Lunar Eclipse: Wednesday, October 8, 2014

ASTRONOMY REPORT: It's been a while since I've done one of these, but, this morning has been a goodie! For one thing, it brought back all sorts of wonderful memories from childhood. Earlier in the evening, the Moonlight had been breathtakingly bright outside, the kind of night that kids find irresistible for midnight play...the kind that they "never" confess to their parents. For another, I had a kool Dad. I think he knew and understood. I couldn't have been more than ten when I remember him coming and getting me out of bed to "show me something". He wrapped me in a blanket and we slipped quietly outside. It was about 2AM and my first Lunar Eclipse. I've obviously never forgotten his gift. A little while ago I saw someone's tweet that he couldn't wait for his kids to be old enough to appreciate lunar eclipses. I hope that he doesn't wait any longer. I'm so glad that my Dad didn't.

Earlier, as I said, it was, in flying speak, "severe clear". I woke just as the eclipse started. I looked out the window and noticed that the moonlight was much less than earlier. I asked the Poodle Pasha if he wanted to go outside. He looked at me as if I'd lost my mind...but came running the instant he heard the leash click. Amazing how such a small sound can cause a Poodle Pasha to move at light speed. It's also amazing how fast genuine celestial bodies move through Space. The eclipse was progressing rapidly. As it progressed, I could easily see Jupiter, the Pleiades, Orion, Perseus, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, and many more constellations, trees being the limiting factor. Then, even though it was a full Moon, and in spite of lights from the highway, I could see the Milky Way. In an urban environment, that's rather rare. By then, the Moon had turned a lovely copper color. We stayed out until a strong, high haze moved in. I'm so glad to have added one more memory to my file of lovely memories.

 God bless everyone, and may you too have many precious memories to share with those whom you love.

Expert Assessment of the Coming Blood Moon Tetrad

BLOOD MOON TONIGHT (Visible over North America): If anyone wants to watch the #Lunar #Eclipse Tuesday am, the best viewing time will start at 0100 CDT, & continue to 0530 CDT. Spica is the close bright star. Make what you will of the prophetic significance of the Eclipse alone, but the conjunction of the Moon at it's moment of full eclipse and Spica may also have some prophetic significance considering that Spica was integral to the signs connected with Christ's birth. Now as to what the prophetic significance of all of this is...Ya got me! It's better to keep things right with the Lord "all" the time, so that you don't have to worry. We live in prophetic times. Our job is to proclaim the Truth until He comes. Everything else is His responsibility. Shalom and God bless His Passover.

Passover and the Lunar Eclipse, AKA the Blood Moon...

Monday evening at Sunset is the beginning of Passover, the First of the yearly High Holy Feasts of the Lord in Judaism, & the oldest continuous celebration of Freedom on Earth.

Later, in the wee hours of the morning, is one of the rarest occurrences in Astronomy. Not just a full Lunar eclipse, but the first of "four" full Lunar eclipses this year & next, AKA Tetrad for four, and  Blood Moons because of how the Sun's light passes through the Earth's atmosphere, tinting the Moon's surface red.

That's all pretty cool, and I still remember my Father waking me to see a full eclipse sixty some odd years later, but that's not particularly special... however..., the fact that all four full eclipses occur, precisely on the High Holy Feasts of the Lord "IS" special! It hasn't happened very many times throughout all of history, & has always coincided with significant events in the history of Israel. If you would like to know more on that subject, go to:

Pastor Mark Blitz on Blood Moons

Don't know what you'll make of it, but I hope you'll enjoy.

Want to watch the Lunar Eclipse Tuesday am? Best viewing time will start approximately 0100 CDT, & continue to around 0530 CDT. The Moon is in Virgo, & Spica is the bright star in conjunction with the Moon. That's also pretty cool. Doesn't happen real often either. There's also Spiritual significance in Spica. Leave a comment if you want to know more.

Best wishes,
Frances

Change Is Good...

I hope!

I've enjoyed the Reflection Nebula, NGC 1435, as my blog header since December. However, it's June now, and I feel the overwhelming urge to rearrange the furniture. MORE COLOR! Therefore, I'm replacing "Reflection" with the Fox Fur Nebula, from the NGC 2264 region of the Monoceros (Unicorn) constellation. Click on the picture below for a larger view. I use it as my screen saver. Thank you NASA and Hubble!

Monoceros is just to the south of Orion and Gemini, winter constellations, and just below the star Procyon (click on the Labels below the post for maps). If you decide to start looking for it, now, during the early Summer, the only way you might be able to see it is to look low in the West, for a brief time after sunset. Sorry about that!

I just decided to make the header more colorful. There are so many beautiful astronomy pictures available, so get used to change. It's the X-chromosome, ya know.

;-D

I hope that you like it.

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

Night Sky: March 2009

In the spring of any year, not just the Year of Astronomy, there are lots of things to look for in the night sky. It’s a great time for the backyard astronomer in us all. Among the notable astronomy events are: Venus is leaving the evening sky; old constellations are at zenith; new constellations are visible; and the Vernal or Spring Equinox is about to occur. If you click on the pictures in this post, you will be able to see them in a larger size which will be easy to view and read.


Venus has been incredibly beautiful all winter, so please forgive me for not posting about a lovely event several days ago. On February 27th there was a close conjunction of Venus and the New Moon immediately after sunset. Unfortunately, we had cloud cover, and I forgot about it (What can I say, I was writing.). This picture, courtesy of Starry Night Astronomy Program, this is what it looked like right after full dark.


Keep Venus in your viewing schedule for the rest of the month. It’s leaving the evening sky on the March 27th when it has an inferior conjunction with the Sun. That’s fancy astronomer speak for crossing between the Earth and the Sun. DON’T TRY TO LOOK AT IT if you want to keep your eyes working properly. Venus will once more be visible as the Morning Star in April. (If you want to go out into a chilly morning to view it, more power to you. At that time of the morning, I’m usually writing for all that I’m worth, a mug of hot cocoa in one hand, a computer cuddled in my lap and the Supreme Pasha Zackery snuggled on my feet.) Your trivia for the day: Venus is moving toward the Earth when we see it in the evening. It is moving away from the Earth when we see it in the morning.

Taurus (Aldebaran), Orion (Betelgeuse), and Canis Major (Sirius) have been glorious in the winter sky. They are presently at their zenith in the evening and will soon be moving into the west. Before they leave us, there are several other constellations which I should like to bring to your attention. Directly to the north of Orion, and joined to the horn of Taurus is Auriga. It is shaped vaguely like a pentagon and has one bright star, Capella. This is another of the stars which Anne McCaffery uses as proper names for characters in her Science Fiction Romances (we writers steal wherever we can). Immediately to the east, almost the fourth corner of a diamond formed by Auriga, Taurus, and Orion is the constellation Gemini, the Twins. Their feet point toward Orion’s head. The two bright stars which form their heads are Castor and Pollux, the brothers of Helen of Troy and the navigators on Jason’s voyage to find the Golden Fleece.

There are two new constellations which are just coming into view in the east during the early evening. Cancer, the Crab, is just east of Gemini’s Castor and Pollux. You may not be able to view Cancer because it has no bright stars. I have a hard time with it. However, the next constellation, Leo, is just rising above the horizon at dusk. As the evening progresses, Leo is very easily recognized as the backwards “?” mark in the sky. Leo’s brightest star is Regulus, one of the ancient king stars and the heart of the lion. Look a little further down to the northeast, and you will see a small triangle of stars. Those stars are the haunches of the lion. The bright object immediately south of Leo’s haunches is Saturn. It’s not as bright as it sometimes is because its rings are not tilted far enough at this time for our viewing.

Last, but not least of the March astronomy events, is the Vernal or Spring Equinox on March 20th. This is the “moment” when Sun’s rays are directly perpendicular to the Earth’s surface at the equator, and when we count spring as beginning. It is also “commonly called” the moment when the Sun crosses the equator from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere; however, that is a fallacious statement because it is the tilt of the Earth, not any movement of the Sun, which causes the event. Language makes it impossible to escape the ideas of our ancient ancestors. In any case, equinox simply means equal hours of day and night. This only occurs two times a year, on the spring and fall equinoxes. Most ancient calendars were calculated as beginning on the Vernal Equinox, and astrology still works on this basis, even though the signs in modern astrology are now totally out of sync with the astronomical positions of the stars. If you would like to make an interesting observation, keep a log of sunset and sunrise times and the resulting increase/decrease in hours of daylight where you live. You will be surprised at how fast the change occurs.

Have fun, and happy viewing,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

Raccoon Astronomy

It's been a great week for astronomy. It's been a bad week for the raccoons.

Twice this week, raccoons have sacrificed themselves upon the electrical altar of the same high-voltage transformer, throwing half of our town into darkness. Both times, this happened well after sunset, with a ziiiit-boom, and flash of light that could be seen for miles in the instant before everything went black. No house lights. No street lights. No nothing! Both times I rushed outside into the frigid night to gaze into the sky. Oh my, but it was lovely. Not for the poor raccoons, of course, but for stargazers like me it was gorgeous.

The skies were severe clear both nights. The new moon wasn't yet bright enough to interfere with viewing. High in the western sky Venus is the brightest object visible, and will remain so through March. Directly overhead, is the red eye of Taurus, Aldebaran, and the Pleiades he guards. In the southeastern sky, Orion is riding high with Sirius and Procyon, the noses of his hunting dogs, bounding at his heels.

A few bits of trivia: Sirius is the brightest star that we can see from Earth, and quite a close neighbor, only 8.6 light years distant. The Greeks gave us the term "dog days of summer" from this star. It was the rising of Sirius with the dawn, which told the ancient Egyptians that the Nile was about to flood, and that they would have abundant food for the coming year. Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder, make the Winter Triangle.

Viewing all of that clearly was wonderful. However, the great thing for me was that, for a brief while, it was dark enough to see the Milky Way. That doesn't often happen in our light polluted world. Right now, in the early evenings, it stretches from the southeast to the northwest, moving to the west as the evening progresses. If you can follow a path near to Sirius, Orion, Gemini, Auriga, Perseus, and Cassiopeia, then you are in the neighborhood of the Milky Way. I hope that you get a chance to see it. It's worth it.

Happy Viewing,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

I see that I had a guest blogger yesterday...

I see that in my absence I had a helper. He’s been looking very guilty, so I knew he had done something. When I found his post, I didn’t have the heart to reprimand him. He’s been very worried about me; and, he did tell you the things that I had been telling him that I wanted to say to you. I hope that you are all having a Happy and Blessed New Year.

How do you like my new Header? I got bored with the old one. I decided that I liked the image of the Reflection Nebula, NGC 1435, which I used for my Christmas Astronomy post so much that I would put it in the Header for a while. Never know what will happen when I get bored. I sometimes do things unexpectedly. I am getting brave in my old age. It takes a while to gather courage to mess with something that works. What if I blow this thing to kingdom come? EeeeeeK! Yeah... It Worked!

I think that I am beginning to feel a little better. Thanks for your good wishes. Let’s just say that the light that I see at the end of the tunnel looks as if it just might be open countryside instead of an oncoming train. Keep me in your prayers.

Uh...oh! I see someone staring longingly at my computer. He is snuggling up closer to it. I wonder how long it’s going to be before Zack asks me to let him become a regular poster. This could get dangerous.

Happy writing,

Frances
Writing Science Fiction Romance
Real Love in a Real Future

Happy New Year and International Year of Astronomy

Hi.

My name is Zackery. I am not supposed to touch Mommy’s computer – ever! So please don’t tell on me. She has not been feeling well, and she is worried about her “Happy New Year” post. So I decided to do it for her while she is resting. You can trust me. I know what she wants to say. She talks to me.

She hopes that you had a wonderful Christmas and wants you to have a Happy New Year.

She wants you to know that 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. Mommy thinks I don’t see the stars... but I do. They are there. What more does she want?

I have to go now. She has gotten very strict. She says that I must learn to obey. I do not know if I like the sound of that word. What does it mean?

I remain, the Supreme Poodle Pasha,

Zackery

Christmas Astronomy

The Reflection Nebula, NGC 1435, just because I think it's pretty for this time of year.

In my last Astronomy post, I said that I was going to write about the Christmas Star. This post is about Astronomy, not about religion. Nor does it espouse astrology. Modern Astronomy and astrology no longer have anything to do with one another; but, they did two thousand years ago. What I’m talking about here is archaeoastronomy, the science of astronomy studied in a historical, cultural context. This post is meant only to give you a few facts to think about. When all is said and done, each of us will decide what we wish to believe, regardless of anyone else’s logic. So come along with me as we dig up a few facts.

As a disclaimer, please be aware that, I am simply an amateur astronomer. Yet, although my degrees are not in Astronomy, I do check, and cross check my facts before giving them to you. What I have is an enquiring mind, equipped with a few patches of Velcro for making connections, and a really neat astronomy program called Starry Night. I highly recommend it if you should have a desire to feel totally superior, or even better yet... simply have some fun. It’s economical, easy to use, educational, and extremely entertaining. How can you lose?

Now, let’s get serious about Christmas Astronomy. The years 7 to 2 BC contained the some of the most spectacular astronomical displays ever. So let’s look at a few of them.

To get a proper appreciation for the “Astronomical Event” which has come to be known as the Christmas Star, we have to go back at least 2,500 years. We have to put ourselves into the minds of the people of the times. All ancient people studied the stars, and had been doing so for thousands of years. The one “possible” exception was the Jews, who were forbidden to use divination (Deuteronomy 18:10). Ancient people, everywhere, believed that destinies were foretold, and messages from the gods were announced by the stars in the heavens. Everyone, who was anyone, had their special constellation, star, and advisor.

At that time, there was no difference between an astrologer and an astronomer. Almost no decision was made without first consulting the handy-dandy court astrologer/astronomer - who also just happened to be the most highly educated guy around. With your future on the line, you wanted your best man on the job. This is very important, so put it in your trivia bag. We'll get back to it. The caveat was in the interpretation; and, of course, who was paying. Sometimes the astrologer/astronomer hit the jackpot, and sometimes he crapped out. Under the latter circumstances, as you can imagine, life expectancies were... dubious, at best.

In Astronomy, there is something called Precession. It is rather like a super calendar. The Earth wobbles on its axis like a top, and one wobble lasts about 27,000 years. Divide that by twelve and name each section after the sign of the zodiac in which the Sun rises on the vernal (spring) equinox, and you have the Age du jour. Two thousand years ago the Age of Aries was coming to an end, and the Age of Pisces was just beginning. However, because of the slow motion of the Earth in its wobble, and because of the lack of known boundaries of zodiacal constellations, it’s somewhat difficult (read: impossible) to establish the precise date of the beginning of the Piscean Age. But... everybody was looking for CHANGE!

In astrology, there are four Royal Stars, fixed roughly equally along the general course of the ecliptic, or path of the Sun. They are: Antares in Scorpio; Fomalhaut in the Southern Fish; Aldebaran in Taurus; and Regulus, the king of all the Royal Stars, in Leo, and incidentally the only one of the Royal Stars to be directly on the ecliptic. Perhaps that is why he got to be king! Your guess is as good as mine.

The planets were considered to be wandering gods, and Jupiter was the king of these wanderers, and carried the Hebrew name of Sedeq or “Righteousness.” Saturn was the next mightiest, and according to some sources, was known as the “protector of the Jews”. The thing is that Jupiter and Saturn were the astrological “big men on campus.” Where a planet hung out and with whom, had great portent for lowly mortals. Consider for a moment the international attention paid to the conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon earlier this month, or the millennium... or even better yet, the daily astrology column of the local newspaper, and you get the idea. People were expecting...

In 12 BC, Halley’s Comet was visible. Ooooo, ominous! Still, it stirred people up. Lots of things were happening in the heavens, and people like the excitement.

In 7 BC, Jupiter and Saturn had triple conjunctions in Chez Pisces. This is a very rare event. For the two greatest planets to have, not just one, but three conjunctions (within one year) in the house of the new age was indicative of GREAT CHANGE. From time to time, Venus and Mercury also dropped in. By the spring of 6 BC, Mars had joined the party, adding more weight to the degree of changes to come. Astrologers all over the known world were looking for something BIG to happen.

THEN:
8/01/3 BC: Jupiter rose in the east, en te anatole, “in the first rays of the dawn.”
9/12/3 BC: First Jupiter and Regulus occulting conjunction: rising in the east and visible from 0230 until just before sunrise.
2/18/2 BC: Second Jupiter and Regulus conjunction: visible with full Moon from 1900 until 0530
5/7/2 BC: Third Jupiter and Regulus conjunction: visible after sunset, until 2400.
6/17/2 BC: Jupiter and Venus spectacular conjunction in Leo.
8/27/2 BC: Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Mercury conjunction in the east, just before dawn in Virgo. This places the Sun also in Virgo. Two days later the Moon joined the party.
10/13/2 BC: Jupiter and Venus have a close conjunction in Virgo and Jupiter moves westward in relation to the Sun and other planets.
12/15/2 BC: Jupiter reaches its furthest point westward, no longer moving against the background stars, and appears to stand still for almost a month. Just before dawn, is on the meridian due south of Jerusalem, in line with Bethlehem.
12/25/2 BC: Winter Solstice and Hanukkah.

Now, this is where is the significance of that “most highly educated” comment, which I told you to put into your trivia bag, comes in. Any ancient, who was a serious astrologer/astronomer, would have been familiar with the prophetic writings of a multitude of countries. For centuries, the Ancient Jews had prophecies, recorded in their sacred writings, of the coming of a chosen King. The most well known of these, Daniel 9:26-27, indicated that 3 to 2 BC was the time for the appearance of their Messiah. However, the Jews were not the only ones who had similar predictions recorded in their sacred scriptures. The Zoroastrians of Persia also had predictions of a coming Savior King in their bible, the Avesta. And the Avesta prophesied that there would be born to the Jews a King Messiah, and that His coming would be announced by a sign in the constellation Virgo. The world was certainly looking for CHANGE. They had the SIGNS!

All stellar and planetary positions were verified with Starry Night Bundle Edition 2.1 and Starry Night CSAP. For more on the Christmas Star, you might enjoy The Christmas Star by Barry Setterfield.

I hope that you have enjoyed this, and will want to do further research. May the Spirit of the Star of Bethlehem shine upon you and your home all year long.

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

How Big Daddy Atlas Protected His Baby Girls

(Note: For your convenience, and apologies to Starry Night, in the picture above, I have exaggerated the main stellar objects mentioned in this post.)

All right! I lied. Mea culpa! In my The Pleiades Have Risen Post, I said that in my very next astronomy post I would tell you how Big Daddy Atlas protected the virtue of his precious, baby girls, the Pleiades, from the (presumably unwanted) attentions of Orion, the hunter. I simply had forgotten about the conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon. I hope that you enjoyed the show.

As frequently happens after winter storm fronts pass, tonight, or rather, this morning the viewing was incredible, in spite of the full Moon. Most of the leaves are gone after the storm, and the moonlight and incredibly clear air made everything appear as if they were painted in blue and silver. I wouldn’t have seen all of this beauty except that MaxieCat chose 3 AM to demand to be let into the house. The Supreme Poodle Pasha Zackery exploded from under the covers barking his fool head off. As far as he is concerned, what his harem kitty wants, his harem kitty gets... except of course, for my lap, which she takes anyway. So out into the cold night we went to protect MaxieCat from who only knows what. If it weren’t for these wee beasties, I wonder how many stars I would ever see. There overhead, already receding into the West, was Orion. I immediately came back in from the cold to tell you all about it. :-)

Early on clear December evenings, you can see Orion rising in the East. For the rest of the winter, it dominates the sky with more bright stars, close together, than can be seen anywhere else, at any other time of the year. Orion is, by far, my favorite constellation. He’s also the randy guy Big Daddy Atlas was so worried about protecting his daughters from.

The Pleiades are now high in the sky. From the Pleiades, look straight down toward the eastern horizon. On the way, you’ll see a bright reddish star. That’s Aldebaran. It’s the angry eye of the constellation, Taurus. Taurus was the pet bull of Atlas, who held up the sky. The bull was very fierce, very big, and Big Daddy Atlas set him to guard his baby girls from the lusty Orion.

Orion is the next bright grouping of stars below Aldebaran, and is easily recognizable by the three bright stars in a row. Those three stars are Orion’s belt, recently of MEN IN BLACK fame. Orion is always trying to get to the Pleiades, however is blocked by the great bull, Taurus. For all of eternity, Orion backs Taurus across the sky; yet, guarded by their daddy’s pet bull, the Pleiades’ virtue remains everlastingly, ad nauseam, intact. The poor dears!

You have to wonder about a man who is so reluctant to have grandchildren that he would resort to such extremes. You have to wonder about a man that would even want seven wives, or more likely, just a fun night on the town. You also have to wonder about seven women who would put up with two such men. I think that those ancient Greeks could have benefited from a little therapy.

My next Astronomy Post will be about the Christmas Star.

Happy viewing,

Frances Drake

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

A Favor Please

I hope that all of you were able to see the Astronomical conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and the Moon last night. It was partially cloudy where I live, so I was only able to catch a glimpse through the clouds and trees. Tonight it will be very clear and I will be watching as they retreat from one another over the next few days. They will continue to be the show to watch for several more days, so have fun.

Now, lets get down to business. This is the season of giving around the world. Many of us have our budgets severely restricted and are not able to do as much as we would like. Therefore, I am just asking you to take a few seconds of your time and simply click on the buttons of your choice under my GOOD CAUSES in the sidebar. These clicks are absolutely free to you, and 100% of the sponsor donations go to the charities of your choice. Why not click on them each day? It's only a minute to help those who can't help themselves.

May your holidays be blessed,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

Astronomy Alert! Ménage á trois...

Get your mind out of the gutter! We’re talking Astronomy here. We are about to have a super cool celestial event that almost everyone can enjoy. It’s already in progress. On the evening of December 1, 2008, we’re going to have a close encounter, or, in astronomy terms, a “conjunction” of Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. On the Monday night, these three will be so close together that you’ll be able to see them all together, even in a single binocular field. And they are already BRIGHT! So bright, that even with terrible light pollution you can see them.

If you’re in North or South America, right after sunset, look close to the southwestern horizon, just as it is beginning to get dark. The Moon will be in what is known as a “waxing crescent.” That means that the portion of the Moon, which is reflecting the light from the Sun, is a thin crescent which will be growing over the coming nights. Venus and Jupiter are the two bright objects just below, or the West of the Moon. Venus is the brighter of the two objects.

Regretfully, if you’re in Europe - you have a problem. The Moon will have occulted, or will have moved in front of Venus. So the single bright object which you see next to the Moon is Jupiter. Still pretty cool! Sorry, but for you, Venus doesn’t move from behind the Moon until after they have all set.

If you’re in the Far East, Venus and Jupiter will be just above, or East of, the crescent Moon before it sinks toward the western horizon.

If you’re in Madagascar, or southeastern Africa, you get to see the coolest of all. Depending upon where you are, you get to see the Moon occult both Venus and Jupiter. It is possible that you may even see Venus and Jupiter skim the edges of the Moon as they pass behind it.

Now for an appearing non sequitur: When I was in college, in that tender age when dinosaurs ruled the world, my History Professor’s maiden name was that of one of the great European royal houses. She opened my eyes to aspects of history that had never occurred to this naïve little Southern girl. It had never occurred to me that “that” treaty, which put and end to “that” war, was signed because: Oh My! Great Aunt Sophie went to bed with King Biggy the night before! Goodness only knows who else Great Aunt Sophie went to bed with. But, goodness only knows how many lives Great Aunt Sophie may have saved.

Bringing this bit of nonsense into focus, and just as a bit of fun speculation, let’s consider what the Ancients would have thought of this event. To the Ancients, the Planets (or Wanderers), the Moon, and the Sun were gods, and their godlike movements influenced our humanlike lives on Earth. Jupiter, in the Western Mythological Tradition, was always associated with the king of the gods (King Biggy). Venus (Great Aunt Sophie) was generally associated with erotic love; and the Moon with Diana/Artemis (your guess is as good as mine), and the hunt and childbirth. What would possibly be going on when these three got together? Which room of the house were they in? What were they talking about? How was it going to affect my insignificant, uncertain world? Food for some interesting stories, huh?

Start watching tonight and follow the developments as Venus, Jupiter and the Moon grow closer together each night. May your skies be clear.

Happy Viewing,

Frances Drake

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

The Pleiades Have Risen!

Wow! We have now officially (that is, according to me) entered the best star viewing season of the Astronomy year. Speaking of Astronomy Years, 2009 really has been officially designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the International Astronomical Union. Doesn’t that just get you all excited?

If your skies are clear, and your light pollution isn’t too overwhelming - boy, can you have some fun! Eight of the thirteen most brilliant stars visible from Earth and some of the most easily discernable constellations are now all coming into view. For me, the rise of the Pleiades star cluster is the herald of the viewing season to come, and the first star cluster which I found as an amateur astronomer.

For the last few nights, since a cold front cleared my part of North America, I have had extraordinarily clear viewing during my nightly constitutionals with the Supreme Poodle Pasha Zackery. I continue to try to interest him in the stars on our nightly outings; and although he is extremely intelligent, the glories of the sky pale in comparison to the fun of games of tag with his harem girl, MaxiCat. Children are so shallow. But, I digress, a crime which I am often guilty of.

Rising above the eastern horizon, just at sunset, are the Pleiades, my favorite of all the star clusters. I suppose that is because: 1) I can see it; 2) it was my first; and 3) it is so very beautiful. The glow that you see in the picture is a dust cloud, or reflection nebula, which surrounds the cluster. The cluster is 400 light years distant, about 13 light years across, and contains over 3000 stars. Crowded neighborhood! Astronomers, using infrared detectors have recently found a dusty disk that belongs to one young Pleiades star -- HD 23514. Can we say “planets” anyone? By the time that it is fully dark, the stars of the Pleiades are easily visible with the naked eye, and positively glorious through binoculars or a telescope. You can find them lying at the feet of Perseus. Considering the morals of the Greek gods, it’s a good thing that Perseus was an honorable man and so in love with Andromeda!

According to the Ancient Greeks, the Pleiades were the seven daughters of Atlas, who held up the skies. Seven was the number of stars which the ancients could see, hence the name “Seven Sisters.” These girls were, as are all daddies’ daughters, excessively beautiful. And being beautiful, they had a suitor, the lusty hunter Orion. The problem was that the greedy man wanted them all. Daddy Atlas was not amused. My next astronomy post will be about how Daddy Atlas protected his little girls’ virtue from Orion.

Tune in next week for the ongoing, Ancient Greek, soap opera of the stars.

Happy viewing,

Frances
Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

All In the Family & The Siderial Year Marches On

In my last astronomy post, I told you how to find the Great Square of Pegasus, the winged horse upon which the ancient Greeks said Perseus rode to the rescue of the Princess Andromeda. Well, the Earth has moved along its yearly path and Pegasus is no longer in the eastern sky during the early evening. It’s now directly overhead, or as astronomers say, at zenith. About 9 PM, or 2100, for those of you on 24 hr time, step outside on a clear evening and look straight up. There Pegasus is, right over your head. This is the perfect time to pull out those old binoculars and take a look at the Andromeda Galaxy, two million light years distant. (Note: For your convenience, in the picture above, I have exaggerated the main stellar objects mentioned in this post.)

There are numerous other constellations which you can find by referencing Pegasus. As I told you, I think of the Andromeda constellation as the hind legs of Pegasus. Pegasus is immediately south of the Milky Way. Look just to the north of Andromeda, past the Andromeda Galaxy, and the next prominent grouping of stars which you will see is the Cassiopeia constellation. It’s obvious because it’s shaped like a “W”. She is usually depicted as sitting back on her throne admiring herself in a mirror. For some reason in the illustration below, she is holding a palm branch. Go figure. In any case, lovely lady she was to get her daughter into such trouble because of her vanity!

Cassiopeia sits right in the middle of the path of the Milky Way. This time of the year, the Milky Way stretches across the sky from the East to the West. If you look directly west from the “W” of Cassiopeia, the next bright star that you will see is Deneb, the tail feather of (Cygnus). Cygnus, the Swan, is flying down the Milky Way to meet Aquila, the Eagle, soon to set in the West. That bright star to the north of Cygnus and Aquila is Vega of the Lyra constellation. Remember the
Summer Triangle? It too is soon to set, and won’t be visible for many of us for the next six months.

Let’s get back to Cassiopeia and Andromeda. Cassiopeia mouthed off about how beautiful she was, and the gods took it out on Andromeda, declaring that she must be sacrificed to the sea monster. Now we can’t leave the fair maiden to a sea monster. He wouldn’t know what to do with a fair maiden anyway, would he? This is where Perseus comes into the picture... quite literally. Look to the northeast of Pegasus’s hind legs, or, if you will, Andromeda’s feet (the proper place for any man), and you will see a bright, crooked, curving “V” of stars. This is the mighty hero Perseus. Perseus was the son of the head guy of the Greek gods, Zeus, and of Danaë, a human princess. Perseus killed the snake haired monster, Medusa, and rode Pegasus to the rescue of Andromeda. They married and lived happily ever after.

An interesting little bit of trivia about Perseus: The tale of Perseus is the only story in all Greek mythology in which nothing negative is said about the hero. He is brave. He is handsome. And he is honorable. It is also the only Greek myth which gives its hero and heroine a happy ending... except, I’m still wondering about that mother-in-law.

If you have access to old movies, I think that you’ll find 1981’s CLASH OF THE TITANS, which covers this myth, to be lots of fun.

Happy viewing,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

A Flying Horse... Oh My!

One of the really spectacular sights of the fall night sky is now visible in the early evening eastern sky. The constellations of Pegesus and Andromeda are rising above the northeastern horizon immediately after dark. They'll be visible all through the Fall and into Winter, so enjoy.

The body of Pegasus is also one of the more easily recognized asterisms, and is known as the Great Square. You can see why in the picture. After locating the Great Square, look to the southernmost star of the square and you are at the beginning of Pegasus's neck. Just picture a horse's neck and head, and you will see stars on the curve of the neck, the top of the head, and the nose. The northernmost star of the square is shared with the Constellation of Andromeda. I can't help but think that Andromeda looks more like the hind legs of the horse, but I've always had horses on the brain.

Pegasus was the winged horse ridden by Perseus to rescue the Princess Andromeda from the sea monster after her mother, Cassiopea, mouthed off about being the most beautiful woman in the world. It just goes to show that one should never brag in front of a god or goddess. They just might be paying attention and take offense. Why the Greek gods picked on poor Andromeda, I've never been able to figure out; but, even the ancient Greeks never claimed that their gods were fair.

If you happen to have a good set of binoculars, now is the time to get them out. Look in the pictures above. Follow the stars of Andromeda (the hind legs of Pegasus) and half way to the heels (girl or horse), look just a little upwards toward the zenith. There you will see a blurry spot. That is the Andromeda Galaxy. It is the fartherest object that we can see with the naked human eye. It's two million light years away, and it's coming to get us. *EG* No, it really is coming this way... in several billing years, so you don't have to worry tonight. It's breathtakingly beautiful, and about twice the size of your Milky Way. Just go out and enjoy the view.

Pegasus and Andromeda are two of five constellations related by the same Greek myth. I will be writing in other posts about them, so come back for another visit. You're always welcome.

Happy viewing,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance
Real Love in a Real Future

Annd Heeereee's Sagittarius!!!

I think that I'm beginning to sound like Ed McMahon.

With the waning of the Moon, now is an excellent time for star gazing... that is, if you can see past the summertime haze, and city lights! Let's hope so.

This month, Sagittarius takes over center stage for the evening hours right after sunset.

Last month, I showed you how to find Scorpius. It has now progressed into the due South position, and will serve to show us the location of Sagittarius. After finding the great fish hook of Scorpius, look a little to the East. The next really bright object that you see is Jupiter. It is presently within the constellation of Sagittarius. Immediately to the West of Jupiter you will see a formation of stars that look like a 'teapot' (remember asterisms?). That is Sagittarius... well not all, but enough to know that you have found it.

To the ancient Greeks, Sagittarius was not just the Archer. He was the Centaur - who shot the Scorpion - who killed Orion - who... oh, never mind. Simply follow the top edge of the 'teapot's spout' (the arrow), and you will see that it points directly at Scorpius. There really is justice. The gods didn't allow Orion to go unavenged. *G*

However, myth is not the best thing about Sagittarius. When we look at Sagittarius, we are looking into the center of the Milky Way. The only reason that there is not an overwhelming glow from there is because there is so much dust between it and us. There is also a great, big, Black Hole there... eating, and eating... Cheery thought, huh? But, let your heart not be troubled. It is more than thirty thousand light years away. Even your grandchildren don't have to worry.

Happy viewing

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

The Eagle Has Landed...

Thirty-nine years ago, today, man first set foot on a celestial body other than Earth. I was a student in college in 1969 when Neil Armstrong first stepped from the Lunar Lander, Eagle onto the face of the Moon, uttering the famous words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

I have always loved this next picture of Buzz Aldrin, taken by Neil Armstrong. You can see the reflection of Armstrong in Aldrin's visor. Also you can see the reflection of the landing leg of the Eagle. I have cropped the picture somewhat in order that you see these reflections, but as a piece of photography, all I can say is, "Wow!"

It boggled my mind then; and, the fact that the foot print that you see here is still on the surface of the Moon today, continues to amaze me. Now when we look up at the Moon, we can actually say, we've been there. How cool is that? Hmmm... But with the price of gas what it is now, I can't see really myself going in the near future. I guess that I will have to live vicariously through my characters' adventures.

I hope that some of you will someday travel to the stars.

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

The Summer Triangle...

Asterism: No, an asterism isn’t something vulgar. An asterism is a distinctive group of stars, but not a recognized constellation. The Big Dipper is an asterism within the Ursa Major constellation. In my experience, it’s often easier to spot the asterism and then puzzle out the constellation/s.

Tonight, through the magic of digital exaggeration, err...I mean manipulation, and the courtesy of Starry Night, I bring you one of the great asterisms of the summer sky – The Summer Triangle!
Soon after dark, look into the eastern sky. You will see one very bright star, Vega, and two more stars, lower down, that are not quite so bright. They are Deneb, to the North, and Altair, to the South. They form a huge right triangle, with Vega at the top right angle. This grouping of stars dominates the Northern Hemisphere’s summer sky and spans the Milky Way. Those of you in the Southern Hemisphere will see it rise in the extreme North East.

As the evening progresses, and more stars appear, you should be able to see the three constellations that make up the Summer Triangle asterism. Vega is the anchor star of the Lyra (Lyre) Constellation. To the ancient Greeks, this was Orpheus’s magic harp, you know, the grandmother of J.K Rowling’s Hogwarts’ harp. Deneb is the tail feathers of Cygnus (the Swan) flying down the middle of the Milky Way. Follow the line of stars south from Deneb, which looks like a cross within the Summer Triangle, and you and you have all of Cygnus, who was either Orpheus, trying to get his harp back, or Zeus, out for an illicit tryst with Leda. It all depended upon who you listen to.

The last bright star of the Summer Triangle is Altair. It is the north point of a diamond shaped constellation named Aquila (the Eagle), which is flying up the side of the Milky Way toward Cygnus. Altair is the head or beak of Aquila as Zeus, again out for an illicit tryst, but this time with Ganymede, a Trojan boy. Looks to me like he dropped the poor kid, but what can you expect from a pervert. Zeus was a randy old goat, and not especially particular about where he randied. He was one of our original shape shifters, and I don’t think that it’s any wonder that his wife, Hera, was always in a murderous mood. You’ve really got to have sympathy for the woman even if she was a goddess.

Have fun, and happy viewing,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

BLOGGING... The Ongoing Saga

Why am I doing this? It takes a lot of time!

Well, I'll tell you. Number One: Shameless Self Promotion. Yes, I know, sad but it's true. I am an aspiring writer. This is a business. I am soon going to have a manuscript to present to agents and editors. The first question that most agents and editors will ask is, "Do you have a web site or blog?"

Agents and editors want to know: 1) what an author's writing voice is like; 2) how an author will present themselves to the public; and 3) is an author is willing to help with his/her promotion. Do you begin to see a pattern here? Agents and editors!

But who else? You. I want to put my writing and name before you. If you like what I write here, perhaps you will look forward to reading my book when it's published. If you like what I write here, perhaps you will comment on my posts, and I will have a new friend. Therefore, I work really hard at making this blog a pleasant place to visit on your web rounds.

Artistically, it must be attractive, easy to navigate, and fun. Fonts need to be large enough to be easily read by anyone. Content must be applicable, and fun. My emphasis is on the business of becoming a published author. Next, I like to post about astronomy because it is fun and plays such a large part in my Science Fiction Romance. Today, I have added a cool widget on the phases of the Moon (another fun). Also, I love my pets and my garden, so you'll just have to put up with occasional post about them because I think that they are fun. See another pattern forming? I get a serious charge out of meeting people from around the world as they stop in and enjoy this blog with me. It is even better when you comment.

Frances Writes is step number one on my Promotion Game Plan. If you are an aspiring writer, develop your own Promotion Game Plan.

Happy blogging,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

Scorpius Encore...

I said Friday that I would post another image of Scorpius. I had to play around with this image from Starry Night to get it to reproduce where you can see it online. That involved exaggerating the stars of the constellation so that they can be seen on your monitor somewhat similarly to what the naked eye will see. Black rectangles in blogs excite less than no interest. *G* The bright reddish star is Antares. The bright object to the far left of the picture is Jupiter. The diagonal smudge behind the hook of Scorpius is the Milky Way as it appears on an exceptionally dark and clear night. This is the way the sky will look tonight, just after 2300 CST.



Happy viewing,



Frances



Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real love in a Real Future