Note to Readers: Aug. 30 was the 20th anniversary of the discovery of a new region of space — the Kuiper Belt. That’s the region of space immediately beyond the orbit of Neptune. I covered this discovery in a subscriber article two weeks ago. One of our contributors, Alex Miller, has written a new article on a related topic, which we’re sharing with all readers. Alex is a specialist in these newly discovered small objects, and also in deep space points. –efc
By Alex Miller
As we stand (or sit; by all means, make yourself comfortable!) on our tiny blue planet and stare out at the cosmos, there is much we can intuit just by its structure and organization, from our perspective. In the astrophysical metaphysics of the solar system, as in real estate, it’s about three things: location, location, location!
Our solar system is comprised of several component parts that can be broken down into groups and sub-groups based upon their make-up, appearance and celestial address. First, there are objects both visible and invisible to the naked eye.
The visible objects of our system, Sun through Saturn and including our Moon, represent tangibles, those things in our lives that are apparent and of material or verifiable substance. They are with us daily in an obvious, in-your-face, often physical way, giving us something to grab on to as we structure and navigate our lives.
The invisible objects, those points beyond Saturn and in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, represent facets of our lives which run deeper, less within our conscious control or understanding, more ethereal, intangible or difficult to pin down. This includes both things for which we need the cooperation and assistance of others, and those which are beyond the reach of any mortal to affect.
Among the visible objects, we can sub-classify further, based on planetary composition. The Sun, of course, stands alone as the center of our system, the fiery hydrogen furnace which brings light and life to our world. The Moon is a special case also, as our sole satellite, the only thing in the cosmos over which our world exercises any direct control.