Biblical Astronomy

August 2010

 

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

 

There is no new moon report for this newsletter.  See the July 2010 newsletter for the last new moon report.

 

The next New Moon, which will start the beginning of the Seventh Biblical Month and The Day of Trumpets or Shouting, is expected to be visible from Jerusalem near sunset on September 10, 2010.  At that time the moon will be 7.4% illuminated and 10.890 above the horizon at 5 minutes past sunset. 

 

I am writing this newsletter much earlier that intended.  My mother took another fall and broke her hip for the second time in the past 7 or 8 months.  I need to go to New York for a couple of weeks to help take care of another family member and to give my mom as much comfort and support as I can to help her get through this again.  I will be returning back to Oregon on August 25.  I may not have computer access while I am gone.  So if you want to order anything or have any questions, you may not get your ordered items or answers to questions until after I return.  Thank you for your patience and prayers. 

 

This newsletter will be a short one with only 4 pages rather than the usual 6 pages.  I want to get this info to you now.  It usually takes me two to five days to recuperate after returning from a long trip before I can write anything.  If I wait to do the newsletter until after I return, it most likely would not be finished until the first week of September.  The September/October issue will be published soon after the new moon on September 10.

 

During the next New Moon on September 10, the bright crescent will be seen in Bethulah (Virgo) below a unique triangle of Nogah (Venus), Adom (Mars) and the star Spica.  The triangle asterism will be best seen from the United States.  This will look a bit different from Jerusalem.  Below is a chart with the Moon, Venus, Mars and Spica as seen from the eastern United States at 30 minutes past sunset on September 10 and September 11.  This chart shows the planets at September 11.  Venus will be closer to the moon on September 10 and will form a triangle with Mars and Spica on that date as seen from the Jerusalem.

 

 

This will be a neat event to view at the blowing of the shofars kicking off and announcing the Day of trumpets.  Venus is the Bright and Morning Star representing Y’shuah.  Mars represents the atoning blood of Messiah or the archangel Michael.  The Hebrew name for the star Spica is Tsemech, which means THE BRANCH.  Tsemech is used exclusively of the Messiah in all 5 usages as “Branch” in the Bible  (Isa. 4:2, Jer. 23:5 and 33:15, Zech. 3:8 and 6:12).   The BRANCH is written with all capital letters in Zech. 3:8 and 6:12 in the King James Version of the Bible.  These scriptures are mostly referring to Messiah in the end times.

 

Chart 532 shows how the moon, Venus and Mars appear in the constellation Bethulah as seen from Jerusalem at 5 minutes past sunset on September 11.  The three celestial bodies are almost all in conjunction.  The moon passes Mars earlier on that day and around sunset it passes Venus.

 

                                         Chart 532 – The Moon, Venus and Mars at 5 minutes past sunset on Sept. 11, 2010 as seen from Jerusalem.                                                        The moon is a bright crescent at 14.68% illumination and is 17.60 above the horizon.

 

Even though the sun is below Bethulah, she is basking in the light of the sun.  Some think that this represents Bethulah being clothed with the sun.  I maintain it is when the sun is in the midst of Bethulah that she is clothed with the sun.  Perhaps both views are correct.  The moon in the chart is below the feet of the woman as far as being beneath her feet and above the horizon.  This may or may not be stretching things a bit to say that she is clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet.            See Revelation 12:1.                                                                                                                                                    

 

September 11, 2010 is Tishri 2, 5970 on the Biblical Calendar (as far as my calculations go). 

 

 

VENUS AND MARS IN CONJUNCTION

 

Venus and Mars will come into conjunction in the constellation Bethulah on August 23, 2010.  Chart 533 shows the conjunction as seen from Jerusalem at 30 minutes after sunset.  As seen from Jerusalem the planets are 2.40 from each other.  They come within 2.00 from each other before the actual conjunction occurs and as seen from some other locations on earth.  The two planets are also in conjunction with the womb of the woman just as the sun was when Messiah was born.

 

Chart 533 – Venus and Mars in conjunction as seen from Jerusalem on August 23, 2010

 

On August 28, the two planets and Spica (Tzemech), will form a perfect triangle as seen from Jerusalem, similar to the triangle that will occur on September 10, but the celestial bodies will be closer to each other on August 28 and will be a perfect triangle.

               

This completes a series of events that occur in August.  For the other events see the July 2010 issue of Biblical Astronomy.

           

After a long draught of no planetary conjunctions we are now getting a deluge. There is more to come.  The heavens are putting on a great show in August, September, and perhaps October this year.

 

 

NOGAH AND TSEMECH IN CONJUNCTION AND ALPHA AURIGID METEOR SHOWER

 

Nogah (Venus) and Tsemech (Spica) will be in a close conjunction on September 1, 2010.  There will be 1.00 of separation between them on that date as seen from Jerusalem.

 

Chart 534 shows the event as seen from Jerusalem at 44 minutes past sunset.  The planet Adom (Mars) is also close by.  Both Nogah (the Bright and Morning Star) and Tsemech (THE BRANCH) represent Y’shuah (Jesus).  And Adom here may be representing the atoning blood of Messiah.

 

Chart 534 – Venus and Tsemech (Spica) in conjunction as seen from Jerusalem on September 1.

 

In the early morning hours of September1, from about midnight to 5 a.m., the Alpha Aurigid Meteor Shower will peak.  This is not usually a great show since it normally puts out about 6 meteors per hour in contrast to the 60 per hour for the Perseids Shower that will take place in the early morning hours of August 12.  But at times the Aurigids put on a great show, such as happened in 1997 when the shower delivered an unexpected 130 meteors per hour.

 

The radiant of the Aurigids is in the bosom of the constellation Auriga, the Great Shepherd.  The chart below shows the radiant of the shower, or where the meteors appear to come out.

 

 

Auriga portrays the Great Shepherd, Messiah Y’shua, protecting his flock from the wrath of the Almighty in His judgment on his enemies on the day of His wrath.  For His sheepfold that belongs to Him, he took that wrath upon himself when he suffered for the atonement of our sins when He was crucified.  (See the article on Auriga in the June 2005 and the March/April 2010 issues of Biblical Astronomy for further details).

 

It is interesting that the meteors appear to be shooting forth from the Shepherd’s bosom.  It is where he holds his sheep closely to him.  See the two little kids in the picture.

 

If you plan on watching the meteor shower, it could be a dud with only 6 meteors per hour, or it could have a surprise in store such as what happened in 2007.  The best time to see the meteors is in the early morning hours of September 1, but you may see some also in the late evening of August 31.  If you stay up past midnight, you are more likely to see more meteors.

 

The light from the last quarter of the moon may put a bit of a damper on viewing.  It rises at 11:28 p.m. in Jerusalem and around that time in local areas around the globe, give or take 15 minutes.

 

 

LIST OF EVENTS FROM JUNE 6, TO SEPTEMBER 11, 2010

 

June 6 – Mars/Regulus conjunction (June issue).

Late June to Early July – Comet McNaught (Chart 524).

June 26 – Partial Lunar Eclipse (June issue of Biblical Astronomy Chart 525).

July 11 – Total Solar Eclipse (June issue of Biblical Astronomy Chart 526).

July 9 – Venus/Regulus conjunction (July issue).

July 27 – Mercury/Regulus conjunction (July issue Chart 528).

July 31 – Venus, Mars, and Saturn massing (July issue).

Aug. 1 – Mars/Saturn conjunction (July issue Chart 529).

Aug. 9 – Venus/Saturn conjunction (July issue Chart 530).

Aug. 11 – Another Venus, Mars, Saturn massing Chart 531.

Aug. 12/13 – Perseid Meteor Shower (July issue).

Aug. 23 – Venus/Mars conjunction (this issue Chart 533).

Aug. 28 – Triangular massing Venus, Mars, Saturn (this issue)

Sept. 1 – Aurigid Meteor Shower in early morning and Venus/Tsemech conjunction in early evening (Chart 534)

 

Sept. 10 – another Triangular massing of Venus, Mars, and Saturn above New Moon of Tishri 1 (this issue pg. 1).

 

Sept. 11 – Moon, Venus and Mars near conjunction.  The women clothed with the sun and moon below her feet?  (C532)