For those following Comet ISON (or C/2012-S1, named for the ISON Observatory in Russia, where it was discovered, also called Comet Nevski–Novichonok after the comrades who first spotted it), ISON reached perihelion Thursday, disappearing behind the Sun for a few hours.
Its proximity to the Sun was so close — about 12% of the Earth-Sun distance — that astronomers were writing its obituary yesterday when a fragment of the object emerged from behind the Sun several hours later, seeming to be significantly smaller with a bunch of it having been cooked off.
ISON was discovered more than a year ago, on Sept. 21, 2012. But it remained a fairly uneventful discovery till it started having outbursts of gas and other material on Nov. 1 and then again on Nov. 13, making it much more visible.
Many people ask about the astrology of comets, which is a speciality of its own — one that hardly anybody practices, since comets are so rare, and most people cannot remember what they had for breakfast. With comets we are in the region of ‘signs and omens’ rather than standard interpretations.
Their orbits are typically so weird (off the ecliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic), and so difficult to plot exactly, that we don’t usually have a longitude position for them and hence cannot declare them to be a creature of some zodiac sign or another.
I think of them as demarcation points in history — manifestations that say ‘this moment is meaningful now, for reasons that will be obvious now, if you look’. Notably, it was discovered in the very last days of the Mayan 13th baktun. The Western astrology chart for the discovery is somewhat unremarkable, though I have not been able to identify a discovery time, which might help clarify things.
However, there is a T-square in the chart between Venus in Leo, Mars in Scorpio and Nessus in Aquarius — a little reminder of all the Venus and Mars stuff (emotional, sexual) that underlies all of our society’s woes, including things like school shootings (and our response to them). The closest aspect in the chart is Venus in Leo trine Pholus in Sagittarius. That, actually, is really interesting, and I will let you know what it means when my astrology muses clue me in.
The comet’s discovery, its presumed loss and then its reemergence suggests that it’s a good idea to keep developing and transforming good ideas, even when all hope seems lost — they may emerge on the other side of the orbit in a new form.
I’ll be up before dawn looking anyway. There is always something to see, and we still have Comet Lovejoy.
Here it is in APOD photo’d by everyone’ awesome Facebook Friend, astrophotographer Damian Peach
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131202.html
Comet Lovejoy has a facebook page too: Comet C/2013 R1 Lovejoy
You can find it in the predawn sky by scanning the arc of the Big Dippers handle toward Acturus. It’s an unmistakably fuzzy object in binocs.
One dawn in late November I saw three comets at once: Lovejoy, ISON, and Linear. Encke was there, but too low in brightening dawn for me to discern.
I confess. I am an astrogeek. I go to star parties. I even joined an astronomy club once upon a time.
I belive it IS. And still conceivable..
I also would like to submit some valuable information I read somewhere once. Any information from nasa should be taken with a grain of salt. nasa is actually an abbreviation for never-a-straight-answer.
oh my goodness — do read the funny-but-sad “obituary” for comet ISON written by a NASA astrophysicist:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248202813/comet-ison-is-no-more-nasa-says
Comet ISON: disintegration through full illumination from the Sun. Amazing!
One of the greatest gifts I found through the depths of Scorpio was experiencing that the greatest adventure is the journey inwards: beyond ‘thinking feelings’, beyond ‘feeling thoughts’ to ‘feeling feelings’ in the fullness of their power, with the mind able only to witness and take a few notes here and there when coming up for air.
For me, the joy of the sight of the shooting star is knowing that its moment can never be repeated. I am reminded of the potentials that are always all around. I am reminded to live with the knowledge that to see a shooting star my eyes have to face the sky, and that to appreciate it it is my choice to live with an open heart.
Astronomically, Comet ISON has fulfilled its mission, and will not return to the Oort Cloud with a message from the sun.
http://spaceweather.com/
However, the energy of its trajectory astrologically carries the message. Thank you P. Sophia for your sharing.
We can add the layer of metaphor represented by annihilation, and disintegration. I don’t think it is a negative message spiritually, though the ego resists.
We’ve had clouds and fogs in the wildnerness here for days, so I have not seen even a wisp of comet dust in my binoculars.
Thank you all, for this.
To me witnessing comets and shooting stars create some of the most magical moments because their transits are so ephemeral. I found a beautiful poem yesterday. Here are the last two verses.
If you want to change the world, love a man, really love him
Encourage him, feed him, allow him, hear him, hold him, heal him
And you, in turn, will be nourished and supported and protected
By strong arms and clear thoughts and focused arrows
Because he can, if you let him, be all that you dream
If you want to love a man, love yourself, love your father
Love your brother, your son, your ex-partner; from the first boy you kissed,
To the last one you wept over
Give thanks for the gifts; of your unraveling to this meeting
Of the one who stands before you now
And find in him the seed to all that’s new and solar
A seed that you can feed to help direct the planting
To grow a new world, together
~Anonymous~
P. Sophia – your post takes the discussion on Ixon even deeper. I am grateful to you xx
Eric: Thank you for this. I am so glad to learn ISON made it round the Sun. I was wondering what happened.
I hear it will reappear to be visible at dawn in the eastern sky around December 7 through Mid January as it heads away from the sun and the center of our (inner) solar system. On it’s way to December 26 where it will be closest to the earth.
Comets leave a message according to the path they take is what I am learning.
After it’s discovery in September 2012 and doing countless retrograde loops around the head of Sidereal Gemini, to constellation, Twins Castor and Pollux, (consummation/immortality). ISON’s last retrograde loop was April 7th during the Venus Mars-Eris Synodic synodic scynconization. Is this timing a coincidence?
What is he picking up? Or rather what message is he leaving us on his journey here?
So far, from what I have read and understood from the Sidereal charting of ISON on its way here it has already had passed among others and had conjuctions with Ceres, Mars, Venus, Mercury’s retrograde in June, Varuna in July and then passed close to Mars last month. Before his reaching round the Sun he conjoined with Saturn in Sidereal Libra on the most Southern star of the Libra scales and Southern claw of the Scorpion.
Then in November his path turned precisely on our eclipse point (of last April/May).
Is this not a sign?
According to Nick Anthony Forenzia this happened precisely over the constellation, Dschuba. “Dschuba says if you want to change directions, change directions. ISON dramatically points this out!” To continue in paraphrase “…the theme
thus far…is about about Karmic Responsibility and patterns of the past.”
Now on ISONS approach towards Earth, here are some of the interpretation points
from a novice – me. (Please feel free to add to, correct or change any as needed):
On December 16 ISON’s passage is by way of Marsic of Herules and then on to Coraoa Borealis, or the Northern Crown.
In Greek Mythology symbolizing a crown in the heavens to commemorate the wedding between Dionysus (epiphany, “the god that comes”) to Ariadne (”Most Holy”).
And/or, interestingly in Arabic mythology, the constellation was known as “the bowl of the poor people”.
Finally, on December 26th 2013, ISON heads East messaging by earth into Hercules (representing a hero’s birth).
Nine months later the seed is born!
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/02/248202813/comet-ison-is-no-more-nasa-says
Sometimes the scientists have an interesting take on these things