Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Occultance

Visually speaking, today's transit of Venus in front of the sun is fascinating! The path Venus has taken between the last transit (8 years ago) and this one forms a perfect pentagram. And because Venus is traveling backwards, or retrograde, the transit is also forming five heart-shapes. The hearts then form a five-petaled rose. Crazy.


Astronomy Explained Under Sir Isaac Newton's Principles, 1799

My friend Sarah (there's a lot of us born between 1975 and 1981 it seems, I have five friends named Sara/h Elizabeth!) has given me these instructions for today's event: make a deep wish, one to last for the next 117 years. 


Thinking on that.

ed. note 9:46 pm: I got to see it! When I woke up this morning it was raining and howling and windy and grey, and I thought 'well, well, HOSED AGAIN, pacific northwest' (astronomical happenings often get clouded over in our special region).. but this afternoon the sun came out in a big way, and pal Matt (he recorded the first Western Hymn record!) set up his fancy telescopes in an alley behind a pizza joint in downtown Oly. He also made special sunglasses with solar filter thingies so we could stare right at the sun and see the little dot! 'Like a fertilized egg' said Michelle. Indeed.