo appearance might be overlooked as it orbits between Mars and Jupiter.

Since Comet Lulin won't be visiting this neighborhood for at least another 1,000 years, skywatchers might want to hie themselves and the children outside to view the upcoming heavenly, once-in-a-millenium show! Below you'll see a a generous handful of spectacular pix and "forecast" graphics of Comet Lulin and the conjunction of the new moon and three planets.


Below: Three different views of Comet Lulin's parabolic orbit on Tues., Feb. 24, 2009 (the evening before Ash Wednesday).

Comet Lulin is traveling backward in orbit - that is, from east to west. The planets and our moon travel west to east. (For color-coding explanations, please see the note directly under the three following graphics.)



























Note: "The orbits shown above are color coded. The planets are white lines, and the asteroid/comet is a blue line. The bright white line indicates the portion of the orbit that is above the ecliptic plane, and the darker portion is below the ecliptic plane. Likewise for the asteroid/comet orbit, the light blue indicates the portion above the ecliptic plane, and the dark blue the portion below the ecliptic plane." To see and play with a "moving" diagram of Comet Lulin's orbit with an applet from which these graphics came, please visit Solar System Dynamics (NASA).

Already brighter than expected, Comet Lulin is now visible to the naked eye (if the sky is clear). However, as it nears earth on Ash Wednesday, the use of binoculars or a telescope will allow one to actually watch its steady movement against the background of stars.

Just two nights before, on Sun., Feb. 22, the waning crescent moon itself will be in conjunction with Mercury and Jupiter. (On Mon., Feb. 23, Mars joins the conjunction.)

Below: The south-eastern sky in the pre-dawn hour (5:30 a.m.) on Mon., Feb. 23, 2009. The waning crescent moon is close to Mars, Jupiter and Mercury.

Next "forecast" picture below: In the early morning hours of Tues., Feb. 24 (eve of Ash Wednesday), Comet Lulin joins the party (appearing directly below Saturn, in constellation Leo, in the south-southeast sky), while the moon will be "new." On this same morning (just before dawn), Mercury and Jupiter will appear very close together – seemingly side-by-side.

Interesting Tidbit: As the moon moves away, it will be "on" earth's equator – possibly leaving earth 'wide open' to solar winds that have twice ripped off one of Comet Lulin's tails.

Below: Three days later, on Fri., Feb. 27, the waxing crescent moon moves into conjunction with Venus – a spectacular sight all on its own!

With all the gravitational forces in simultaneous array and play, there has been some conjecture on the potential effect on earth. Since the moon's movements have so much to do with the ocean tides, it is theoretically possible that the gravitational effects from the moon, Comet Lulin, Ceres, and the triple-planetary conjunction could cause severe storms, if not earthquakes and/or volcanic eruptions, anywhere from Thurs., Feb. 26 to Sun., Mar 1, here on Terra Cotta.

Let's hope the above conjecture is simply reserved caution, and that we may view these amazing heavenly line-ups with awe of God's creation, offering a thankful "Godspeed" to Comet Lulin as it returns to whence it came.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy..." - Shakespeare

Comet Lulin is Traveling Backward

So much is happening within the Church and the world which opposes her, one cannot help but wonder - truly, wonder - over three celestial events occuring this month. For this post, the subject is limited to one heavenly occurence - Comet Lulin. (Picture to the left taken in Austria.) Already, people are wondering if this comet is a warning sign from God. Whispers of "Wormwood" (the bitter star of The Apocalypse) have been heard, evoking a nameless fear.

Naturally, there will always be skeptics who consider ponderings of this nature as nothing more than a 'stretch,' - and I say theirs is a 'natural' response, since they have no belief in the existence of God, His Church, Tradition, Scripture and prophecy. For those who know and trust in the super-natural (the life of God), our aim is always objectivity with a Catholic conscience of history - past and present, because all events impact the future.

For a quick overview: The emerging info on the Comet Lulin , newly discovered in July 2007, is now attracting interest outside the astronomical circle. This is one big comet, with an atmosphere allegedly three times the size of the planet Jupiter. Featuring two tails (a tail and an anti-tail), Comet Lulin is a 'green comet' (which means it is issuing poisonous gases, a circumstance sometimes seen in comets), with enough internal energy or forces to quickly replace one of the tails it recently lost...and it is traveling backward.

The following is, shall we say, a stimulating list of tidbits (so far known) on the backward traveling Comet Lulin:

--On February 11 (Our Lady of Lourdes; 151st anniversary of the Virgin's first apparition to St. Bernadette): Currently creeping westward at 2° per day, Comet Lulin will, by February 11, cross into Virgo and pass within a quarter degree of Lambda Virginis. (Catholics the world over might consider that fact a somewhat startling coincidence.)

--The Backward Comet: Comet Lulin is traveling along the same 'plane' as Earth (almost exactly along the ecliptic) — but, as previously noted, it is traveling backward. The comet's nearly parabolic orbit indicates that it has never interacted with our system's planets. Currently, Lulin's orbital inclination is 178.4°, meaning that it is orbiting in the opposite direction from the planets just 1.6° from the ecliptic plane. (In the vastness of space...that's close; very close to Earth.)

--If, as astronomers are currently alleging, Comet Lulin passes through earth's plane every 1,000 years, where is it recorded on ancient star charts? So far, not one contemporary astronomer has openly made reference to ancient star charts - a very interesting oversight. Rather, astronomers are theorizing that this is Lulin's first pass by our sun, with the result that the comet is still encrusted in 'fresh' ices, preserved by the freezing environment of the outer solar system.

--Break Up Possibilities? As Comet Lulin is exposed to the sun's heat for the first time, astronomers conjecture that those ices will vaporize, possibly causing the comet to brighten rapidly or even break apart. Considering the comet's size and its unusual orbit, the degree to which it loses 'chunks' or breaks apart is unforeseeable. (Picture to the right from New Mexico, USA.)

--How predictable is Comet Lulin? The comet's brightness behavior may be unpredictable, because (again) it's on a near-parabolic orbit, (again) suggesting this may be its first visit to the inner solar system. More than how bright the comet shall become, there are other serious considerations (like those mentioned in the paragraph above). As one commentator quipped, "You never know what a pristine comet might do."

--Comet Lulin is definitely in the neighborhood. Comet Lulin - 2007N3 will approach to 0.41 AU -which, from Earth, is only about 38 million miles away. (Once more, that is very close to our "Terra.") Consider and compare: The sun is 93 million miles away from Earth. At closest approach to earth, Comet Holmes was 149 million miles.

--Those two tails. Because Comet Lulin stays nearly on the ecliptic, its tail (which points away from the Sun) aligns with the ecliptic and with the comet's own direction of motion across the sky. The comet is within Earth' plane, so (from our viewpoint) we're likely to see the comet with a very thin tail and an "anti-tail," a spike pointing in almost the opposite direction from the main tail, for months on end. As of January 7th, Comet Lulin did have an "anti-tail." A few rare but recent reports say this tail broke off around February 5th - only to be soon replaced by a new, emerging anti-tail.

--On the Eve of Ash Wednesday: Comet Lulin’s closest approach to Earth, 0.41 a.u. (61 million km), occurs on February 24th, when the comet may reach a peak of magnitude 5°. At this time, it should be visible in late evening (after rising around the end of astronomical twilight) and remains in view for the rest of the night. And it's speeding along at just over 5° per day!

--From where did Comet Lulin come? Comet Lulin is arriving from the far reaches of the solar system on a nearly parabolic orbit — "it's almost as if it comes from infinity and goes back out to infinity," said Mark Hammergren of Chicago's Adler Planetarium.

That last remark can only make one think of God, Our Lord - the Alpha and the Omega, He who has no beginning and no end...in other words, Infinity Himself.

More tidbits on Comet Lulin coming up soon!

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*Whiz through colorful syllabi with screened, interactive links to online resources for:
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*Enjoy quality computer time: Study Church dogmas and doctrines, delve deeply into history, soak in literature and poetry, type essays, reports or compositions, geographically explore specific parts of Europe, make virtual tours of shrines or other historical spots, and find out about various scientific branches

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PARENT/TEACHER BENEFITS:

---SAVE MONEY! For one low price, get everything needed for ONE SCHOOL YEAR of Religion, Language Arts, History, Geography and Science. (Everything is included except math.) The 4 quarterly installments provide enough lesson plans to cover 36 weeks (9 weeks per installment)!

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---SAVE TIME! As your jr. high or high school student uses the computer for 5 core topics, you'll have extra hours to teach your little ones, take care of household tasks, or simply relax a bit!

---Discuss topics (suggestions provided in the syllabi) and review "The Age of Mary" assignments in about one hour a day. Your student(s) can then study, read through links, and research or type assignments.

---Enjoy worry-free convenience! Just check over your students' shoulders as they sit at the computer, zooming through each installment of the electronic "Age of Mary" syllabus.---Easily provide parent-teacher guidance while encouraging independent study!

---Give your students the best of both worlds - both classic and scholastic!

---Print out the complete syllabi for your records! No writing in lesson plans books or typing them into your word processor necessary!

---Relieve (or completely avoid) "homeschool burnout" (for both you and your students)!

---Most importantly, bring your family closer "to Jesus through Mary."

With "The Age of Mary" curriculum, study Church-approved apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary - including Our Lady of Paris (the Miraculous Medal), LaSalette, Lourdes, and Fatima!

I trust you'll enjoy the Sample Pages of "The Age of Mary." And please don't forget - within 24 hours of your order and email confirmation, you'll receive your first "Age of Mary" Catholic Internet-based Study Guide.

In the love of Christ and His Virgin Mother,
Marianna Bartold
"The Age of Mary" Catholic Internet Study Guides
We're "Keeping It Catholic" on the Net at http://www.keepingitcatholic.org