Diamond Planet Discovered In Ophiuchus/Serpens

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Check out these stories- a "diamond planet" was found in the Milky Way!

Pulsar Transformed Into Small Planet Made of Diamond Discovered in Milky Way

The system is about an eighth of the way towards the Galactic Centre from Earth.

Diamond Planet: Radio Wave Observations Show Transformation of a Galaxy Into a Millisecond Pulsar and Its Companion Planet

So I loaded up Stellarium to see exactly where it was in the sky. Turns out it is EXACTLY where Serpens goes "behind" Ophiuchus! Wow... this wasn't exactly mentioned in the articles in terms of the potentially symbolic significance!

My star lore is kind of rusty... what can people share about these two constellations??

Also check out the pic I attached. WOW! This causes me to wonder what kind of beings would inhabit this type of sphere??!!

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As the ecliptic passes through Ophiuchus, I was curious to know when the next time the sun would pass by this diamond planet in the sky. Turns out to be 12 Dec 11 at 11:11:11 pm. This is no exaggeration, the exact Ra of the diamond planet was given at 17:19:10. Verify on the second pic the location of the sun at that moment.

Might there be some significance to this?!

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WILD! It is exactly across from Orion in the sky!

It is located between Aquila, Serpens and Hercules, northwest of the center of the Milky Way. The southern part lies between Scorpius to the west and Sagittarius to the east. It is best visible in the northern summer and located opposite Orion in the sky. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man grasping a serpent; the interposition of his body divides the snake constellation Serpens into two parts, Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda, which are nonetheless counted as one constellation.

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The image of a man grasping a serpent reminded me of this:

West Woodhay Down, Nr Inkpen, Wiltshire.
Reported 29th July.

UPDATED

05/09/2011

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(Quotes taken from Wikipedia (17 Sep 11):

The brightest stars in Ophiuchus include α Ophiuchi, called Rasalhague (at the figure's head), and η Ophiuchi.

I wonder to know more details about those brightest stars!

RS Ophiuchi is part of a class called recurrent novae, whose brightness increase at irregular intervals by hundreds of times in a period of just a few days. It is thought to be at the brink of becoming a type-1a supernova.[2]

On the brink of becoming a supernova?!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuchus#cite_note-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuchus#cite_note-1
Barnard's Star, one of the nearest stars to the Solar System (the only stars closer are the Alpha Centauri binary star system and Proxima Centauri), lies in Ophiuchus. (It is located to the left of β and just north of the V-shaped group of stars in an area that was once occupied by the now-obsolete constellation of Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski's Bull).

I had forgotten about Barnard's Star! Did once write a story about Proxima Centauri as a kid though.

In 2005, astronomers using data from the Green Bank Telescope discovered a superbubble so large that it extends beyond the plane of the galaxy.[3] It is called the Ophiuchus Superbubble.

What is a supperbubble? It extends beyond the plane of the galaxy?!

Superbubble is the astronomical term used to describe a cavity hundreds of light years across filled with 106 K gas blown into the interstellar medium by multiple supernovae and stellar winds. The solar system lies near the center of an old superbubble, known as the Local Bubble, whose boundaries can be traced by a sudden rise in dust extinction of stars at distances greater than a few hundred light years.

What?! We just "happen" to be in the center of an old one?! It is a cosmic vesica piscis!

The strongest stellar winds release kinetic energy of 1051 ergs (1044 J) over the lifetime of a star, which is equivalent to a supernova explosion. These winds can form stellar wind bubbles dozens of light years across.[2] Inside OB associations, the stars are close enough that their wind bubbles merge together, forming a giant bubble called a superbubble. When stars die, supernova explosions, similarly, drive blast waves that can reach even larger sizes, with expansion velocities up to several hundred km s-1. Stars in OB associations are not gravitationally bound, but they drift apart at small speeds (of around 20 km s-1), and they exhaust their fuel rapidly (after a few millions of years). As a result, most of their supernova explosions occur within the cavity formed by the stellar wind bubbles[3][4]. These explosions never form a visible supernova remnant, but instead expend their energy in the hot interior as sound waves. Both stellar winds and stellar explosions thus power the expansion of the superbubble in the interstellar medium.

Did this just say when O stars mate with B stars they make superbubbles and then are no longer gravitationally bound?!

In April 2007, astronomers announced that the Swedish-built Odin satellite had made the first detection of clouds of molecular oxygen in space, following observations in the constellation Ophiuchus.[4]

Funny I missed that. Interestingly, I DID catch recently that scientist discovered oxygen in Orion:

ScienceDaily (Aug. 1, 2011) — The European Space Agency's Herschel space observatory has found molecules of oxygen in a nearby star-forming cloud. This is the first undisputed detection of oxygen molecules in space. It concludes a long search but also leaves questions unanswered.

Hrmm... the first "undisputed" detection. Another mystery I suppose...

The supernova of 1604 was first observed on October 9, 1604, near θ Ophiuchi. Johannes Kepler saw it first on October 16 and studied it so extensively that the supernova was subsequently called Kepler's Supernova. He published his findings in a book titled De stella nova in pede Serpentarii (On the New Star in Ophiuchus' Foot). Galileo used its brief appearance to counter the Aristotelian dogma that the heavens are changeless.

I didn't realize it had already made history!

In approximately 40,000 years Voyager 1 probe will pass within 1.6 light years of the star AC+79 3888, which is located in Ophiuchus.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuchus#cite_note-4

That seems like a long time from now. Almost 2 earth cycles...

In 2009 it was announced that GJ 1214, a star in Ophiuchus, undergoes repeated, cyclical dimming with a period of about 1.5 days consistent with the transit of a small orbiting planet.[6] The planet's low density (about 40% that of Earth) suggests that the planet may have a substantial component of low-density gas -- possibly hydrogen or steam.[7] The proximity of this star to Earth (42 light years) makes it a tempting target for further astronomic observations.

Mmm... tempting...

In April 2010, the naked-eye star ζ Ophiuchi was occulted by 824 Anastasia.

April 2010. I can't recall. Anything significant happen then?

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Wow... look at the way they depicted it! With that serpent-like energy going right through the center!



The pulsar at the centre of the below image is orbited by an object that is about the mass of Jupiter and composed primarily of carbon; effectively a massive diamond. The orbit, represented by the dashed line, would easily fit inside our Sun, represented by the yellow surface. The blue lines represent the radio signal from the pulsar, which spins around 175 times every second. (Credit: Swinburne Astronomy Productions)

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Wild... from Google Sky Maps... at my location at 1:11 am we have:

Orion on the eastern horizon


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The Babylonian star catalogues of the Late Bronze Age name Orion MULSIPA.ZI.AN.NA, "The Heavenly Shepherd" or "True Shepherd of Anu" - Anu being the chief god of the heavenly realms.[18] The Babylonian constellation was sacred to Papshukal and Ninshubur, both minor gods fulfilling the role of 'messenger to the gods'. Papshukal was closely associated with the figure of a walking bird on Babylonian boundary stones, and on the star map the figure of the Rooster was located below and behind the figure of the True Shepherd.[19]

The stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the sun-god of rebirth and afterlife, by the ancient Egyptians.[20][21][22]

Orion has also been identified with the last Egyptian Pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty called Unas who, according to the Pyramid Texts, became great by eating the flesh of his mortal enemies and then slaying and devouring the gods themselves. This was based on a belief in contiguous magic whereby consuming the flesh of great people would bring inheritance of their power.[21] After devouring the gods and absorbing their spirits and powers, Unas journeys through the day and night sky to become the star Sabu, or Orion.[20] The Pyramid Texts also show that the dead Pharaoh was identified with the god Osiris, whose form in the stars was often said to be the constellation Orion.[20]

The Bible mentions Orion three times, naming it "Kesil" (כסיל, brute, strong): Job 9:9 ("He is the maker of the Bear and Orion"), Job 38:31 ("Can you loosen Orion`s belt?"), and Amos 5:8 ("He who made the Pleiades and Orion"). In ancient Aram, the constellation was known as Nephila, Orion's descendantsGreco-Roman antiquity

Orion's current name derives from Greek mythology, in which Orion was a gigantic hunter of primordial times.[24] Some of these myths relate to the constellation; one story tells that Orion was killed by a giant scorpion; the gods raised him and the Scorpion to the skies, as Scorpio/Scorpius. Yet other stories say Orion was chasing the Pleiades.[25] The constellation is mentioned in Horace's Odes, Homer's Odyssey (Book 5, line 283) and Iliad, and Virgil's Aeneid (Book 1, line 535)
In medieval Muslim astronomy, Orion was known as al-jabbar "the giant".

Ophiuchus/Serpens on the western horizon


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Ophiuchus is said to represent the great healer Asclepius, depicted as holding a serpent and standing on a scorpion. Also note that the "higher manifestation" of scorpio is the phoenix.

Asclepius ( /æsˈkliːpiəs/; Greek: Ἀσκληπιός Asklēpiós [asklɛːpiós]; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of medicine and healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts;

He was the son of Apollo and Coronis. His mother was killed for being unfaithful to Apollo and was laid out on a funeral pyre to be consumed, but the unborn child was rescued from her womb. Or, alternatively, his mother died in labour and was laid out on the pyre to be consumed, but his father rescued the child, cutting him from her womb. From this he received the name Asklepios "to cut open".[5] Apollo carried the baby to the centaur Chiron who raised Asclepius and instructed him in the art of medicine.[6]

Serpens

It is unique among the modern constellations in being split into two non-contiguous parts, Serpens Caput (Serpent's Head) to the west and Serpens Cauda (Serpent's Tail) to the east. Between these two halves lies the constellation of Ophiuchus, the "Serpent-Bearer". In figurative representations, the body of the serpent is represented as passing behind Ophiuchus between μ Ser in Serpens Caput and ν Ser in Serpens Cauda. The brighest star in Serpens is Unukalhai or Cor Serpentis "Serpent's Heart", with an apparent magnitude of 2.63.

Aratus describes the constellation as follows:
Both [hands of Ophiuchus] firmly clutch the Serpent, which encircles the waist of Ophiuchus, but he, steadfast with both his feet well set, tramples a huge monster, even the Scorpion, standing upright on his eye and breast. Now the Serpent is wreathed about his two hands – a little above his right hand, but in many folds high above his left. ... Toward the Crown leans the Serpent’s jaw, but beneath his coiling form seek thou for the mighty Claws [Libra][1]
There were two "serpent" constellations in Babylonian astronomy, known as Mušḫuššu and Bašmu. It appears that Mušḫuššu was depicted as a hybrid of dragon, lion and bird, and loosely corresponds to Hydra. Bašmu was a horned serpent (c.f. Ningishzida) and loosely corresponds to the Ὄφις constellation of Eudoxus of Cnidus on which the Ὄφις (Serpens) of Ptolemy is based.[2]

Ursa Major on the northern horizon


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Except for Dubhe and Alkaid, the stars of the Big Dipper all have proper motions heading towards a common point in Sagittarius. A few other such stars have been identified, and together they are called the Ursa Major Moving Group.

Mizar, a star in the Big Dipper, forms the famous optical double star with Alcor.

The stars Merak (β Ursae Majoris) and Dubhe (α Ursae Majoris) are known as the "pointer stars" because they are helpful for finding Polaris, also known as the North Star. By visually tracing a line from Merak through Dubhe and continuing, one's eye will land on Polaris, accurately indicating true north.
W Ursae Majoris is the prototype of a class of contact binary variable stars, and ranges between 7.75m and 8.48m.

47 Ursae Majoris has a planetary system with two confirmed planets, 2.54 times and 0.76 times the mass of Jupiter.

Several bright galaxies are found in Ursa Major, including the pair Messier 81 (one of the brightest galaxies in the sky) and Messier 82 above the bear's head, and Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), a beautiful spiral northeast of η Ursae Majoris. The other notable spiral galaxies Messier 108 and Messier 109 may also be found in this other constellation. Altogether, the constellation contains about 50 galaxies observable through an amateur telescope. The bright planetary nebula Owl Nebula (M97), named for its appearance, can be found along the bottom of the bowl of the Big Dipper. Of note as a curiosity more than an interesting deep sky object is Messier 40, a double star that Messier nonetheless included in his catalogue.

The Hubble Deep Field is located to the northeast of δ Ursae Majoris.

Pinwheel galaxy Counter-clockwise):

In Greek mythology, Zeus (the king of the gods) lusts after a young woman named Callisto, a nymph of Artemis. Hera, Zeus' jealous wife, transforms the beautiful Callisto into a bear. Callisto, while in bear form, later encounters her son Arcas. Arcas almost shoots the bear, but to avert the tragedy, Zeus hurls them both into the sky, forming Ursa Major. In ancient times the name of the constellation was Helike, ("turning"), because it turns around the Pole. In Book Two of Lucan it is called Parrhasian Helice, since Callisto came from Parrhasia in Arcadia, where the story is set.[2]

One of the few star groups mentioned in the Bible (Job 9:9; 38:32; Amos 5:8—Orion and the Pleiades being others), Ursa Major was also pictured as a bear by the Jewish peoples. ("The Bear" was translated as "Arcturus" in the Vulgate and it persisted in the KJV.)

The Iroquois Native Americans interpreted Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid as three hunters pursuing the Great Bear. According to one version of their myth, the first hunter (Alioth) is carrying a bow and arrow to strike down the bear. The second hunter (Mizar) carries a large pot — the star Alcor — on his shoulder in which to cook the bear while the third hunter (Alkaid) hauls a pile of firewood to light a fire beneath the pot.

In Hinduism, Ursa Major is known as Saptarshi, each of the stars representing one of the Saptarshis or Seven Sages viz. Bhrigu, Atri, Angirasa, Vasishta, Pulastya, Pulalaha and Kratu. The fact that the two front stars of the constellations point to the pole star is explained as the boon given to the boy sage Dhruva by Lord Vishnu.

In Finnish language, the asterism is sometimes called with its old Finnish name, Otava. The meaning of the name has been almost forgotten in Modern Finnish; it means a salmon weir.

In Burmese, Pucwan Tārā (pronounced "bazun taja") is the name of a constellation comprising stars from the head and forelegs of Ursa Major; pucwan is a general term for a crustacean, such as prawn, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.

In theosophy, it is believed the Seven Stars of the Pleiades focus the spiritual energy of the Seven Rays from the Galactic Logos to the Seven Stars of the Great Bear, then to Sirius, then to the Sun, then to the god of Earth (Sanat Kumara), and finally through the seven Masters of the Seven Rays to the human race.[3]

In South Korea, the constellation is referred to as "the seven stars of the north". In the related myth, a widow with seven sons found comfort with a widower, but to get to his house required crossing a stream. The seven sons, sympathetic to their mother, placed stepping stones in the river. Their mother, not knowing who put the stones in place, blessed them and, when they died, they became the constellation.

In Javanese, as known as "Bintang Kartika". This name comes from Sanskrit which refers "krttikã" the same star cluster. In ancient Java, this star clusters so popular because its emergence into the start time marker for planting.

Phoenix & Grus on the southern horizon

Phoenix Ra is 0:0:0 DEC is -50:0:0


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The phoenix (Greek: Φοίνιξ Greek pronunciation: [ˈfiniks], Armenian: Փիւնիկ, Persian: ققنوس, Arabic: العنقاء أو طائر الفينيق, Chinese: 鳳凰 or 不死鳥, Hebrew: פניקס) is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and (according to Sanchuniathon) Phoenicians.
A phoenix is a mythical bird with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends). It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (literally "sun-city" in Greek). It is said that the bird's cry is that of a beautiful song. The Phoenix's ability to be reborn from its own ashes implies that it is immortal, though in some stories the new Phoenix is merely the offspring of the older one. In very few stories they are able to change into people.

Grus (previously part of Piscis Austrinus)

In Greek mythology, this constellation is known as the Great Fish and it is portrayed as swallowing the water being poured out by Aquarius, the water-bearer constellation. The two fish of the constellation Pisces are said to be the offspring of the Great Fish. In Egyptian mythology, this fish saved the life of the Egyptian goddess Isis, so she placed this fish and its descendants into the heavens as constellations of stars.[1]

Pisces Austrinus originated with the Babylonian constellation simply known as the Fish (MUL.KU).

Fomalhaut traditionally represents the mouth of the fish. Its companion Fomalhaut b is the first extrasolar planet ever detected by a visible light image, thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope. Beta PsA is the only other star in the constellation to have been named, being Tien Kang (heavenly rope) in China. It is also a binary, although of two nearly equal stars.

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Around the zenith counterclockwise: Andromeda, Pegasus, Cygnus, Cassiopaea/Cepheus


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Andromeda

Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Andromeda, the princess in the Greek legend of Perseus who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus.

Andromeda is sometimes called "the Chained Lady" or "the Chained Woman" in English (Mulier Catenata in Latin, and al-Mar'at al Musalsalah in Arabic).[2] It has also been called Persea ("Perseus's wife")[2] or Cepheis ("Cepheus's daughter").[2]

• ξ And (Adhil) is a binary star.
• n And (33 And) was a former designation for M31, the Andromeda Galaxy.

Andromeda galaxy:

Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, but not the closest galaxy overall. It gets its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the Andromeda constellation, which was named after the mythological princess Andromeda. Andromeda is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which consists of the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and about 30 other smaller galaxies. Although the largest, Andromeda may not be the most massive, as recent findings suggest that the Milky Way contains more dark matter and may be the most massive in the grouping.[10] The 2006 observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope revealed that M31 contains one trillion (1012) stars,[7]: at least twice more than the number of stars in our own galaxy, which is estimated to be c. 200–400 billion.[11] Andromeda is estimated to be 7.1×1011 solar masses.[2] In comparison a 2009 study estimated that the Milky Way and Andromeda are about equal in mass,[12] while a 2006 study put the mass of the Milky Way at ~80% of the mass of Andromeda. The Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way are expected to collide in perhaps 4.5 billion years.

Andromeda is a princess from Greek mythology who, as divine punishment for her mother's bragging, the Boast of Cassiopeia, was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. She was saved from death by Perseus, her future husband.

In Greek mythology, Andromeda was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, king and queen of the kingdom Ethiopia.
Her mother Cassiopeia boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus and often seen accompanying Poseidon. To punish the Queen for her arrogance, Poseidon, brother to Zeus and god of the sea, sent a sea monster named Cetus to ravage the coast of Ethiopia including the kingdom of the vain Queen. The desperate King consulted the Oracle of Apollo, who announced that no respite would be found until the king sacrificed his virgin daughter Andromeda to the monster. She was chained naked to a rock on the coast.
Perseus was returning from having slain the Gorgon Medusa, he found Andromeda and slew Cetus by approaching invisible with Hades's helm and slaying him. He set her free, and married her in spite of Andromeda having been previously promised to her uncle Phineus. At the wedding a quarrel took place between the rivals, and Phineus was turned to stone by the sight of the Gorgon's head (Ovid, Metamorphoses v. 1).
Andromeda followed her husband to Tiryns in Argos, and together they became the ancestors of the family of the Perseidae through the line of their son Perses. Perseus and Andromeda had seven sons: Perseides, Perses, Alcaeus, Heleus, Mestor, Sthenelus, and Electryon, and two daughters, Autochthoe and Gorgophone. Their descendants ruled Mycenae from Electryon down to Eurystheus, after whom Atreus attained the kingdom, and would also include the great hero Heracles. According to this mythology, Perseus is the ancestor of the Persians.
After her death, Andromeda was placed by Athena amongst the constellations in the northern sky, near Perseus and Cassiopeia. The constellation had been named after her.

Pegasus

α Peg (Markab), β Peg, and γ Peg, together with α Andromedae (Alpheratz or Sirrah) form the large asterism known as the Square of Pegasus.
51 Pegasi, a star in this constellation, is the first Sun-like star known to have an extrasolar planet.
IK Pegasi is the nearest supernova candidate.
Spectroscopic analysis of HD 209458 b, an extrasolar planet in this constellation has provided the first evidence of atmospheric water vapor beyond the solar system, while extrasolar planets orbiting the star HR 8799 also in Pegasus are the first to be directly imaged.

Pegasus (Greek Πήγασος/Pegasos, Latin Pegasus) is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa.[1] He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing when his mother was decapitated by Perseus. Greco-Roman poets write about his ascent to heaven after his birth and his obeisance to Zeus, king of the gods, who instructed him to bring lightning and thunder from Olympus. Friend of the Muses, Pegasus is the creator of Hippocrene, the fountain on Mt. Helicon. He was captured by the Greek hero Bellerophon near the fountain Peirene with the help of Athena and Poseidon. Pegasus allows the hero to ride him to defeat a monster, the Chimera, before realizing many other exploits. His rider, however, falls off his back trying to reach Mount Olympus. Zeus transformed him into the constellation Pegasus and placed him in the sky.
Hypotheses have been proposed regarding its relationship with the Muses, the gods Athena, Poseidon, Zeus, Apollo, and the hero Perseus.
The symbolism of Pegasus varies with time. Symbol of wisdom and especially of fame from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance, he became one symbol of the poetry and the creator of sources in which the poets come to draw inspiration, particularly in the 19th century. Pegasus is the subject of a very rich iconography, especially through the ancient Greek pottery and paintings and sculptures of the Renaissance. Personification of the water, solar myth, or shaman mount, Carl Jung and his followers have seen in Pegasus a profound symbolic esoteric in relation to the spiritual energy that allows to access to the realm of the gods on Mount Olympus.

According to legend, everywhere the winged horse struck his hoof to the earth, an inspiring spring burst forth. One of these springs was upon the Muses' Mount Helicon, the Hippocrene ("horse spring"),[5] opened, Antoninus Liberalis suggested,[6] at the behest of Poseidon to prevent the mountain swelling with rapture at the song of the Muses; another was at Troezen.[7] Hesiod relates how Pegasus was peacefully drinking from a spring when the hero Bellerophon captured him. Hesiod also says Pegasus carried thunderbolts for Zeus.

There are several versions of the birth of the winged stallion and his brother Chrysaor in the far distant place at the edge of Earth, Hesiod's "springs of Oceanus, which encircles the inhabited earth, where Perseus found Medusa:
One is that they sprang from the blood issuing from Medusa's neck as Perseus was beheading her,[8] similar to the manner in which Athena was born from the head of Zeus. In another version, when Perseus beheaded Medusa, they were born of the Earth, fed by the Gorgon's blood. A variation of this story holds that they were formed from the mingling of Medusa's blood, Pain and sea foam, implying that Poseidon had involvement in their making. The last version bears resemblance to the birth of Aphrodite.

Pegasus aided the hero Bellerophon in his fight against both the Chimera and the Amazons. There are varying tales as to how Bellerophon found Pegasus; the most common[9] says that the hero was told by Polyeidos to sleep in the temple of Athena, where the goddess visited him in the night and presented him with a golden bridle. The next morning, still clutching the bridle, he found Pegasus drinking at the Pierian spring

Michaud's Biographie universelle relates that when Pegasus was born, he flew to where thunder and lightning is released. Then, according to certain versions of the myth, Athena tamed him and gave him to Perseus, who flew to Ethiopia to help Andromeda.[10]
In fact Pegasus is a late addition to the story of Perseus, who flew on his own with the sandals loaned him by Hermes.
Pegasus and Athena left Bellerophon and continued to Olympus where he was stabled with Zeus' other steeds, and was given the task of carrying Zeus' thunderbolts. Because of his faithful service to Zeus, he was honored with transformation into a constellation.[11] On the day of his catasterism, when Zeus transformed him into a constellation, a single feather fell to the earth near the city of Tarsus.[12]

Pedigree of Pegasus Sire
Poseidon Cronus Uranus Gaïa or Nyx Gaïa or Nyx Gaïa Chaos Chaos Rhea Uranus Gaïa or Nyx Gaïa or Nyx Gaïa Chaos Chaos Dam
Medusa Phorcys Pontus Ether or Uranus Gaïa Gaïa Chaos Chaos Ceto Pontus Ether or Uranus Gaïa Gaïa Chaos Chaos

Cygnus

Cygnus is a northern constellation lying on the plane of the Milky Way. Its name is the Latinized Hellenic (Greek) word for swan. One of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, it features a prominent asterism known as the Northern Cross (in contrast to the Southern Cross)

Albireo (β Cygni, designated by the Greek letter β in the diagram), a double star with blue and yellow components is at the "head". Deneb (α Cygni), its brightest star, is at the tail and is one star of the summer triangle.

Several star clusters and nebulae are found in Cygnus due to its position on the Milky Way. The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) is found a bit to the east of Deneb. Its resemblance to the continent is best appreciated in photographs. The Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) is nearby.
To the south of Epsilon Cygni is the Veil Nebula (NGC 6960, 6962, 6979, 6992, and 6995) which is an ancient supernova remnant covering approximately 3 degrees of the sky.
Also of note is the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), located between Gamma and Eta Cygni, which was formed by the Wolf-Rayet star HD 192163.
More supernovae have been seen in the Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946) than in any other galaxy.
The constellation also contains the X-ray source Cygnus X-1, which is now thought to be caused by a black hole accreting matter in a binary star system. The system is located close to the star Eta Cygni on star charts.
[edit] Extrasolar planets
Several extrasolar planets including HAT-P-7b, HAT-P-11b, HD 185269 b, HD 187123 b and c, Gliese 777 b and c, and 16 Cygni Bb, have been discovered in Cygnus. In January 2010 the Kepler Mission announced the discovery of the additional planets Kepler-5b and Kepler-6b, which are expected to be the first of many discovered by the mission, which has a significant part of its field of view in Cygnus.

One story based in Greek mythology told of two close friends, Cygnus and Phaeton, who were continually competing. One day, they each challenged the other to a race across the sky, around the Sun, and back to Earth. In an effort to gain the advantage, they both cut too closely to the Sun and their chariots were burned up. They both fell to the Earth and were knocked unconscious. Upon recovering, Cygnus began looking for his friend, Phaeton, and discovered his body trapped by the roots of a tree at the bottom of the Eridanus River. In an effort to retrieve his friend’s body and give it a proper burial, Cygnus repeatedly dove into the river, but could not reach his friend’s body. While he sat grieving on the bank of the river, Cygnus begged for Zeus to help him. Zeus replied that if he gave Cygnus the body of a swan, he would be able to dive deeply enough to retrieve his friend’s body. However, if Cygnus did take on the body of a swan, he would also be giving up his immortality and would only live as long as a swan would normally live. Cygnus readily agreed to this in order to retrieve his friend’s body and give him a proper burial, allowing his friend’s spirit to travel into the afterlife. In honor of this great unselfish act, Zeus placed Cygnus’ image (that of a swan) into the night sky.

n Greek mythology, it has been identified with several different legendary swans. Zeus disguised himself as a swan to seduce Leda, who gave birth to the Gemini, Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra; Orpheus was transformed into a swan after his murder, and was said to have been placed in the sky next to his lyre (Lyra); and the King Cycnus was transformed into a swan. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, there are three people named Cygnus, all of whom are transformed into swans. Alongside Cycnus, noted above, he mentions a boy from Tempe who commits suicide when Phyllius refuses to give him a tamed bull that he demands, but is transformed into a swan and flies away. He also mentions a son of Neptune who is an invulnerable warrior in the Trojan War who is eventually defeated by Achilles, but Neptune saves him by transforming him into a swan.
Cygnus, together with other avian constellations near the summer solstice, Vultur cadens and Aquila, may be a significant part of the origin of the myth of the Stymphalian Birds, one of The Twelve Labours of Hercules.[1]
In Chinese mythology, the constellation Cygnus is the site of the once-a-year magpie bridge (鹊桥, Que Qiao) which connects the lovers Niu Lang and Zhi Nu (see Qi Xi).
In Chinese astronomy, constellation Cygnus is lied in The Black Tortoise of the North (北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ).

Cycnus (Κύκνος) was sired upon Pelopia or Pyrene. Cycnus was a bloodthirsty and cruel man in Pagasae, Thessaly or in Macedonia according to Apollodorus,[2] who was so murderous he aspired to build a temple to his father constructed from the skulls and bones of travelers, whom Cycnus would kill in passing. His building days came to an end however, when Cycnus encountered Heracles near the River Echedorus. Desiring to please his father, Cycnus challenged Heracles to single combat, wishing to add Heracles's bones to his temple. This was an extremely foolish move, as Cycnus should have recalled the numerous times in which Heracles bested his father in combat.
When Ares heard of Cycnus and Heracles's confrontation, he was furious, and rushed immediately to assist his son. However, he was stopped by Athena, who advised him to wait and hear what the Moirae, the Fates, had in store for Cycnus. The Fates told Ares and Athena that Cycnus would be slain by Heracles unless the hero was killed before then. These words, designed to halt Ares from going to help his son, in fact fueled his anger even more. After Heracles kills Cycnus, Ares descended immediately to avenge him. Ares was just about to strike a hit at the hero, when Athena appeared, and blocked Ares's hit. Heracles took this opportunity to wound Ares in the thigh and beat him to the ground, which causes his sons Phobos and Deimos to rescue him and take him back to Mount Olympus. Cycnus was indeed killed by Heracles as the Fates predicted, and his bone-built temple was never completed.[3]

As king of the town of Kolonai in the southern Troad, Cycnus was the son of Poseidon by Calyce (daughter of Hecaton), Harpale, or by Scamandrodice. Cycnus married first Procleia, daughter of Laomedon (King of Troy) or of Laomedon's son Clytius. Cycnus and Procleia had two children, named Tenes and Hemithea; although Tenes claimed the god Apollo as his father. On Procleia's death, Cycnus married Philonome, daughter of Tragasus; but Philonome fell in love with her handsome stepson, Tenes. Tenes rejected Philonome's advances; whereupon Philonome falsely accused Tenes before her husband of having ravished her. However, Cycnus discovered the truth and had Philonome buried alive.[4] Both Cycnus and Tenes later supported the Trojans in the Trojan War, and fought valiantly. It was said that Cycnus being the son of Poseidon he was invulnerable to spear and sword attack. When Achilles confronted Cycnus he could not kill him via conventional weaponry so he crushed and suffocated him. After his death, Cycnus was changed into a swan. According to some accounts he killed the Greek hero Protesilaus.[5]

Cassiopaea

Within Cassiopeia’s five major stars lies Cassiopeia A (Cas A). Approximately 300 years old (as observed now from Earth 11,000 light-years away) it has the distinction of being the strongest radio source observable outside our solar system. It was perhaps observed as a faint star in 1680 by John Flamsteed. It was the first image brought back by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in the late 1990s. Similar to Cas A, there are other stars and supernova remnants referred to as Cassiopeia B, T, etc. and may be located in the larger constellation, though they too are only small parts of the whole.

Cassiopeia contains two stars visible to the naked eye that rank among the most luminous in the galaxy: ρ Cas and V509 Cas, both of the extremely rare class of yellow hypergiants. The star η Cas is a nearby (19.4 ly) binary star comprising a yellow Sun-like dwarf and an orange dwarf star.

If we were able to observe Earth's Sun from Alpha Centauri, it would appear in Cassiopeia as a yellow-white 0.5 magnitude star. The famous \/\/ of Cassiopeia would become a zig-zag pattern with the Sun at the leftmost end, closest to ε Cas.

Cassiopeia’s story originated in the mythology of ancient Greece. Cassiopeia was the queen and consort of King Cepheus in Ethiopia. Their daughter Andromeda was very beautiful. Cassiopeia herself was a great beauty and was vain of it; she proclaimed her beauty was greater than that of the Nereids', the daughters of the sea god Poseidon. To punish Cassiopeia, he sentenced Andromeda to be tied to a rock with a sea monster awaiting her.
Perseus, returning from having slaughtered the gorgon Medusa, encountered Andromeda lashed to the rock. He spoke to Cassiopeia and her husband and struck a deal with them: he would be allowed to marry Andromeda if he could kill the great sea monster before it killed their virgin daughter. Perseus defeated the monster, took Andromeda and returned to Ethiopia.[1] Cassiopeia and Cepheus fulfilled their end of the bargain and began to plan the wedding for Andromeda. After the nuptials began, Phineus entered the proceedings and demanded his right to marry Andromeda.
A battle ensued in which Cepheus and Cassiopeia sided with Phineus. Outnumbered, Perseus considered that he had no choice but to slay his challengers by using the head of the recently slaughtered Medusa. Following their death both Cepheus and Cassiopeia were placed among the stars by Poseidon. Cassiopeia was put upside down for half the year because of her vanity, with her husband beside her.[2]
[edit] Variant traditions
The story of Cassiopeia related above is the best known version, but there were variant traditions. According to one, Cassiopeia was a consort of the god Zeus.[3] In this account they had a son named Atymnios (not a daughter), with whom two men fell in love. There is no mention of a betrothed uncle, nor of a sea monster, nor of the head of Medusa. Cassiopeia was however hung upside down in a chair in the stars upon her death.[3]
Names and spellings in the myth also vary with the culture of the myth-tellers. The Greek god Poseidon is known as Neptune in Roman mythology. Cassiopeia, and Cassiopea are Latinized spellings, whereas the Greek name has been transliterated as Kassiopeia, Kassiopea, Cassiope, or Cassiepia.[4]
Also, the object in which Cassiopeia sits in varies with the culture. In Greek and Roman stories, she reposes upside down in a chair. In Arabic culture, Cassiopeia is seen as a camel, while others see a hand or moose antlers in the sky.[5]

The Queen Cassiopeia, wife of king Cepheus of Æthiopia, was beautiful but also arrogant and vain; these latter two characteristics led to her downfall. Her name in Greek is Κασσιόπη, which means "she whose words excel".
The boast of Cassiopeia was that both she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. This brought the wrath of Poseidon, ruling god of the sea, upon the kingdom of Ethiopia.
Accounts differ as to whether Poseidon decided to flood the whole country or direct the sea monster Cetus to destroy it. In either case, trying to save their kingdom, Cepheus and Cassiopeia consulted a wise oracle, who told them that the only way to appease the sea gods was to sacrifice their daughter.
Accordingly, Andromeda was chained to a rock at the sea's edge and left there to helplessly await her fate at the hands of Cetus. But the hero Perseus arrived in time, saved Andromeda, and ultimately became her husband.
Since Poseidon thought that Cassiopeia should not escape punishment, he placed her in the heavens tied to a chair in such a position that, as she circles the celestial pole in her throne, she is upside-down half the time. The constellation resembles the chair that originally represented an instrument of torture. Cassiopeia is not always represented tied to the chair in torment, in some later drawings she is holding a mirror, symbol of her vanity, while in others she holds a palm leaf, a symbolism that is not clear.[1]
As it is near the pole star, the constellation Cassiopeia can be seen the whole year from the northern hemisphere, although sometimes upside down.
[edit] Wife of Phoenix
There was another Cassiopeia in Greek mythology; her name is also given as "Cassiepeia". According to Hesiod, this Cassiopeia was the daughter of Arabus and the wife of King Phoenix. She is given as the mother of the hero Atymnius, by either her husband or the god Zeus. Other accounts also claim she was the mother, by Phoenix, of Phineas and Carme, although the latter is more often said to be a daughter of Eubuleus, a Cretan.

Cepheus

Cepheus is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Cepheus, King of Aethiopia in Greek mythology, and is considered to represent a King

γ Cephei is a binary star approximately 50 light years away from Earth. The system consists of an orange subgiant and a red dwarf. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, γ Cephei will be the pole star between AD 3000 and 5200, with the closest approach to the celestial pole around AD 4000. The primary component is orbited by a planet.
δ Cephei is the prototype Cepheid variable.[citation needed] It was discovered to be variable by John Goodricke in 1784. It varies between 3.5m and 4.3m over a period around 5.4 days.[citation needed]
There are three red supergiants in the constellation that are visible to the naked eye.[citation needed] The first, μ Cephei, is also known as Herschel's Garnet Star due to its deep red colour. It is a semiregular variable star that varies between 3.4m and 5.1m over a period of 730 days.[citation needed] The star is around 11.8 AU in radius.[citation needed] If it were placed at the centre of our Solar System, it would extend to the orbit of Saturn.[citation needed] The second, VV Cephei, is also variable and ranges from 4.8m and 5.4m over a period around 20 years.[citation needed] The third red supergiant is V381 Cephei, whose apparent magnitude is 5.66m.[citation needed] Each of the stars are among the largest known.[citation needed]
Kruger 60 is an 11th magnitude binary star consisting of two red dwarfs.[citation needed] The star system is one of the nearest, being only 13 light years away from Earth.[citation needed]
Deep sky objects

• NGC 188 is an open cluster that has the distinction of being the closest open cluster to the north celestial pole, as well as one of the oldest known open clusters.
• The Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946) is a spiral galaxy in which nine supernovae have been observed, more than in any other galaxy.
• The nebula NGC 7538 is home to the largest yet discovered protostar.

Fireworks galaxy (Clockwise):

Together with other constellations nearby (Andromeda, Perseus, Cassiopeia, and possibly Pegasus), and the constellation Cetus below Cepheus, this may be the source of the myth of the Boast of Cassiopeia, with which it is usually identified.[citation needed]

In Greek mythology, Cepheus is the name of two rulers of Ethiopia, grandfather and grandson.
Cepheus son of Belus was the son of Belus and Achiroe, making him the brother of Danaus, King of Libya, and Aegyptus, King of Egypt. He had a wife named Iope and a son who he named Agenor after his paternal uncle (Agenor the father of Cadmus and Europa). This Cepheus, through his son Agenor, became the grandfather of Cepheus son of Agenor the more well-known Cepheus, who features in the Perseus legend as the husband of Cassiopeia and father of Andromeda, and whose brother Phineus expected to marry Andromeda. These two Aethiopian kings named Cepheus separated by a couple of generations were apparently not intended to be confused as one and the same person by the mythographers.

There was also a Cepheus of Arcadia.


Around the nadir clockwise: Vela, Crux/Centaurus, Hydra, Antlia


  nadir-Optimized.jpg (Size: 146.78 KB / Downloads: 0)

Vela

Vela is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the sails of a ship, and it was originally part of a larger constellation, the ship Argo Navis, which was later divided into three parts, the others being Carina and Puppis.

Argo Navis (or simply Argo) was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. It represented the Argo, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology. The abbreviation was "Arg" and the genitive was "Argus Navis".

Pelias (Aeson's half-brother) was very power-hungry, and he wished to gain dominion over all of Thessaly. Pelias was the product of a union between their shared mother, Tyro ("high born Tyro") the daughter of Salmoneus, and allegedly the sea god Poseidon. In a bitter feud, he overthrew Aeson (the rightful king), killing all the descendants of Aeson that he could. He spared his half-brother for unknown reasons. Alcimede I (wife of Aeson) already had an infant son named Jason whom she saved from being killed by Pelias, by having women cluster around the newborn and cry as if he were still-born. Alcimede sent her son to the centaur Chiron for education, for fear that Pelias would kill him — she claimed that she had been having an affair with him all along. Pelias, still fearful that he would one day be overthrown, consulted an oracle which warned him to beware of a man with one sandal.
Many years later, Pelias was holding games in honor of the sea god and his alleged father, Poseidon, when Jason arrived in Iolcus and lost one of his sandals in the river Anauros ("wintry Anauros"), while helping an old woman to cross (the Goddess Hera in disguise). She blessed him for she knew, as goddesses do, what Pelias had up his sleeve. When Jason entered Iolcus (modern-day city of Volos), he was announced as a man wearing one sandal. Jason, knowing that he was the rightful king, told Pelias that and Pelias said, "To take my throne, which you shall, you must go on a quest to find the Golden Fleece." Jason happily accepted the quest.
The Quest for the Golden Fleece

Jason assembled a great group of heroes, known as the Argonauts after their ship, the Argo. The group of heroes included the Boreads (sons of Boreas, the North Wind) who could fly, Heracles, Philoctetes, Peleus, Telamon, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, Atalanta, and Euphemus.

Also of interest is the Vela Supernova Remnant. This is the nebula of a supernova explosion which is believed to have been visible from the Earth around 10,000 years ago. The remnant contains a pulsar which was the first pulsar to be identified optically.

Crux/Centaurus

Centaurus has traditionally been identified as a centaur, a mythological creature, half man, half horse. According to the Roman poet Ovid (Fasti v.379), the constellation honors the centaur Chiron, who was tutor to many of the earlier Greek heroes including Heracles (Hercules), Theseus, and Jason, the leader of the Argonauts. However, most authorities consider Sagittarius to be the civilized Chiron, while Centaurus represents a more uncouth member of the species.[3]

The name Centaurus in mythology is given not to a centaur but a deformed human who would later mate with mares and spawn the centaur race.

Centaurus, the Centaur, is one of the largest constellations in the sky. It represents Chiron, one of the half-man, half-horse beasts of Greek mythology. Chiron was accidentally wounded by Hercules. After his death, Hercules honored him by giving him a place in the stars. Under a dark sky, the outline of the constellation does indeed resemble a centaur. Centaurus is the site of the third brightest star in the sky, Rigel Kentaurus, at magnitude -0.01. This star is actually part of a triple star system, which includes the well-known star, Alpha Centauri. These are actually the closest stars to our own solar system. Another star in Centaurus, Agena, is the tenth brightest star in the night sky. This constellation contains no Messier objects.

The figure of Centaurus can be traced back to a Babylonian constellation known as the Bison-man (MUL.GUD.ALIM). This being was found in two major forms: firstly, as a 4-legged bison with a human head, and secondly, as a being with a man's head and torso attached to the rear legs and tail of a bull or bison. It has been closely associated with the Sun god Utu-Shamash from very early times.[2]

Centaurus is also home to a diamond star! As well as the alpha centauri system containing the starts closest to our Solar Logos!

Lucy Diamond White Dwarf Star - Space Today Online

Lucy diamond white dwarf star. A diamond weighing 10 billion trillion trillion carats is at the heart of a dead white dwarf star nicknamed Lucy in this conception by ...

Hydra

Despite its size, Hydra contains only one reasonably bright star, Alphard (α Hya, 30 Hya), which is of apparent magnitude 1.98. Alphard ("the solitary one") is actually a double star. The other main named star in Hydra is Sigma, σ, Hydrae, which also has the name of Minaruja, from the Arabic for snake's nose. At magnitude 4.54, it is rather dim. The head of the snake corresponds to the Āshleshā nakshatra, the lunar zodiacal constellation in Indian astronomy.

R Hydrae is a Mira variable star that ranges in magnitude between 3.5, when it can be visible to the naked eye, to 10.9, when a telescope is required to see it.

There are several double stars of interest in Hydra. Epsilon Hydrae (ε Hya) is a binary star with components of magnitudes 3.3 and 6.8, separated by 2.7 arcseconds. N Hydrae (N Hya) is a pair of stars of magnitudes 5.8 and 5.9. Struve 1270 (Σ1270) consists of a pair of stars, magnitudes 6.4 and 7.4.

The constellation also contains the radio source Hydra A.

Hydra contains three Messier objects. M83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, is located on the border of Hydra and Centaurus, M68 is a globular cluster near M83, and M48 is an open star cluster in the western end of the serpent.

Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (Clockwise):

The constellation of Hydra was identified with the Lernaean Hydra (as defeated by Heracles for one of his Twelve Labours) by the Greeks. Its position in the sky (below the ecliptic), together with the constellation Cancer (which lies near its head) may be the origin of parts of the myth.

The shape of Hydra resembles a twisting snake, and features as such in some Greek myths. One myth associates it with a water snake that a crow served Apollo in a cup when it was sent to fetch water; Apollo saw through the fraud, and angrily cast the crow, cup, and snake, into the sky. The origin of this story is likely to be the juxtaposition of this constellation with those of Crater, and Corvus, in the area of the sky known as the Sea.[unreliable source?][1]

The Greek Hydra constellation is an adaptation from Babylonian astronomy. The myth of Heracles slaying the Lernaean Hydra is an adaptation of the myth of Ninurta slaying the Seven-headed serpent. The MUL.APIN has a "serpent" constellation (MUL.DINGIR.MUŠ) which loosely corresponds to Hydra. It is one of two Babylonian "serpent" constellations (the other being the origin of Serpens), properly described as Mušmaḫḫu "exalted serpent" (c.f. Mušḫuššu "furious serpent", a mythological hybrid of serpent, lion and bird.[2]

In Chinese astronomy, Hydra is divided between the constellations Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird.

[Namaste]

Great research there, TN. Extremely interesting.

The alignment of this diamond object at 2012/12/11 11:11:11 with the Earth and Sun, close to 2012, to me, clearly belongs to the cosmic clock that Ra describes. There are no such thing as coincidences. If this date is indeed correct, I agree entirely, it has much meaning to be unravelled (which you have started to offer here).

Imagine the nature of consciousness/life that dwells within that sphere, and the potential it has to influence this planet during that alignment...

[3DMonkey]

I haven't read this entire thread. But, TN, I can tell you M16 holds a significance to me personally. This is the Eagle Nebula with what is called the Pillars of Creation

The significance to me is one arrived by meditation, dreams, and a series of synchronicity.

---

Candidly, I have drawn parallels between Ophiuchus/Serpens and The Fool.

---

I'm sorry if these references may be irrelevant to the discussion. I searched the page for mention of the Galactic Center, and found none. If we are talking about this area, I think it should be mentioned.
Here are some good pictures of the proximity http://www.astro.utu.fi/~cflynn/galdyn/l13.html

[Tenet Nosce]

I haven't read this entire thread. But, TN, I can tell you M16 holds a significance to me personally. This is the Eagle Nebula with what is called the Pillars of Creation

Thanks for sharing! I hadn't realized that the "Pillars of Creation" was in this area of the sky!

The significance to me is one arrived by meditation, dreams, and a series of synchronicity.

Please do share anything else on this that seems relevant to you. Even if only "personal" it might act as catalyst for others!

Candidly, I have drawn parallels between Ophiuchus/Serpens and The Fool.

Yes. Please be more candid. I have recently noted some observations on The Fool. Notably, that in the Rider-Waite deck, he is depicted with a body in the shape of Orion constellation... but in reverse! Maybe that is a clue to look also at the opposite part of the sky where we find Ophiuchus?

I'm sorry if these references may be irrelevant to the discussion.

LOL! Well seeing as so far you and Namaste ARE the discussion, I suppose whatever you would like to say is relevant.

I searched the page for mention of the Galactic Center, and found none. If we are talking about this area, I think it should be mentioned.

The Galactic Center is in Sagittarius, near to the enigmatic radio source Sagittarius A*. I've long wondered what kind of information might be being radiated from such a body so close to the Galactic Center.

As you may know, the sun briefly passes through Ophiuchus between 30 Nov and 17 Dec, having just passed through Sagittarius and on its way to Capricorn. Although now that I think about it, this is a bit confusing as I recall reading/hearing that the Sun aligns with the Galactic Center on 21 Dec of every year.

This also reminds me... it actually entered into pop consciousness / group mind earlier this year. There was a hubbub about people having to "change their star signs".

Check this out from NASA:


http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/17dec_heliumstream/

December 17, 2004:

Every year in early December, something happens that can throw your horoscope out of whack. The sun enters Ophiuchus, the little-known 13th house of the zodiac. You've probably heard of Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius. The sun passes through these constellations, one by one, throughout the year. They're the ancient signs of the zodiac.

But Ophiuchus?

Modern astronomers don't divide the sky the same way ancient astronomers did. According to modern star maps, the sun cuts through a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, between Nov. 30th and Dec. 17th. Astrologically speaking, if you were born between those dates you're no longer a Sagittarian, you're an Ophiuchi! But that's another story....

This story is about what really happens when the sun enters the zodiac's 13th house: An interstellar wind hits our planet.

It's a helium-rich breeze from the stars, flowing into the solar system from the direction of Ophiuchus. The sun's gravity focuses the material into a cone and Earth passes through it during the first weeks of December. We're inside the cone now.

"There's no danger to anyone on Earth," says space physicist George Gloeckler of the University of Maryland. "The helium breeze is a thousand billion billion times (1021 times) less dense than Earth's atmosphere. It cannot penetrate to the surface of our planet." Nevertheless, astronomers are keen to study it.

The breeze is a telltale sign of what lies outside the solar system. Interstellar space, the "void" between the stars, is not empty. It's filled with gigantic clouds of gas and dust. These clouds are the birthplace of stars and planets; they're also the debris left behind when stars explode. The solar system is running into one. Astronomers call it the Local Interstellar Cloud. The sun's magnetic field holds much of the cloud at bay, but some of the cloud's gas does penetrate--hence the breeze.



Above: The Sun's gravity deflects the interstellar helium breeze and causes it to pile up downstream from the sun. This concentration is helpful to spacecraft observing the wispy-thin flow. Credit: American Scientist. More

NASA's ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) spacecraft, located at the first Lagrange point directly between Earth and the Sun, is perfectly situated to study this breeze. "When Earth moves through the focusing cone (the region of space where the sun's gravity focuses the breeze), so does ACE," explains Gloeckler, who is one of ACE's Lead Co-investigators. "We've been through the cone seven times--once a year since the spacecraft was launched in 1997." [2011 will be the 14th time]

ACE's mission is to study the solar wind, the hot breeze from our own star, so the spacecraft is well equipped to study the interstellar breeze, too. An instrument onboard ACE called SWICS detects helium ions in the breeze, measuring their density, temperature and direction of flow. Using these measurements, along with data from other spacecraft (chiefly SOHO and Ulysses), Gloeckler and colleagues have calculated the properties of the Local Interstellar Cloud.



An artist's concept of the Local Interstellar Cloud. [More]

It's a hot cloud, the gas temperature is 6000 C, about the same as the temperature of the sun's surface. It's also very wispy, only 0.264 atoms per cubic centimeter. The sun's magnetic field has little trouble deflecting this diaphanous material before it crosses the orbit of Pluto. Only a trickle (0.015 atoms per cubic centimeter) penetrates the inner solar system.

One day the solar system might run into something more massive. There are clouds in the galaxy thousands of times denser than the Local Interstellar Cloud. University of Chicago astronomer Priscilla Frisch has studied what might happen if we plowed into one of those. Writing in the magazine American Scientist she reports, "a cloud with 1,000 atoms per cubic centimeter could compress the sun's magnetic field to within a few AU of the sun. (1 AU or "one astronomical unit" is the distance between the sun and Earth). Planets such as Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto would be fully exposed to interstellar atoms and molecules. Interstellar gas would overwhelm the solar wind at 1 AU," transforming the space-environment of our planet.

The first signs of such a transformation could be the helium breeze thickening or shifting directions, heralding something new to come.

ACE has already detected changes. "We see strange gusts, ebbs and flows," says Gloeckler. "We doubt these variations are interstellar." Instead, the sun is probably responsible. The helium breeze must blow through the much denser solar wind, which can push the breeze around. Sunspots also affect the breeze. Ultraviolet radiation shining from sunspots ionizes the breeze and changes the way it appears to instruments like SWICS.

ACE/SWICS measurements of the helium stream. Peaks denote annual passages through the focusing cone.

"What we're doing now," explains Gloeckler, "is learning how solar activity affects the breeze. When we can reliably account for the sun, in detail, then we can use these measurements to diagnose interstellar space."

What's out there? What's coming? The answer lies in a breeze from the stars of the 13th house.

Here are some good pictures of the proximity http://www.astro.utu.fi/~cflynn/galdyn/l13.html.

The link is broken.

---

Great research there, TN. Extremely interesting.

Yes! This is fascinating... ever since I read the article on the diamond planet I had been meaning to figure out exactly where it is. Glad I finally got around to it!

The alignment of this diamond object at 2012/12/11 11:11:11 with the Earth and Sun, close to 2012, to me, clearly belongs to the cosmic clock that Ra describes. There are no such thing as coincidences. If this date is indeed correct, I agree entirely, it has much meaning to be unravelled (which you have started to offer here).

I believe I have was fastidious in the date calculation. But perhaps others could confirm?? I agree this seems beyond coincidence. Any ideas how to proceed from here as to the unraveling of the meaning?

Imagine the nature of consciousness/life that dwells within that sphere, and the potential it has to influence this planet during that alignment...

YES! YES! YES! See... it has been here all along we just didn't know about it until now!!

From what I understand, this planet represents the highest evolutionary potential of the earth/sun pair.

I haven't looked too deeply into the history of the pulsar... if it may have been previously similar to our Solar Logos... however the carbon-based planet is definitely earth-like!

---

At 1:11 pm, relative to this nexus:

Ophiuchus rising in the EAST.
Orion setting in the WEST.
Andromeda/Cygnus/Cassiopaea on the NORTH horizon.
Centaurus/Crux/Vela on the SOUTH horizon.
Ursa Major at the ZENITH.
Phoenix/Grus/Piscis Australis/Tucana at the NADIR.

[Tenet Nosce]

The pulsar spins once every 5.7 milliseconds.

The planet revolves around the pulsar once every 130 minutes (7.8 million milliseconds).

For every revolution of the planet, the pulsar has spinned 1368421.0526315789473684210526316 times.

5.7 x 7.8 = 44.46. Whole number harmonics occur at 89. (Remember 88 constellations and 88 keys on a piano, and the pulsar is 1/8 the distance from the Galactic Center to the Solar Logos). Perhaps a more precise calculation would yield 88?

IF the revolution of the planet were once every 8.8 million milliseconds, THEN this would yield a revolution of every 146.66 minutes. The planet would revolve 9.8 times in one earth day (I recall -9.8 m/s^2 being related to gravitation on earth.) This is about 275 revolutions per 28-day lunar period. 3586.25 revolutions per 365.25-day earth year. Both numbers are very close to factors of 360.

IF the revolution of the planet ACTUALLY IS every 7.8 million ms, THEN this would yield almost exactly 11 revolutions of the planet per earth day. 310.15 revolutions per 28-day lunar period. 4045.85 revolutions per 365.25-day earth year.

For the pulsar: 1 second = 175.44 rotations. 1 minute = 10526.32 rotations. 1 hour = 631578.95 rotations. 1 day = 15157894.74 rotations. 1 lunar month = 424421052.63 rotations. 1 solar year = 5536421052.63 rotations. NOTE: If the rotation were 6.0 ms instead of 5.7 this would be exactly harmonic with earth measurements of time.

Just for "fun" let's pretend that the actual rotation of the pulsar is every 6.0 ms and the revolution of the planet every 8.8 million ms.

6.0 x 8.8 = 52.8. 52 (4 x 13) is another number that comes up all the time. 52 cards in the minor arcana. 52 white keys on a piano.

Ophiuchus is the "13th" constellation of the zodiac.

According to Egyptian mythology, Osiris/Orion was cut up into 13 pieces (the 13th being his penis) {I see 14 and 16 given in wikipedia??) by Seth.

Recall the story of how Isis "tricked" Ra/?!

Sister-wife to Osiris
In the Old Kingdom, the 3rd Dynasty through to the 6th Dynasty dated between 2686 to 2134 BC, the pantheons of individual Egyptian cities varied by region. During the 5th dynasty, Isis became one of the Ennead of the city of Heliopolis. She was believed to be a daughter of Nut and Geb, and sister to Osiris, Nephthys, and Set. The two sisters, Isis and Nephthys, often were depicted on coffins, with wings outstretched, as protectors against evil. As a funerary deity, she was associated with Osiris, lord of the underworld (Duat), and was considered his wife.



Rare terracotta image of Isis lamenting the loss of Osiris (eighteenth dynasty) Musée du Louvre, Paris A later mythology (ultimately a result of the replacement of another deity, Anubis, of the underworld when the cult of Osiris gained more authority), tells us of the birth of Anubis. The tale describes how Nephthys was denied a child by Set and disguised herself as the much more attractive Isis to seduce him. The plot failed, but Osiris now found Nephthys very attractive, as he thought she was Isis. They coupled, resulting in the birth of Anubis. Alternatively, Nephthys had intentionally assumed the form of Isis in order to trick Osiris into fathering her son. In fear of Set's retribution upon them, Nephthys persuaded Isis to adopt Anubis, so that Set would not find out and kill the child. The tale describes both why Anubis is seen as an underworld deity (he becomes a son of Osiris), and why he could not inherit Osiris's position (he was not a legitimate heir in this new birth scenario), neatly preserving Osiris's position as lord of the underworld. It should be remembered, however, that this new myth was only a later creation of the Osirian cult who wanted to depict Set in an evil position, as the enemy of Osiris.
In another Osirian myth, Set had a banquet for Osiris in which he brought in a beautiful box and said that whoever could fit in the box perfectly would get to keep it. Set had measured Osiris in his sleep and made sure that he was the only one who could fit the box. Several tried to see whether they fit. Once it was Osiris's turn to see if he could fit in the box, Set closed the lid on him so that the box was now a coffin for Osiris. Set flung the box in the Nile so that it would drift far away. Isis went looking for the box so that Osiris could have a proper burial. She found the box in a tree in Byblos, a city along the Phoenician coast, and brought it back to Egypt, hiding it in a swamp. But Set went hunting that night and found the box. Enraged, Set chopped Osiris's body into fourteen pieces and scattered them all over Egypt to ensure that Isis could never find Osiris again for a proper burial.[9][10] Isis and her sister Nephthys went looking for these pieces, but could only find thirteen of the fourteen. Fish had swallowed the last piece, his phallus, so Isis made him a new one with magic, putting his body back together after which they conceived Horus. The number of pieces is described on temple walls variously as fourteen and sixteen, and occasionally forty-two, one for each nome or district.[10]
[edit] Assimilation of Hathor
When the cult of Ra rose to prominence he became associated with the similar deity, Horus. Hathor had been paired with Ra in some regions and when Isis began to be paired with Ra, soon Hathor and Isis began to be merged in some regions also as, Isis-Hathor.
[edit] Mother of Horus



Isis nursing Horus, (Louvre) By merging with Hathor, Isis became the mother of Horus, rather than his wife, and thus, when beliefs of Ra absorbed Atum into Atum-Ra, it also had to be taken into account that Isis was one of the Ennead, as the wife of Osiris. It had to be explained how Osiris, however, who (as lord of the dead) being dead, could be considered a father to Horus, who was not considered dead. This conflict in themes led to the evolution of the idea that Osiris needed to be resurrected, and therefore, to the Legend of Osiris and Isis, of which Plutarch's Greek description written in the 1st century AD, De Iside et Osiride, contains the most extensive account known today.[11]
Yet another set of late myths detail the adventures of Isis after the birth of Osiris's posthumous son, Horus. Isis was said to have given birth to Horus at Khemmis, thought to be located on the Nile Delta.[12] Many dangers faced Horus after birth, and Isis fled with the newborn to escape the wrath of Set, the murderer of her husband. In one instance, Isis heals Horus from a lethal scorpion sting; she also performs other miracles in relation to the cippi, or the plaques of Horus. Isis protected and raised Horus until he was old enough to face Set, and subsequently, became the pharaoh of Egypt.
[edit] Magic
In order to resurrect Osiris for the purpose of having the child Horus, it was necessary for Isis to "learn" magic[citation needed] (which long had been her domain before the cult of Ra arose), and so it was said that Isis tricked Ra (i.e. Amun-Ra/Atum-Ra) into telling her his "secret name," by causing a snake to bite him, for which only Isis had the cure. The names of deities were secret and not divulged to any but the religious leaders. Knowing the secret name of a deity enabled one to have power of the deity. That he would use his "secret name" to "survive" implies that the serpent had to be a more powerful deity than Ra. The oldest deity known in Egypt was Wadjet, the Egyptian cobra, whose cult never was eclipsed in Ancient Egyptian religion. As a deity from the same region, she would have been a benevolent resource for Isis. The use of secret names became central in late Egyptian magic spells, and Isis often is implored to "use the true name of Ra" in the performance of rituals. By the late Egyptian historical period, after the occupations by the Greeks and the Romans, Isis became the most important and most powerful deity of the Egyptian pantheon because of her magical skills. Magic is central to the entire mythology of Isis, arguably more so than any other Egyptian deity.
Prior to this late change in the nature of Egyptian religion, the rule of Ma'at had governed the correct actions for most of the thousands of years of Egyptian religion, with little need for magic. Thoth had been the deity who resorted to magic when it was needed. The goddess which held the quadruple roles of healer, protector of the canopic jars, protector of marriage, and goddess of magic previously had been Serket. She then became considered an aspect of Isis. Thus it is not surprising that Isis had a central role in Egyptian magic spells and ritual, especially those of protection and healing. In many spells, she also is completely merged even with Horus, where invocations of Isis are supposed to involve Horus's powers automatically as well. In Egyptian history the image of a wounded Horus became a standard feature of Isis's healing spells, which typically invoked the curative powers of the milk of Isis. (Silverman, Ancient Egypt, 135)

[3DMonkey]

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111011.html

[Oceania]

is it from a higher density?

[Unbound]

The serpent symbolizes the knowledge of man's origins.

[Tenet Nosce]

Incoming Transmission!

  ophiuchus.jpg (Size: 21.95 KB / Downloads: 298)

[Tenet Nosce]

**BUMP**

Just a quick note, the Sun begins to move into positional alignment with the diamond planet today, and will reach the culmination on Monday 12/12.

[Diana]

Thank you TN.

This such an amazing visual and concept. It really opens the mind to possibilities. It made me realize that I had always been "unconsciously" picturing any planets in the universe similar to the ones in our own solar system.

[Tenet Nosce]

Thank you TN.

This such an amazing visual and concept. It really opens the mind to possibilities. It made me realize that I had always been "unconsciously" picturing any planets in the universe similar to the ones in our own solar system.

Yes! There is such a wide variety of planetary environments out there! I can't help but wonder what kinds of beings might make a diamond planet their home...

[Parsons]

Superbubble is the astronomical term used to describe a cavity hundreds of light years across filled with 106 K gas blown into the interstellar medium by multiple supernovae and stellar winds. The solar system lies near the center of an old superbubble, known as the Local Bubble, whose boundaries can be traced by a sudden rise in dust extinction of stars at distances greater than a few hundred light years.

What?! We just "happen" to be in the center of an old one?! It is a cosmic vesica piscis!

This conjured a few questions/ideas. What if this giant diamond the size of Jupiter (I have a hard time thinking of it as a "planet" since its so unique), is the dead core of the previous galaxy that seeded the milky-way galaxy? If its a giant crystal, couldn't it be a giant data crystal with the arkashic record of the previous galaxy?

[Tenet Nosce]

Superbubble is the astronomical term used to describe a cavity hundreds of light years across filled with 106 K gas blown into the interstellar medium by multiple supernovae and stellar winds. The solar system lies near the center of an old superbubble, known as the Local Bubble, whose boundaries can be traced by a sudden rise in dust extinction of stars at distances greater than a few hundred light years.

What?! We just "happen" to be in the center of an old one?! It is a cosmic vesica piscis!

This conjured a few questions/ideas. What if this giant diamond the size of Jupiter (I have a hard time thinking of it as a "planet" since its so unique), is the dead core of the previous galaxy that seeded the milky-way galaxy? If its a giant crystal, couldn't it be a giant data crystal with the arkashic record of the previous galaxy?

That's an interesting idea! Although this particular planet is in the direction of the galactic center, it is not in the actual center. There is, however a very bright radio source known as Sagittarius A* is very near to the center, if not in the center itself. Turns out this radio source is about 26,000 light years away from us- really close to the period of the Great Year- so one of those "weird coincidences" I guess.

[Parsons]

This conjured a few questions/ideas. What if this giant diamond the size of Jupiter (I have a hard time thinking of it as a "planet" since its so unique), is the dead core of the previous galaxy that seeded the milky-way galaxy? If its a giant crystal, couldn't it be a giant data crystal with the arkashic record of the previous galaxy?

That's an interesting idea! Although this particular planet is in the direction of the galactic center, it is not in the actual center. There is, however a very bright radio source known as Sagittarius A* is very near to the center, if not in the center itself. Turns out this radio source is about 26,000 light years away from us- really close to the period of the Great Year- so one of those "weird coincidences" I guess.

/shrug, maybe it got moved from where the center of the dust cloud is by another object bumping into it or gravity or.... its a giant diamond, maybe someone manually moved it to its current location.

I'm not sure if when galaxies die, does the superblackhole / quasar explode somehow? If that's the case, maybe it was flung nearby until it got stuck in the gravitation pull of the star its orbiting.

Just offering some ideas for the geekier than I to mull over; maybe it will result in more discoveries / clarifications. =OD

[Tenet Nosce]

Second diamond exoplanet found! This one is only ~40 ly from earth.

Diamond Planet Found—Part of "Whole New Class?"

5 Cancri e
Right ascension (α) 08h 52m 35.8s
Declination (δ) +28° 19′ 51″

[Spaced]

Thank you TN.

This such an amazing visual and concept. It really opens the mind to possibilities. It made me realize that I had always been "unconsciously" picturing any planets in the universe similar to the ones in our own solar system.

Yes! There is such a wide variety of planetary environments out there! I can't help but wonder what kinds of beings might make a diamond planet their home...

It would probably be ideal for entities composed of pure light or energy to inhabit a huge crystalline matrix like that.

Cool thread, lots to read about and look at!

[Tenet Nosce]

It would probably be ideal for entities composed of pure light or energy to inhabit a huge crystalline matrix like that.

Yes, my thoughts exactly. I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but the sun passes in front of that diamond planet (the first one, not the second one) on December 12.

Of course, the notion that a star, such as our Sun, could act as a transducer and/or amplifier for light/information traveling to and from other celestial bodies is a conjecture of astrology, and has never been proven by science.

In addition, the idea that certain numerical dates, such as 12/12/12 have any significance whatsoever, especially considering the arbitrariness of our calendar system, is also highly questionable.

But nevertheless, it is still interesting to the mind to ponder such ideas, even if they are mere contrivances.

[Tenet Nosce]

[Oldern]

Of course, the notion that a star, such as our Sun, could act as a transducer and/or amplifier for light/information traveling to and from other celestial bodies is a conjecture of astrology, and has never been proven by science.

In addition, the idea that certain numerical dates, such as 12/12/12 have any significance whatsoever, especially considering the arbitrariness of our calendar system, is also highly questionable.

But nevertheless, it is still interesting to the mind to ponder such ideas, even if they are mere contrivances.

We would first need to estabilish whether a proof by the standards of the current scientific consensus is actually a requirement for such an event or not. I do not feel like that in order to experience a Disclosure or a Harvest, for example, one would need a peer reviewed document on it, although it would clearly be a lot of fun seeing that unfolding : D

Regardless whether we need proof or not, a question naturally arises. If the obviously malleable dates are just "arbitrary" labels, then what is in this reality that is not arbitrary as well? If certain people set their minds on something that is connected to dates like this, will that make the power of 12-12-12 more "real" than, say, the power of 11-12-12?

(Needless to say, I think that the power is never in the date. It is with us. All of us.)

[Tenet Nosce]

Of course, the notion that a star, such as our Sun, could act as a transducer and/or amplifier for light/information traveling to and from other celestial bodies is a conjecture of astrology, and has never been proven by science.

In addition, the idea that certain numerical dates, such as 12/12/12 have any significance whatsoever, especially considering the arbitrariness of our calendar system, is also highly questionable.

But nevertheless, it is still interesting to the mind to ponder such ideas, even if they are mere contrivances.

We would first need to estabilish whether a proof by the standards of the current scientific consensus is actually a requirement for such an event or not. I do not feel like that in order to experience a Disclosure or a Harvest, for example, one would need a peer reviewed document on it, although it would clearly be a lot of fun seeing that unfolding : D

Regardless whether we need proof or not, a question naturally arises. If the obviously malleable dates are just "arbitrary" labels, then what is in this reality that is not arbitrary as well? If certain people set their minds on something that is connected to dates like this, will that make the power of 12-12-12 more "real" than, say, the power of 11-12-12?

(Needless to say, I think that the power is never in the date. It is with us. All of us.)

Yes- I think that's true. Of the various channeled sources I am familiar with, the ones that I have felt "resonate" the strongest have de-emphasized the importance of a particular date other than it "just so happens" to be the one that so many people fixated upon.