January/February 2002
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Nehemia
Gordon from Jerusalem Israel compiled the following New Moon Report for the
month of January and the beginning of the 11th month on the Hebrew
Calendar.
“On
Monday January 14, 2002 the New Moon was not seen from Israel. Observers across the country reported that
they were unable to see the New Moon.
Cloud coverage was visible on the horizon all over the country.
The
astronomical conditions on Jan 14 were “borderline” meaning that modern
astronomy cannot tell us whether the moon would have been visible or not given
good weather conditions. In light of
this we are observing this month based on the raw 30th-day-observation. Raw 30th-day-observation means
that if the moon is seen on the 30th day (around sunset concluding
the 29th day), the month begins that evening, if not, the month
begins the following evening by default.
A second report will be sent out with tomorrow night’s observations as
soon as they are available.
Borderline
moons are a rare occurrence that happen about once a year. Notable cases were Oct 2001 and Sep 2000.
On
15 January 2002 the New Moon was sighted from Israel. Magdi Shamuel saw the moon for an extended period from Azur and
later from Ashdod. Daniel Mark sighted
the moon at 17:50 from Givat Yearim (near Jerusalem).”
The
New Moon for the beginning of the 12th Hebrew month Adar is expected
to be sighted near sunset on February 13.
The
March issue of Biblical Astronomy will not be sent out until right after the
Barley report is received from Jerusalem, which should be by the end of the
second week in March. The March issue
will not be as late as the January issue, which I sincerely apologize for. Please forgive me.
The following article is
from Karaite Korner Newsletter #89 dated January 8, 2002.
Abib
and the Beginning of the Biblical Year – “The beginning of the Biblical
year is dependent on the ripening of the barley in the Land of Israel. If the barley is not ripe during Hag
HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) there can be no Omer (wave-sheaf) offering
in the Temple since this offering consists of “a sheaf of the firstfruits of
your harvest” (Lev 23:10). If the
barley is not ripe during Hag HaMatzot there can be no 50-day countdown to
Shavout (Pentecost) since this countdown begins at “such time as thou beginnest
to put the sickle to the corn” (Dt 16:9).
For the barley to be ripe during Hag HaMatzot it must at least be
Abib by the beginning of the Month. If
the barley is not Abib by the beginning of the month then that month is by
definition not the First Month, as is written: “Keep the month of the Abib so
that you may perform the Passover [sacrifice] to YHWH your God” (Dt 16:1).
This
year the 12th month ends at sunset on March 15 and therefore we will
be searching for the Abib on March 14 and 15, allowing it the maximum amount of
time to Mature.”
See
the April 2001 issue of Biblical Astronomy for more information on the
Abib of the barley.
An asteroid with the designated name
2001 YB5 just missed striking the earth on January 7, 2001. The asteroid was discovered on December 26,
2001, just 12 days before it streaked by the earth traveling at a velocity of
around 68,000 miles-per-hour. The size
of the asteroid was estimated to be between 220 and 490 meters across.
Chart 245 shows the orbital
paths of the asteroid, Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury and the positions of the
earth and the asteroid on January 1, 2002.
Chart 246 shows the positions of the earth and the asteroid on
January 7 when the asteroid reached its closest approach to Earth. The names of the two here are
overlapped. Chart 247 is a
zoomed in view from a different angle of the earth, moon and asteroid at its
closest approach. The earth crossed the
path of the asteroid 8 hours after the asteroid crossed the path of the
earth. If the asteroid came 8 hours
later it would have been very disastrous. Considering
that the earth reaches that point in its orbit every 365.24 days and the
asteroid reaches that
point in its orbit every 1,327.42 days, 8 hours is a very close shave.
For those who have Internet
connection, I made a Quicktime movie (animation) of this event, which you can
see by clicking here Near Miss if you have Quicktime. If you don’t have Quicktime you can get it
for free off the Internet at
www.apple.com/quicktime/download
The movie covers a 12 hour and 20
minute period of time in real time (movie lasts about 12 seconds). The date and time are shown in the upper
left corner of the screen and the time progresses as the animation progresses.
The following article on the
asteroid is by Margaret Jurro and Joe Brean, National Post, Canada, January 8,
2002
ASTEROID MISSES EARTH BY A
COSMIC WHISKER
“Between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago, a small asteroid about 24 metres
in diameter struck the Earth and formed this crater in Arizona that measures
1.2 km in diameter. The discovery of fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite
helped prove the feature was in fact an impact crater.
An asteroid packing
the power of hundreds of nuclear bombs and capable of wiping out a major
country hurtled past Earth early yesterday in what astronomers say was a close
call. The giant space rock, known as 2001 YB5 and believed to be between 220
and 490 metres across, was only twice as far away as the moon as it sped by
Earth at about 1:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Experts said the distance --
about 600,000 kilometres -- is a whisker in cosmic terms, and the rock would
have caused global chaos had it smacked the planet.
"It could have vaporized the core of a city like Toronto,
leaving a crater two to three kilometres across and creating a huge fireball
and shock wave that would have knocked you off your feet in Vancouver,"
says University of Victoria astronomer Dave Balam, who has been tracking
asteroids for 25years. He and other astronomers say the dust cloud kicked up by
such an impact could have exacted a huge global toll, triggering crop failures
and climate changes that could have been felt for years. "Such an object
could literally wipe out a medium-sized country if it impacted and lead to a
global economic meltdown," said British asteroid expert Benny Peiser, at
Liverpool John Moores University.
Even worse, the asteroid
could have crashed into the ocean, unleashing devastating tsunamis. Had YB5
splashed down in the Pacific, low-lying coastal cities and communities from
Canada to Australia could have been hit, causing millions of deaths, says
Professor Peter Brown at the University of Western Ontario, who studies such
space menaces.
While asteroid YB5 is now
safely past Earth, Prof. Brown and other scientists say the fly-by is a
reminder of how vulnerable the planet is to the huge wayward rocks that
periodically come flying out of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Thousands of asteroids the size of YB5 are believed to be flying though space
but there is little information on their orbits, Prof. Brown said. As in the
case of YB5, they just suddenly appear on the radar screen.
YB5 was only spotted heading
toward Earth on Boxing Day by a Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking survey telescope
on Mount Palomar in California. NASA designated the asteroid "potentially
hazardous," a designation that applies to any object larger than 150 metres
that will come within 7.5 million kilometres of our planet, says Don Yeomans,
manager of NASA's Near Earth Object Program office.
By studying the light
reflecting off the rock, scientists estimate it is travelling at 30.6
kilometres a second. If it hit, Mr. Yeomans says, the impact would have weighed
in at 6,000 megatonnes.
Astronomers stress that at no
point did they think the asteroid would crash into Earth -- a good thing, as
there was too little time to have done anything to deflect or destroy the
asteroid. "It is a reminder of what is going to happen unless we track
them more efficiently than we do and make better preparations to defend our
planet," Dr. Peiser said.
U.S. and British astronomers
have been improving efforts to track potentially hazardous asteroids. But a key
component of the international effort -- Mr. Balam's asteroid- tracking program
in Victoria -- was shut down three weeks ago because of a lack of funding and
support. "We just couldn't keep it up," says Mr. Balam, noting how
the program operated on a shoestring budget for years.
The National Research Council
contributed time on its telescope in Victoria more than 100 nights a year, and
a U.S. foundation had been covering Mr. Balam's salary as he tracked small
asteroids and fed the information to the international asteroid tracking
community. The U.S. funding was cut last year and no Canadian money could be
found to replace it, despite an endorsement from the Canadian Space Agency's
meteorites and impacts advisory committee, which wanted the program to survive.
"It's really an
incredible loss to Canadian planetary science, and a big loss to the
international community," says Prof. Brown, who sits on the committee. He
says Mr. Balam is one of the world's premier asteroid trackers. "People
like Dave are a national treasure," said Prof. Alan Hildebrand, at the
University of Calgary, who chairs the CSA committee.
Astronomers are becoming
increasingly vocal about the risks of asteroid collision, saying Earth has
simply had a long run of good luck in escaping big cosmic debris. NASA's main
focus is on identifying asteroids between one and 10 kilometres across. The
number of these is estimated at 700 [more likely 1000], plus or minus 230 [we
have already found more than 700-230=470!]. That leaves the vast majority of
space objects, which are under one kilometre, still to be detected and tracked.
An asteroid believed to be
about 10 kilometres across mashed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 65 million
years ago, killing the dinosaurs and much other life on Earth. That impact is
believed to have triggered a firestorm and a dust cloud that obscured sunlight
around the planet for decades. The space rock that flew by yesterday was
"not in the same game," said Prof. Hildebrand, who helped prove a
giant asteroid killed off the dinosaurs. But Prof. Hildebrand says smaller
rocks -- like 2001 YB5 -- pose a real threat and should be tracked, since it
might be possible to divert those bound for Earth.
In 1908, an asteroid
believed to have been about 60 metres across exploded over Siberia with the
force of 600 times the Hiroshima bomb, reducing a 40-kilometre wide patch of
forest to matchwood.
David Jewitt, an astronomer
at the University of Hawaii at Honolulu, has estimated there is a 1% chance the
Earth will be struck by a 300-metre asteroid sometime this century. "Such
an impact would deliver a withering 1,000- megatonne explosion and cause
perhaps 100,000 deaths," he said, adding that in a densely populated area,
such as the U.S. eastern seaboard or Western Europe, the fatalities could rise
into tens of millions.”
The below chart shows the
position of the asteroid in the constellation Ara at the moment of the
asteroid’s closest approach to the earth. 
The constellation is an
alter of fire tipped upside down with its flames pointed toward Earth. In the Northern Hemisphere the constellation
is seen low on the horizon with its flames touching the earth. Its main theme is God’s coming judgment and Consuming
fire prepared for His enemies.
Revelation 8:1-9 makes mention of this alter as well as a great mountain
burning with fire cast into the sea.
“And
when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the
space of half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels
which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
And another angel came and
stood at the Alter, having a golden censer; and there was given him much
incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints upon the golden
alter which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints,
ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the
alter, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings,
and lightnings, and an earthquake.
And the seven angels which
had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
The first angel sounded, and
there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the
earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt
up.
And the second angel
sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was
cast into the sea: and a third part of the sea became blood. And the third part of the creatures which
were in the sea that had life, died; and the third part of the ships were
destroyed.”
By the grace of God the
earth escaped being struck by a “great mountain” this time. But perhaps this event is meant to serve as
a reminder that this scripture will be fulfilled at some date in the
future. God’s wrath is reserved for His
enemies, not His people. Those who are
in the Messiah are saved from the wrath to come. Since those who are in the Messiah are still on the planet, the
events of Revelation 8 could not happen at this time.
JUPITER
AT OPPOSITION
The planet Jupiter reached opposition and its closest approach to the
earth for the year on January 1, 2001.
At that time Jupiter (Tzedek – The Lord our Righteousness) was
also shining at its brightest magnitude for the year. Chart 248 shows the position of Jupiter in the
constellation Gemini at the time of opposition. Jupiter was in near conjunction with the
star Mebsuta, which means treading under foot, at that time.
ANOTHER OCCULTATION OF
SATURN AND JUPITER
On January 24, 2001 Saturn was seen being occulted (covered) by the
moon from southern Japan and Equatorial Africa. This event was not observable from Israel or the United
States. Chart 249 shows the
positions of the moon and Saturn in the constellation Taurus near the
eye of the ream during the occultation.
On January 26, 2001 Jupiter was seen being occulted by
the moon from northern Europe. This
event was not observable from Israel or the United States. Chart 250 shows the positions of the
moon and Jupiter in the constellation Gemini during the occultation.
COMET LINEAR (C/2000 WM1) IN
OUTBURST
Comet LINEAR (C/2000 WM1) went into outburst on January
29 and had a gain in brightness of 3.5 magnitudes. By January 26 the comet had dimmed to magnitude 6.4. On January 29, the comet was at about
magnitude 2.9, easily visible to the naked eye. The comet at this time is only visible to observers in the
Southern Hemisphere.
In comet terminology from the Comet Homepage an outburst
is an unexpected increase in brightness over a short period of time due to
release of dust and gas into the coma from the nucleus. For a visual observer, the nuclear
condensation (a bright spot near the center of the coma) will appear to become
star-like and brighter in the comet’s coma.
Over time (hours – days), the size of the nuclear condensation will
increase as the dust moves away from the nucleus. The change in brightness can be as little as half a magnitude and
as much as many magnitudes.
The below chart
shows the position of the comet below the constellation Sagittarius when
it went into outburst.
The constellation Ara which was before mentioned
is a decan of the Sign Sagittarius and seen here in the lower right side
of the chart. The Sign Sagittarius
(The Redeemer’s triumph) is referred to in E. W. Bullinger’s The
Witness of the Stars, in which he writes on page 63: “John in his
apocalyptic vision sees the same mighty Conqueror going forth. ‘I saw (he says)
a white horse, and He who sat on him had a bow,… and he went forth conquering
and to conquer’ (Rev. 6:2).
This is precisely what is foreshadowed in the star
pictured sign now called the by the modern Latin name Sagittarius, which
means the Archer.”
The Hebrew name for this constellation is Kesith, which
also means the Archer. In his
latter writings, E. W. Bullinger refers to the one sitting on the white horse
in Revelation 6:2 as the antichrist, not the Messiah. I have heard good arguments for both interpretations. Time will tell.
BULLETIN – NEW NAKED EYE
COMET WILL ARRIVE SOON
The following is a news bulletin released by the Comet Observation
Homepage on February 2, 2002.
Comet C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang) may become naked-eye
object in March – IAU Circular 7812 (Feb 1, 2002) reported the discovery of
a comet of 8.5 – 9.0 magnitude by Kaoru
Ikeya (Japan) and Daquing Zhang (China).
This comet, located in the evening sky at about –17.5 degrees
declination at discovery, is moving northward.
IAUC 7813 (Feb 2, 2002) reported a preliminary orbit that indicates that
this comet will come to perihelion on March 8.9, 2002 UT at a perihelion
distance of 0.49 AU (about 45.6 million miles from the sun). The predicted peak brightness is
ml=4.5. However, the comet will be
poorly placed when at it’s brightest in March being less than 30 degrees from
the Sun. The Northern Hemisphere will
be favored during much of the apparition.”
The comet was in the tail of the constellation Cetus (the
beast from the sea) when discovered.
Chart 251 shows the position of Comet Ikeya-Zhang in the
constellation Pisces (the nation of Israel) on March 8, 2001 when the
comet is at perihelion (closest approach to the sun). This chart shows the sky looking westward in the early evening
from Jerusalem toward the Mediterranean Sea.
Cetus (the beast from the sea) appears to be standing on the
shore of the sea (Rev. 13:1 NIV)
According to my calculations, the comet will be in the constellation Draco
(the Dragon) when it is at its closest approach to Earth on April 28, 2002,
at a distance of 38 million miles.
There will be more on this comet in upcoming issues of Biblical
Astronomy.
YET ANOTHER OCCULTATION OF
SATURN
The Moon will again occult Saturn on February 20, 2002. Chart 252 shows the positions of the
moon and Saturn in the constellation Taurus at the time of the
occultation.
This event will be visible from the United States. The following is from the February 2002
issue of Astronomy magazine, page 62.
“Saturn’s occultation, on February 20, is the last one
visible from the continental United States until 2014, albeit in daylight for
most observers. It’s visible along a
line from Mexico to San Francisco to the Hudson Bay. The occultation takes place about an hour before sunset. Don’t let daylight put you off, though. Finding the moon during the day is easy –
if there are no clouds, of course – and picking up the much dimmer Saturn is a
breeze after that. American observers
on the East Coast will see the event in a dark, early evening sky, while
Midwest and western skywatchers witness the event in daylight, just before
sunset. The reappearance of Saturn from
behind the moon takes place approximately an hour after disappearance. However, the event is not visible from most
of the northwestern United States.”
If you plan to observe this event, I strongly suggest
that you use binoculars if it occurs during the daylight from your location.
The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
