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For the Northern Hemisphere August 22 - September 22, 2010 All times are local unless otherwise specified. Look Up!
Planetary Treats
Saturn is sinking out of sight toward the setting Sun. The planet's low altitude and the solar glare make it challenging to see after the first week of September. Saturn sets in the beginning of Virgo at 9:00pm and at 7:45pm by its end. As Saturn drifts away from Venus and Mars toward our central luminary, a new sunset triangle forms. The trio consists of Venus, Mars and Spica, the brightest star of Virgo the Virgin. They can be seen to the left of Saturn, our Lord of the Rings. Use binoculars to view and fully appreciate the subtle hues of rouge-gold Mars, bluish Spica and yellowish Saturn.
Saturn's telescopic rings are tilting open, revealing more and more of their northern face. Generate images of Saturn's ring tilt as seen from Earth with the Solar System Simulator. [Return to Menu at top]
Venus and Mars pair up near Spica, the brightest star of Virgo the Virgin. This new shapeshifting triangle can be seen low on the west-southwest horizon soon after sunset. Venus and Mars, sinking in altitude, set around 9:30pm at the beginning of Virgo and at 8:30pm by its end. Review the 8/23 and 8/29 maps found in the Saturn section above, as well as this 8/31 8pm Map showing Venus and Spica at their closest. By September 5 (left map just above) Spica lies between Mars and Venus; September 10-11 (right map) Spica lies to their right; the young Moon nearby is an added visual delight. Again, binoculars bring out the best in these sunset performers. With clear skies, an unobstructed horizon, right timing and an optical aid you'll be sure to enjoy the show. Venus is moving closer to Earth growing bigger and brighter, while Mars is moving away and diminishing in size and brightness. Venus pierces the twilit sky and brilliantly blazes in a dark sky until it disappears below the horizon. Venus achieves greatest brilliancy September 23 at magnitude -4.8. 9/23 7:30pm Map Dim Mars at magnitude 1.5 can only be seen as the sky darkens. The star companion of the two planets, blue-white Spica, at magnitude 1.0 is only a little brighter than our Red Planet. Venus has phases like the Moon, which are easily observed with any telescope. You can see them and more in this Venus 2010 Animation. As Venus gets closer to Earth and bigger in disk size its illuminated phase decreases. These changes, distance/disk/phase, are clearly demonstrated in The Phases of Venus animation. During Virgo Venus wanes from a 48%-27% illuminated Crescent. Venus is in inferior conjunction October 28. Image the Phase & Apparent Disk Size of Venus Reflections
~ Shapeshifting Above and Below Venus, Mars and Spica, creating a new shapeshifting sunset triangle in the constellation of Virgo the Virgin, are also shapeshifting humanity. Though these celestial bodies sink below the western horizon not long after sunset, they shine down upon us during the daylight hours affecting our daily activities. These two planets and brightest star of Virgo are brewing an evolutionary elixir within the Virgin's celestial chalice and therefore within humanity. As above so below. Compare Spica's position in the August maps above to the September maps above. Spica, symbolizing the sacred womb of the Virgin's heavenly Holy Grail, accepts and nourishes the seed of Arcturus, the savior avatar. This seed of divinity, residing in Virgo and therefore within humanity, contains the life force of the Big Dipper's 7 Rishis. Helpful Star Map Spica nourishes and protects these energies until spiritual birth can occur. During the sign of Virgo (8/22-9/22) Spica also synthesizes the female energies of Venus and the male energies of Mars with each other and with these 7 great streams of force, the qualities of Deity. To understand this is to recognize that each and every one of us is experiencing some level of this synthesis within our being. As this potent potion percolates, the passionate driving will of Mars the warrior is unifying/cooperating with the understanding creative wisdom of Venus the goddess of Love; both are being imbued with divine qualities from on High, and the hidden essential divinity of humanity is purposefully being midwived into manifestation.
Saturn now residing near the neck of the Virgin is also influencing this spiritual birthing process. Saturn positioned anywhere in Virgo the Virgin conceives the structures that exteriorize the unfolding Christ consciousness. During the sign of Virgo the Virgin (8/22-9/22), a divine re-union between humankind's male and female energies and the inner spirit and outer form is taking place in both the constellation of Virgo and within our being. Our innate divinity, accentuated now by the interaction Venus, Mars and Spica, is awakening and also coming into manifestation. Drink of the Virgin's evolutionary elixir and potent potion. Shapeshift from Homo sapien to Homo luminous! Learn more about Venus and Mars above. [Return to Menu at top]
Out of the Ordinary Jupiter at Its Best
Jupiter is at peak visablity for 2010 in September. The planet rises in the east at the beginning of Virgo at 9:00pm and by its end at 7:00pm. It travels high above the southern horizon as the night progresses, sinking low in the west around sunrise. Jupiter is the brightest point of light in the morning sky and in the evening sky after Venus sets.
Jupiter and the Moon August 24-27 large Luna is a delight near Jupiter. 8/24-27 9:30pm Sky Chart August 26 waning Gibbous Luna and Jupiter are at their closest approach. 8/26 11:30pm Map Click Moon Dances for meditative reflections and an additional sky map. September 23 an encore lunar performance brings the Harvest Full Moon in close proximity to Jupiter. 9/23 9pm Map Jupiter and Uranus Jupiter lies in the dim constellation of Pisces and pairs up with Uranus, which at magnitude 5.7 is now easily seen with binoculars and without an optical aid in a dark sky. Jupiter's retrograde motion 7/23-11/17 is moving it westward, back toward Uranus. Uranus and Jupiter are in exact conjunction September 18 at 6:07pm (01:07 UT 9/19). As a result, Uranus reaches opposition just 5 hours after Jupiter, so both planets are at peak visablity all night long September 21. Telescopic Jupiter Viewing Jupiter with a telescope promises to be an adventure. Any size telescope will reveal Jupiter's missing South Equatorial Belt or perhaps the "SEB Revival" ... the night the stripe returns! In addition seeing nearby Uranus with a telescope or binoculars is a special 2-for-one planetary treat! Both planets, growing in size as they near Earth, also lend themselves to better observations. The four Galilean Moons, the largest and brightest satellites of Jupiter can be seen in a dark country sky with binoculars. They appear starlike on either side of the planet. With a telescope you just might see one of these cast a shadow on the Jovian cloud tops. Jupiter’s
Moons Jupiter ~ The Fun To Watch Planet Transit Times of Jupiter's Great Red Spot [Return to Menu at top]
Mercury Reappears in the East
Mercury, as it switches from the evening to the morning sky, is hidden from our view by the bright light of the Sun. This elusive planet reappears above the sunrise horizon around mid-September. Begin looking in the east before dawn as early as September 13. Mercury rises in the east around 5:30am and remains close to the horizon until sunrise. The planet positioned below Regulus, the heart star of Leo the Lion, brightens with each new day. However, after achieving greatest elongation September 19, it begins to sink back toward the Sun. When Mercury begins to leave the evening sky it appears to move backwards among the stars, to the west instead of to the east. This westerly motion is called a retrograde. Mercury is retrograde August 20 - September 12. When leaving the evening sky, Mercury sinks into the light of the Sun and exactly conjoins the Sun in inferior conjunction September 3. This conjunction marks the planet's transition from the evening to the morning sky and the mid-point of its retrograde. The planet ascends out of the solar glare and reappears in the morning sky in mid-September. Mercury halts its 21-day retrograde motion September 12 when it is stationary direct at 4:09pm PDT (23:09 UT).
During this time Mercury the messenger of the gods and Leo the Lion are requiring that we re-evaluate our relationship with the soul, the Will and Power of essential divinity. Review map above to see Mercury and Leo the Lion. The
Planets
Celestial Delights The Sun Changes Celestial Hemispheres The Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere occurs Wednesday, September 22, at 8:09pm PDT (03:09 UT 9/23), when the Sun enters the sign of Libra. It is one of the two days of the year that the Sun moves across the celestial equator. The
Autumn Equinox
Have an Awesome Autumn!
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