Biblical Astronomy

December 2008

 

Editor – Robert Scott Wadsworth <> P.O. Box 2272, Oregon City, OR 97045

Phone (503) 655-7430 <> e-mail – starguy1@comcast.net <> Website – www.biblicalastronomy.com

 

 

NEW MOON REPORT

 

Nehemia Gordon from Jerusalem, Israel compiled the following New Moon Reports for the months of November and December, 2008 and the beginnings of the Ninth and Tenth Biblical Months.

 

November 29 (Ninth Month) – “On Saturday November 29, 2008 the new moon was sighted from Israel.  The new moon was first sighted from Jerusalem at 16:42 by David Chachicas and at 16:49 by Nehemia Gordon; from elsewhere in Jerusalem at about 16:49 by Dina Marcus and Veronica Knowles; from Masliah at 16:42 by Neria Haroeh; from the region of Tekoa at about 16:52 by Bruce Brill.”

 

December 28 – “On Sunday December 28, 2008 the new moon was not sighted from Israel despite clear weather conditions.  New moon day will begin tomorrow night, Monday December 29, 2008.” 

 

December 29 (Tenth Month) – “On Monday December 29, 2008 the moon was sighted from Ein Gedi at 16:55 by Ryan Lawrence.  The moon was not sighted from Jerusalem due to clouds.”

 

For a host of reasons, much out of my control, this issue of Biblical Astronomy is published much later than intended.  I apologize for any inconvenience.  Upcoming events that I planed on informing you about ahead of time have now come and gone.  One such event was Hanukkah, which started at sunset on December 23 and ends on sunset December 31.

 

The next New Moon is expected to be visible from Jerusalem on January 27, 2009 when it will be 1.42% illuminated and 11.47 degrees above the horizon at 5 minutes past sunset.  The sun and the moon will be in the constellation Capricornus at that time.

 

The chart below from Astronomy.com shows a unique alignment of the crescent new moon and the planets Jupiter (Zedek) and Mercury (Catab) in the constellation Capricornus at 30 minutes after sunset on December 29, 2008 as seen from the United States. 

 

 

The Sign Capricornus portrays the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Messiah.  This sign may have occurred to remind us of what Y’shua accomplished and did for us, or to show that the one who paid the sacrifice will soon come again.  Nogah (Venus), the Bright and Morning Star is also seen here in Capricornus.

 

JUPTER AND MERCURY IN CONJUNCTION

 

Jupiter and Mercury will come into conjunction in the constellation Capricornus on the Gregorian calendar’s New Years Eve, December 31, 2008.   Chart 480 shows the positions of the two planets in Capricornus as seen from Jerusalem at 30 minutes past sunset on December 31.

 

Chart 480 – Jupiter and Mercury in conjunction as seen from Jerusalem on December 31, 2009

 

Also seen on the chart at the time of conjunction are the planet Venus and a bright crescent moon, which is in conjunction with the star Deneb Al Gedi (the sacrifice cometh).  The star is in the tail of the goat.  The picture shown here from the StarryNight astronomy program is not accurate.  The tail of the goat should go into Aquarius.  Jupiter (Zedek) was in nearly the same spot but closer to star as the moon is seen in Chart 480, and in conjunction with Deneb Al Gedi in the early morning hours on the day when Y’shua entered Jerusalem written of in Matthew 21:1-11.  The sacrifice literally came into Jerusalem on that day and Zedek portrayed and bore witness to that fact as it was in direct conjunction with the star that means the sacrifice cometh.

 

The chart below from Astronomy.com shows a simulation of Jupiter and Mercury on the early evening of January 1, 2009 at 30 minutes past sunset.

 

 

 

VENUS REACHES GREATEST ELONGATION

 

Venus (Nogah) will reach its greatest elongation (furthest separation from the sun after sunset) in the southwestern sky on January 14, 2009 when it will be 47o above the sun at sunset.

 

Chart 481 shows the position of Venus in the constellation Aquarius at the time of its greatest elongation as seen from Jerusalem.  Venus (Nogah) is in the water flow being poured forth.  Aquarius represents the blessings of Yahweh being poured forth on His people.  This is also representative of the giver The Holy Spirit (Yahweh) pouring forth his gift of holy spirit upon and within His people starting at the Day of Pentecost that was 50 days after the resurrection of Messiah in 28 A.D. until this present day.

 

Chart 481 – Venus at greatest elongation on January 14, 2008 as seen from Jerusalem at 30 minutes past sunset

 

Venus will be shining very brightly on January 14th, and will continue to brighten to its brightest magnitude of –4.7 by the end of January and into early February.

 

THE LION ROARS LOUDLY

 

Most of the meteors that are spotted in meteor showers are particles of dust that burn up in the atmosphere and glow and immensely brighten as they strike the atmosphere at very high speeds.  There is a small number of large chunks of rock that strike the earth each year, but most are not seen since most of the earth’s surface is remote (desserts, oceans, arctic areas, etc.).  Every now and then humans spot these large bolides coming into the atmosphere.  There are usually reports of such objects about every 3 or 4 months. 

 

It so happens that 7 such objects were spotted and reported in the United States and Canada from October 28th through November 21st.  Six of them occurred in November.  This is an unprecedented number of sightings over such a short period of time and all on one continent.

 

Most of these were attributed to the Leonids Meteor Shower but it is somewhat hard to prove if that is absolutely where they came from.  If they did, then the Lion had a much greater roar than anticipated in the article that I wrote on the Leonids in the November issue of Biblical Astronomy

 

Below is a list of the sightings from excerpts taken from various newspapers and a sighting by Biblical Astronomy subscriber Laurie DeGrave from Spread Eagle, Wisconsin.

 

October 28 – Bright Shooting Star Seen Over Colorado – The telephones lit up in the at the news desk and in the 24/7 Weather Center at 7NEWS Tuesday evening as bright shooting star raced across the sky around 7:30 p.m.

 

Witnesses reported that the bright meteor was visible for several seconds, burning blue, green and yellow as it moved across the sky from the East toward the Southwest.

 

The meteor eventually broke into several smaller pieces before disintegrating.  Phone calls came from all along the Front Range and as far away as Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Even though these shooting stars seem to be very close to the ground, in general, most of these "fireballs" burn up quite high in the atmosphere -- often 10 to 20 miles above the surface of the Earth.

 

Most of these meteors are only about the size of a golf ball to maybe a baseball when they hit our atmosphere, less than one to two percent of the mass typically survives to the ground -- if any at all.

 

This meteor was thought to be about the size of a basketball.

 

November 8 – Mark Balzer of Spiro was among the hundreds who spotted a bright meteor blazing across the Arkansas and Oklahoma sky Nov. 8. Balzer said he was outside ...

 

November 13 – Suspected Ohio plane crash may have been meteor  -

NORTH MADISON (AP) — Authorities who spent four hours searching for a plane crash in northeast Ohio now think what people saw and heard may have been a meteor.

 

Reports Thursday afternoon of a bright light and trail of smoke in the sky and a separate call about a crashing sound in Lake County northeast of Cleveland sparked a search that involved three helicopters, several police and fire departments and the State Highway Patrol.        Madison Township police Sgt. Rick Barson says based on what the witnesses reported, investigators believed an ultralight plane had gone down. But Barson says no wreckage was found.

 

November 13 - Bright light streaks across Puget Sound skies         

 

November 18 - Bright Lights Fall From Sacramento Skies – Residents from all over the Sacramento area have been reporting bright lights in the sky.  One witness in Sacramento described the bright light as “a fireball streak across the sky from east to west,” and “a white ball with a greenish halo and tail.” Another witness in Lodi said they thought it was a space junk.

 

For some, the bright lights were alarming. California Highway Patrol Officer John Griffin said he received many calls of a possible aircraft down. A helicopter and police units went to check on an area near Highway 99 and Twin Cities Road, but found nothing. He says it was most likely a meteor shower, a first for him.

 

November 21 - Massive fireball lights up night skies in Alberta, Saskatchewan.  (this meteor was the size of an SUV)

 

Edmonton-area police and fire dispatchers were inundated with calls last night about a bright flash of light that lit up the Alberta sky.

 

It turned out to be a meteor seen from across this province and even in parts of Manitoba.

 

"I did hear a boom ... I lifted my eyes and this bright meteor was falling," said Marcellin Gobeil, who lives on a farm about three kilometres west of Beaumont.

 

"It came down pretty fast, but it lasted a long time, a lot longer than I've ever seen it," he said, adding the awe-inspiring spectacle painted the dark sky at around 5:30 p.m. in bright shades of orange, green and blue. "When it hit the ground it was still lit."

 

One Edmontonian called the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre - the organization in Ontario that tracks airplane crashes - shortly before the heavenly apparition was confirmed as a meteor. 

 

You can see a police video of this meteor from the link below.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1088353/Star-struck-Meteor-blazes-sky-police-video.html

 

November 18 – A large and very bright meteor was seen and reported by Laurie DeGrave of Spread Eagle, Wisconsin.  This event occurred around midnight Central Time so it was a different event than the bright meteor spotted in Alberta which occurred around 5:30 P.M. Mountain Time.  The following is an excerpt from Laurie’s report.

 

“I have never even heard of any person ever seeing anything close to what I saw. 

 

It came from the northern sky and passed through the midst of Pisces, the fish. 

 

It was as if I was sitting under the huge 4th of July fireworks, but this was much larger and brighter than even fireworks, and I've sat literally under those. 

 

This was not audible.  Not just the stream of light as a normal falling star but, was a humongous stream of light followed by a silent huge explosion, then a glittering trail behind it as it fell very rapidly into the earths atmosphere.”

 

Laurie sent a diagram of the path of the meteor and it passed straight down the middle of Andromeda.  That was the feature constellation in the November 2008 issue of Biblical Astronomy.

 

 

CEPHEUS (The Crowned King)

 

Their Redeemer coming to rule

 

 

Cepheus is a decan constellation to the Sign Pisces.

 

 

Ancient Names for this constellation

 

Pe-ku-hor (Denduran) – this one cometh to rule.

 

Cepheus (Gr.) – is from the Hebrew, and means the branch, and is called by EURIPIDES the king.

 

Hyk (Ethiopian) – a king.

 

 

Complementing scriptures to this constellation picture

 

Excerpts from Jeremiah 31 – “At that time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, And they shall be my people…  For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

 

Psalm 33:11 – “The counsel of the LORD standeth forever.  The thoughts of His heart to all generations.”

 

Rev. 17:13 – “These shale make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

 

Rev. 19:16 – “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

 

Stars in Andromeda and the meanings of their names

 

Al Deramin (Arab.) – coming quickly.

 

Al Phirk (Arab.) – the Redeemer.

 

Al Rai (Arab.) – who bruises or breaks.

 

 

Cepheus represents Y’shuah Messiah (Jesus Christ) as the enthroned King with all things including enemies under His feet.  At his side is His bride represented by the constellation Cassiopeia (partially seen in the upper right corner of the picture sitting on a chair or throne).  The King’s throne is in the center of the Mazzaroth (constellation signs) or the center of the heavens as seen from Earth.  He is holding a scepter in His left hand between him and the bride.  Some allude this to the scepter of King Ahasuerus in Esther 4:11, 5:2, 8:4.  King Ahasuerus, Esther, and the scepter (spelled sceptre in the old English) are a type of foreshadow for Messiah and His bride.  The word Sceptre or Scepter (depending on your translation) makes for an interesting word study to better enhance your understanding on the scepter pictured above.  It is well worth digging into your concordances, electronic Bibles, or other study materials that you may have.

 

The left foot of Cepheus is positioned directly over the Celestial North Pole and the North Star Polaris.  The ancient Arabic name for this star is Al Rucabba which means the turned or ridden on. The earth’s north polar axis points at the Celestial North Pole.  Because of the precessional movement of the earth’s axis, the polar axis points at different bright stars which become pole stars throughout different times in history.  It takes about 25,800 years for the axis to make a full circuit.  From the Fall of Adam up to the first appearing of Messiah, the pole star was Thuban in the tale of the Dragon.  Since Y’shuah’s first appearance, the Celestial North Pole has moved toward Al Racabba (Polaris).  It is around the Celestial North Pole that all of the other stars in the northern hemisphere rotate around as seen from the earth.  It is actually the earth that is rotating under the Celestial North Pole.  This is a type of gate.  It was the enemy’s gate up to the coming of Messiah.  It now belongs to the seed of Abraham.  The constellation picture for Cepheus has his left foot planted over the gate that once belonged to the enemy.  This is a portrayal of all things and all His enemies being placed under his feet.  “Under his feet” makes for a good phrase study.