Orbs, orbits and orreries...

---

Anyone with an orrey [edit: orrery FFS!] will see the two biggest planets in our solar system as close as they have seemed in December, "Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer in Earth's night sky than they have since 1226 A.D."; only about 1 degree apart for us looking up. OK, the close alignment of these two planets happens every 20 years or so.* "But it's not always in December and it's been nearly 800 years—we're talking Middle Ages—since they got this close. 

"Technically, the two largest planets in our solar system will still be hundreds of millions of miles apart. But Dec. 21, from our vantage point, they'll look like they're nearly touching, creating a radiant point of light that's being dubbed the Christmas Star, or Star of Bethlehem, for obvious reasons."

"The lousiest year in living memory will end with an offering of heavenly wonder: a Christmas Star."

Also, it is the winter solstice so I suppose of course this alignment could be a brighter Saturnalia than usual if that's your thing (plenty of Romans about!) or shining for Juul (even more pagans!) etc...

* ...actually 19.86 years for the average frequency of a great conjunction so the last one was on 10.2.01 and today is 21.12.20...ooooh. 

Orbs, orbits and orreries...

---

Anyone with an orrey [edit: orrery FFS!] will see the two biggest planets in our solar system as close as they have seemed in December, "Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer in Earth's night sky than they have since 1226 A.D."; only about 1 degree apart for us looking up. OK, the close alignment of these two planets happens every 20 years or so.* "But it's not always in December and it's been nearly 800 years—we're talking Middle Ages—since they got this close. 

"Technically, the two largest planets in our solar system will still be hundreds of millions of miles apart. But Dec. 21, from our vantage point, they'll look like they're nearly touching, creating a radiant point of light that's being dubbed the Christmas Star, or Star of Bethlehem, for obvious reasons."

"The lousiest year in living memory will end with an offering of heavenly wonder: a Christmas Star."

Also, it is the winter solstice so I suppose of course this alignment could be a brighter Saturnalia than usual if that's your thing (plenty of Romans about!) or shining for Juul (even more pagans!) etc...

* ...actually 19.86 years for the average frequency of a great conjunction so the last one was on 10.2.01 and today is 21.12.20...ooooh. 

October's over III...

---

Tonight is Halloween and it is also a full moon, the Hunter's Moon...spooky eh? No, it has to happen of course but the "last time this happened was back in 1944. And it will not happen again until 2039!" What I bet you didn't know is that when a full moon falls on Halloween it is ALWAYS a blue moon; it has to be. "The first full moon that follows the autumn equinox is called the Harvest Moon"..."Typically, the next full moon that follows the Harvest Moon is called the Hunter’s Moon. But this year it is also called a Blue Moon. As both events occur within the same month." [LINK] This latter relies on the 'modern tradition' of what is a blue moon, they always been something rare but not always just the second full moon within a calendar month, which is how we think of it [origin of the phrase].

In case you're wondering (and as per first link above) , yes, most of the full moons have names.

 

Update: Talking about the moon, I didn't realise until today that 'Operation Moonshot' (UK Gov's rapid turnaround coronavirus testing programme) has been quietly put down.

October's over III...

---

Tonight is Halloween and it is also a full moon, the Hunter's Moon...spooky eh? No, it has to happen of course but the "last time this happened was back in 1944. And it will not happen again until 2039!" What I bet you didn't know is that when a full moon falls on Halloween it is ALWAYS a blue moon; it has to be. "The first full moon that follows the autumn equinox is called the Harvest Moon"..."Typically, the next full moon that follows the Harvest Moon is called the Hunter’s Moon. But this year it is also called a Blue Moon. As both events occur within the same month." [LINK] This latter relies on the 'modern tradition' of what is a blue moon, they always been something rare but not always just the second full moon within a calendar month, which is how we think of it [origin of the phrase].

In case you're wondering (and as per first link above) , yes, most of the full moons have names.

 

Update: Talking about the moon, I didn't realise until today that 'Operation Moonshot' (UK Gov's rapid turnaround coronavirus testing programme) has been quietly put down.

Ows obambulation: orrery, odometers and origami...

---

You may have noticed but this month is "is about as good as it gets for planet watching!" [EarthSky]. You've probably noticed the two most obvious: Venus and Jupiter that are bright - in the west - for nearly four hours after sunset. A very slight "alignment" but nothing like the planetary alignment that people say (they're totally wrong) will accompany the 2012 Doomsday Scare later this year when the Mayan calendar 'runs out' (on December 21st 2012 it will display the equivalent of a string of zeros, like an odometer clicking over from 999,999). Anyway, obambulation - a word I love and have used many time here - means 'wandering' and I'm all over the place here: a model of planetary alignment is called an orrery and I made one as a child from paper, it was a mess; today the Google Doodle was celebrating what would have been the 101st birthday of Akira Yoshizawa, probably the most famous origami master: an "Origami artist of stunning originality who became an ambassador for Japanese culture and his art", follow this link for the story of when he got his biggest break: Link: pdf.

Ows obambulation: orrery, odometers and origami...

---

You may have noticed but this month is "is about as good as it gets for planet watching!" [EarthSky]. You've probably noticed the two most obvious: Venus and Jupiter that are bright - in the west - for nearly four hours after sunset. A very slight "alignment" but nothing like the planetary alignment that people say (they're totally wrong) will accompany the 2012 Doomsday Scare later this year when the Mayan calendar 'runs out' (on December 21st 2012 it will display the equivalent of a string of zeros, like an odometer clicking over from 999,999). Anyway, obambulation - a word I love and have used many time here - means 'wandering' and I'm all over the place here: a model of planetary alignment is called an orrery and I made one as a child from paper, it was a mess; today the Google Doodle was celebrating what would have been the 101st birthday of Akira Yoshizawa, probably the most famous origami master: an "Origami artist of stunning originality who became an ambassador for Japanese culture and his art", follow this link for the story of when he got his biggest break: Link: pdf.