End Times and Current Events

General Category => Wicca/witchraft/paganism => Topic started by: Mark on January 24, 2013, 03:50:03 am



Title: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on January 24, 2013, 03:50:03 am
Comet Ison, Celestial Events & The Return Of Christ

Later this year, Comet ISON will pass through the asteroid belt, enter the Inner Solar System and sidestep Mars on its way past Earth, putting on what scientists expect will be a spectacular heavenly show that is not to be missed.

Comets offer one of the most spectacular celestial scenes the unaided human eye can see. By November or December, ISON is expected to be brighter than a full moon. Some believe it will be up to 15 times brighter.

While ISON may prove to be brighter than any other comet of the last century, this trip may also be its swan song, as it is projected to end its flight in a fiery death in the sun.

Read about the solar flares that are forecast to hit at the same time, in “A Nation Forsaken – EMP: The Escalating Threat of an American Catastrophe.”

Comets are made of several parts. The core, or nucleus, is a solid snowball of dust and ice. As the comet nears the sun, the nucleus heats up, releasing the mixture of gas, called the coma, and dust, which forms the tail. There is also a plasma ion tail, which can be several hundred million miles long.

Occasionally, a comet is dislodged from its orbit and makes its way toward Earth.

Comet ISON, currently in the vicinity of Jupiter, was discovered by two Russian amateur astronomers, Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok, using a 16-inch International Scientific Optical Network telescope in Vitebsk, Belarus. The comet possibly came from the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy small bodies beyond Neptune.

ISON, for the moment, is a faint object, visible only in sophisticated telescopes, but that will change in the next few months.

British astronomer David Whitehouse, in the London Independent, reports that by the end of summer, it will become visible in small telescopes and binoculars.

By October, the comet will pass close to Mars, and it will start to become exciting. The surface of the comet will begin to shift as it nears the sun.

As it continues to warm, the surface will crack, releasing small puffs of gas from its core, forming the comet’s tail. Slowly at first, but with increasing energy, the gas and dust will reflect even more of the sun’s light

By autumn, the view should be remarkable.

Astronomers have calculated that the comet will not impact Earth, however, it will pass less than 800,000 miles away from Earth, making it easily visible.

Like the moon, comets do not shine on their own. They reflect only about 4 percent of the sun’s rays, about the same luminescence as a lump of coal. So while the sun’s reflection makes comets look brilliantly white from Earth, they are black on the surface.

The comet will begin brightening once it comes within Jupiter’s orbit, as the sun’s heat begins boiling the ice locked within, converting it directly into a gas.

The reaction to ISON is likely to recall the excitement of Comet Hale-Bopp, which sailed past the Earth in 1997, appearing as a static smear in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere.

ISON is also set to outshine “the greatest comet of the last century” - Comet McNaught, which shone brighter than Venus as it passed above the Southern Hemisphere in 1965.

There are reports Comet ISON’s path resembles that of the Great Comet of 1680, which is also called Kirch’s Comet or Newton’s Comet. That comet’s tail was reportedly visible during the day.

Comets are known as “dirty snowballs,” although technically a better definition would be “snowy dirtballs,” as they are generally rocky at the surface, with chemical-laden ice inside.

Comets can also give off a distinctive sound as they interact with the various space probes exploring the universe.

The timing of Comet ISON has set the astronomical world abuzz. The comet will be closest to the Earth during a time when the solar system’s star, the sun, will reach the maximum of its 11-year solar cycle.

While the comet will not impact Earth, the solar activity that will light up the comet will also unleash multiple Coronal Mass Ejections, or CME, that project trillions of tons of radioactive material at millions of miles per hour toward Earth.

If a major CME happens when the flare is facing directly toward Earth, satellites risk severe damage and, in some cases, destruction. In a nightmare scenario, a massive solar blast would initiate a cascading series of failures that could severely hamper daily life in today’s information age.

Electrical systems would fail, and anything that depends on them - such as food, fuel and energy supply systems - simply would not work. No refrigerators in grocery stores, no pumps at gas stations, no valves controlling flows in dams.

The threat is serious enough that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists are watching these celestial events closely as the sun enters what is called the Solar Max. Government agencies are looking at contingency plans for anything from minor power and communication outages to destruction of global power grids and communications systems.

F. Michael Maloof relates in his book “A Nation Forsaken - EMP: The Escalating Threat of an American Catastrophe” that the effects of a solar maximum can be both spectacular and shattering:

On September 2, 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm dazzled the pre-electronics era with auroras seen around the world. The white-light solar flare was so bright; folks in the northeastern United States could read newspaper just from the light of the aurora.

The telegraph system in use all over Europe and North America failed. Telegraph operators were shocked, and telegraph pylons threw sparks, causing telegraph paper to spontaneously catch fire.

And when telegraphers disconnected the batteries powering the lines, aurora-induced electric currents in the wires still allowed messages to be transmitted!

ISON might not be the only spectacular comet visible soon. Another comet, called 2014 L4 (PanSTARRS), was discovered last year, and in March and April it could also be a magnificent object in the evening sky.

Comets and other celestial objects have often been regarded as harbingers of events on Earth.

Mark Twain was born during the 1835 appearance of Halley’s Comet, and he predicted he would “go out with it.” He died April 21, 1910, the day following the comet’s return.

The Star of Bethlehem heralding the birth of Jesus is mentioned in Matthew 2:

Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Mt 2:2 KJV)

This celestial event is also thought to be foretold in Numbers 24:17 and Isaiah 60:3. It has historically been explained in three ways: as a major comet; as a planetary conjunction or sequence of conjunctions; or as a supernova.

The first-century Roman historian Josephus, in Book VI, chapter 5 of “The Wars of the Jews,” recorded the arrival of a comet before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Josephus recounts a heavenly “sign” that was ignored by those without eyes or minds to consider it at the time:

Thus were the miserable people (the Jews of Jerusalem) persuaded by these deceivers (false prophets), and such as belied God himself; while they did not attend nor give credit to the signs [of the heavens] that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation, but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them.

“Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year.”

Biblical prophecies of the Last Days also include celestial events:

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” (Joel 2:30-31 KJV)

From this passage and from Revelation 6:12-13 comes what is known as the “Blood Moon” prophecy.

Four “blood-red” total lunar eclipses will fall on Passover and Sukkot in 2014 and 2015, the same back-to-back occurrences in 1492, 1948 and 1967.

The Blood Moon theory says the Second Coming of Christ will likely occur in 2014 or 2015 when there will be four consecutive, rare lunar eclipses, or a tetrad. The eclipses will coincide with two major holidays on the Jewish calendar in 2014 and 2015: Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Supporters of this theory believe the Rapture likely will coincide with one of the eclipses.

While the world did not end with the end of the Mayan calendar last year, Comet ISON is considered by some to be another celestial sign of things to come.

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2013/January22/225.html#.UQEB_2cXFD4


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on January 24, 2013, 03:35:23 pm
Interesting article.

I don't know if any "celestial event" can be attributed to events in scripture, but it does sound interesting that a comet would be so bright, and two of them at that same year. Guess we'll see.

As for the lunar eclipses? Not sure what to make of that, accept "time and chance happeneth to all".

However...

28  And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30  And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joel 2:28-31 (KJB)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Christian40 on January 24, 2013, 10:16:31 pm
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

interesting that i heard Mark Biltz talk about this 2014/2015 special events on www.prophecyinthenews.com awhile back, i expect to hear more about this as we approach this time. 


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on January 26, 2013, 01:08:57 am
saved


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on January 26, 2013, 01:46:06 pm
Interesting article.

I don't know if any "celestial event" can be attributed to events in scripture, but it does sound interesting that a comet would be so bright, and two of them at that same year. Guess we'll see.

As for the lunar eclipses? Not sure what to make of that, accept "time and chance happeneth to all".

However...

28  And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30  And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joel 2:28-31 (KJB)


This could be a coincidence, sure, HOWEVER, but then we look at the other signs going on - the sodomy agenda being pushed at a much rapid pace than years prior(and the American/world public is starting to embrace it, both "conservatives" and "liberals" alike, that is). This country has the most wicked President anyone can imagine, ever. Gun control is really being pushed through like never before. Syria itself is a powder keg ready to explode(forget the other ME countries). Famines(b/c of the record drought last year) are slowly starting to hit on our soil. Stories of all kinds of pestilences here in America in recent months. GMOs slowly taking full force now. There's ZERO biblical truth in the modern-day church now, which is starting to lean Postmodernism theology. The "ring of fire" in the Pacific is a short fuse or 2 away from "the big one".

On the contrary, maybe these "commets" and "lunar eclipses" aren't coincidences after all.

Luke 21:8  And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
Luk 21:9  But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
Luk 21:10  Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
Luk 21:11  And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 06, 2013, 08:11:38 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-probe-snaps-photos-potential-comet-century-115251441.html

NASA Probe Snaps Photos of Potential 'Comet of the Century'

2/6/13

A NASA spacecraft has captured its first photos of comet ISON, an icy wanderer that some scientists say could dazzle as a "comet of the century" when it swings through the inner solar system later this year.
 
The photos were taken by NASA's Deep Impact probe and reveal comet ISON as a bright, dusty ball moving against a star-filled background. The spacecraft snapped the pictures on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 from a distance of about 493 million miles (793 million kilometers).
 
Comet ISON has been the focus of much anticipation among scientists and stargazers because of its potential to put on a spectacular display in late November, when it makes its closest approach to the sun. Some forecasts predict the comet could shine brighter than the full moon. As of mid-January, the comet's tail was more than 40,000 miles (64,400 km).
 


Will comet ISON sizzle or fizzle?
 
Some projections state that comet ISON, which is officially designated comet C/20012 S1 (ISON), could shine extremely bright in the nighttime sky, possibly even rivaling the full moon. Whether the comet will meet expectations or fizzle out remains to be seen, but it has already become a target for NASA and amateur astronomers. [Photos of Comet ISON in Night Sky]
 
"This is the fourth comet on which we have performed science observations and the farthest point from Earth from which we've tried to transmit data on a comet," Deep Impact project manager Tim Larson, of the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement Tuesday (Feb. 5) "The distance limits our bandwidth, so it's a little like communicating through a modem after being used to DSL. But we're going to coordinate our science collection and playback so we maximize our return on this potentially spectacular comet."

 The Deep Impact spacecraft has flown close by two comets, Tempel 1 and Hartley 2, and taken detailed observations of another — comet Garradd —before turning its camera eyes on Comet ISON. The spacecraft used its Medium-Resolution Imager to snap pictures of ISON during a 36-hour period between Jan. 17 and 18, NASA officials said.
 
Comet ISON was discovered in September 2012 by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok using a 15.7-inch (0.4-meter) telescope of the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON), near Kislovodsk. The comet is most likely making its first trip through the inner solar system from the Oort cloud, a vast shell of icy objects at the outer edge of the solar system that extends one-third of the way to the nearest star, NASA scientists said.
 
"Having not come this way before means the comet's pristine surface has a higher probability of being laden with volatile material just spoiling for some of the sun's energy to heat it up and help it escape," NASA officials wrote in a statement. "With the exodus of these clean ices could come a boatload of dust, held in check since the beginnings of our solar system. This released gas and dust is what is seen on Earth as comprising a comet's atmosphere (coma) and tail.
 


Comet ISON's solar system encounter
 
Comet ISON will make its closest approach to the sun on Nov. 28, when it will approach within 800,000 miles (1.2 million km) of the star's surface. If the comet survives the approach, and does not fade or break apart, it could transform into a spectacular celestial sight, scientists have said.
 
The comet will make its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 26, when it will fly within 40 million miles (64 million km) of the planet. It poses no impact threat to the Earth, NASA scientists said.
 
NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft is currently flying on an extended mission across the solar system. The probe launched in 2005 on a mission to rendezvous with the Tempel 1 comet in July 2005. The encounter was successful, with Deep Impact dropping an impactor onto the comet to create an artificial crater that revealed the inner makeup of the object.
 
In November 2010, the Deep Impact spacecraft flew by comet Hartley 2 as part of its extended mission. The spacecraft observed comet Garradd from afar in January 2012. Since its launch, Deep Impact has traveled about 4.39 billion miles (7.06 billion km), NASA officials said.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 14, 2013, 07:59:34 pm
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/02/11/asteroid_2012_da14_space_rock_will_miss_the_earth_by_17_000_miles.html

2/11/13

Everything You Need to Know About This Friday’s Close Shave by Asteroid 2012 DA14


On Friday, Feb. 15, the Earth is going to get a very close shave by an asteroid*. Called 2012 DA14, this 50 meter (160 foot) rock will pass just over 27,000 kilometers (17,000 miles) from the Earth’s surface. This is closer than our geosynchronous satellites, so this really is a close pass!

But, to be very clear: This asteroid poses no threat to us right now, nor in the foreseeable future. Friday’s miss is just that: a miss. And, in fact, this is a good thing, since any time an asteroid gets close (but misses), we learn a lot, including how to find them, how to track them, and even how to talk about them to the public.

So let me tell you all about this little rock, and why it’s so cool.

more


Title: Giant Fireball Crashes in Russia
Post by: Boldhunter on February 15, 2013, 02:30:57 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWs95bCsETM&feature=youtube_gdata_player,,
 
Feb. 14, 2013 documentation of giant fireball entering the atmosphere and crashing to earth. Reports/findings likely to begin.

There is also a "near miss" meteor to occur over the Middle East around 9:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15, 2013


Title: Re: Giant Fireball Crashes in Russia
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 15, 2013, 08:43:34 am
Just saw this on the MSM - this is very interesting, as this time around it happened right in front of everyone's eyes. In times past(including recently), these types of explosions would happen and it would be a big mystery to everyone.

Times are getting very interesting now.


Title: Re: Giant Fireball Crashes in Russia
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 15, 2013, 08:54:05 am
http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/15/16969092-hundreds-injured-as-meteor-fireball-screams-across-the-sky-in-russia?lite

2/15/13

Hundreds injured as meteor fireball screams across the sky in Russia

A huge meteorite flared through the skies over Russia's Chelyabinsk region early Friday, triggering a powerful shock wave that injured hundreds of people, blew out windows and reportedly caused the roof of a factory to collapse.

Multiple amateur videos posted online showed the meteor’s flaring arc across the western Siberia sky. Others from the scene included the sound of a loud boom, followed by a cacophony of car alarms. One video showed the hurried evacuation of an office building in Chelyabinsk.

There was panic. People had no idea what was happening. Everyone was going around to people’s houses to check if they were OK,” Chelyabinsk resident Sergey Hametov told The Associated Press. “We saw a big burst of light then went outside to see what it was and we heard a really loud thundering sound.”

Another resident described a “flash” in the sky
.

"I was standing at a bus stop, seeing off my girlfriend," Andrei, a local resident who did not give his second name, told Reuters. "Then there was a flash and I saw a trail of smoke across the sky and felt a shock wave that smashed windows."

Russia's Emergencies Ministry said 514 people had sought medical help, mainly for light injuries caused by flying glass, and that 112 of those were hospitalized, according to Reuters.

The meteor, which was reportedly 10 tons, cut a blazing ribbon across the horizon, leaving a long white trail in its wake that could be seen 125 miles (200 kilometers) away in Yekaterinburg. The Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement that the space rock entered Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of at least 33,000 mph, according to the AP. Some authorities in Russia, however, have said that the event was a meteor shower, and not a single meteor.

"Preliminary indications are that it was a meteorite [shower]," the RIA-Novosti news agency quoted an emergency official as saying. "We have information about a blast at 10,000-meter (32,800-foot) altitude."

As many as 10,000 police have been mobilized to aid in recovery and to remove debris from the meteorite, which has been found in three areas around the Chelyabinsk region, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency. Military spokesman Yarslavl Roshupkin told the news agency that a 20-foot-wide crater was found that could be the result of meteor fragments.

The interior ministry said the shock wave caused the roof of a zinc factory's warehouse to collapse, but that no fatalities were reported.

In Russia and around the world, observers marveled at the fireball and its aftermath.

It was a once in a decade event, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, told TODAY on Friday, saying the impact was the physics equivalent of hitting a brick wall. When you hit a brick wall, you basically explode, and that’s what happened here, and it exploded in midair,” Tyson said.

"There have never been any cases of meteorites breaking up at such a low level over Russia before," Yuri Burenko, head of the Chelyabinsk branch of the Emergencies Ministry, told Reuters
.

There have been no significant disturbances to public utilities or communications, Vladimir Stepanov of the Emergency Situation Ministry told ITAR-Tass. “No serious consequences have been so far recorded,” Stepanov said, according to the news agency. “There has been no disruption in the rail and air transport work.”

The fireball reports spread just hours before a 150-foot-wide asteroid was due to make a close flyby, coming within 17,200 miles of Earth. It's unlikely that there's any connection between the fireball and the encounter asteroid, known as 2012 DA14. However, a bright flash and explosion in midair would be consistent with the atmospheric entry and breakup of a large meteoroid.

If 2012 DA14 were to hit Earth, the scenario might play out in a similar way, but with a far more powerful impact. The European Space Agency posted a message on its Twitter account saying that there was no link between the Russian meteor and asteroid 2012 DA14.

Asteroid 2012 DA14 will not impact Earth, but if another asteroid of a size similar to that of 2012 DA14 (about 150 feet across) were to impact Earth, it would release approximately 2.5 megatons of energy in the atmosphere and would be expected to cause regional devastation,” NASA said in a statement on its website.

In 1908, a massive explosion shook a remote region of Siberia and knocked down millions of trees over an 820-square-mile area. Experts concluded that the blast, known as the Tunguska event, was caused by the midair explosion of a 150-foot-wide asteroid falling to Earth.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Boldhunter on February 15, 2013, 11:25:22 pm
Zinc Plant and other major damages and injuries from Russian meteor:

http://m.guardiannews.com/science/2013/feb/15/40-russians-hospitalised-after-meteorite-falls


Friday 15 February 2013 15.53 EST Hundreds hurt in Russia after meteorite falls to Earth

Ultranationalist politician suggests 10-tonne meteorite was in fact a new American weapon

Cars drive past a zinc plant warehouse in Chelyabinsk, Russia, which was hit by the falling meteorite. Photograph: Eugeny Khazheev/EPA

Howard Amos in Moscow

Galina Zaglumyonova was woken in her flat in central Chelyabinsk by an enormous explosion that blew in the balcony windows and shattered clay pots containing her few houseplants.

When she jumped out of bed on Friday she could see a huge vapour trail hanging in the morning sky and hear the wail of car alarms from the street below.

"I didn't understand what was going on," said Zaglumyonova. "There was a big explosion and then a series of little explosions. My first thought was that it was a plane crash."

What she had actually witnessed were the death throes of a 10-tonne meteorite that plunged to Earth in a series of fireballs just after sunrise.

Officials put the number of people injured at almost 1,200, with more than 40 taken to hospital – most as a result of flying glass shattered by the sonic boom created by the meteorite's descent. There were no reported

The meteorite entered the atmosphere travelling at a speed of at least 33,000mph and broke up into chunks between 18 and 32 miles above the ground, according to a statement from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The event caused panic in Chelyabinsk, a city of more than 1 million people to the south of Russia's Ural mountains, as mobile phone networks swiftly became jammed by the volume of calls.

Amateur video footage from the area, often peppered with the obscene language of frightened observers, showed the chunks of meteorite glowing more brightly as they approached the moment of impact.

The vapour trail was visible for hundreds of miles around, including in neighbouring Kazakhstan.

Tatyana Bets was at work in the reception area of a hospital clinic in the centre of the city when the meteorite struck.

"First we noticed the wind, and then the room was filled with a very bright light and we could see a cloud of some unspecified smoke in the sky," she said. Then, after a few minutes, came the explosions.

At least three craters were subsequently discovered, according to the ministry of the interior, and were being monitored by the military.

One crater was more than six metres wide, while another lump of meteorite was reported to have slammed through the thick ice of a nearby lake. Radiation levels at the impact sites were normal, according to local military officials, Interfax

In Chelyabinsk itself, schools and universities were closed and many other staff told to go home early. About 200 children were among the

Zinc prices jumped slightly on the London Metals Exchange after it was reported that a local zinc factory had been particularly badly hit and had suffered damage to its walls and roof.

A steady stream of lightly injured people, most suffering cuts from flying glass, came into the clinic where Bets works. She said a nearby dormitory building for college students was particularly badly affected and many of the students were brought in suffering from fright.

"There were a lot of girls in shock. Some were very pale and many of them fainted," she said.

Early estimates suggested more than 100,000 square metres of glass had been broken and 3,000 buildings hit. The total cost of the damage in the city was being valued at in excess of 1 billion roubles (£200,000).

The meteorite over Chelyabinsk arrived less than a day before asteroid 2012 DA14 was expected to make the closest pass to Earth (about 17,510 miles) of any recorded cosmic body. But experts said the two events were linked by nothing more than coincidence.

Rumours and conspiracy theories, however, swirled in the first few hours after the incident. Reports on Russian state television and in local media suggested that the meteorite was engaged by local air defence units and blown apart at an altitude of more than 15 miles.

The ultra-nationalist leader of Russia's Liberal Democrat party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, said it was not a meteorite but military action by the United States, echoing much of the speculation voiced on amateur film

"It's not a meteorite falling – it's a test of new American weapons," Zhirinovsky said.

Some were quick to take advantage of the confusion. Enterprising people were offering lumps of meteorite for sale through internet sites within a few hours of the impact.

President Vladimir Putin and the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, were informed about the incident, and Putin convened a meeting with the head of the emergency situations

"It's proof that not only are economies vulnerable, but the whole planet." Medvedev said at an economic forum in Siberia, Interfax reported.

Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's deputy prime minister and former ambassador to Nato, took to Twitter to call for an international push to create a warning system for all "objects of an alien origin".

Neither the US nor Russia had the capability to bring down such objects,

Related content

Today, 2:42pm Meteorite slams into Central Russia injuring 1100 - as it happened

Reports conflict over whether it was a single meteor or a meteor shower that struck over Chelyabinsk region

Today, 2:41pm Asteroid misses Earth by 17,000 miles after meteor strikes Russia

Experts said there was nothing to fear from 50-metre asteroid, but coincidence highlights Earth's position in 'shooting

Today, 10:58am Meteorite footage captured thanks to Russian love of dashcams

Cameras on car dashboards have produced a series of clips showing bizarre traffic incidents on Russia's notorious roads

Today, 10:14am Meteorite explosion over Chelyabinsk injures hundreds

Almost 500 people hurt as aftershock damages buildings and jammed mobile networks spread panic

Today, 8:40am Meteor and asteroid events give new focus for our vital Sentinel telescope




Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on February 16, 2013, 04:18:24 am
Quote
A huge meteorite flared through the skies over Russia's Chelyabinsk region early Friday

Funny how they report on such a significant event, and still can't get it right! A meteorite is a meteor that has landed. If it's in the air still, it's a meteor. On the ground, meteorite.  ::)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 16, 2013, 01:15:11 pm
Saw CNN's coverage on it last night - the reporter managed to throw in climate change, dinosaurs living on the earth before it was detroyed millions of years ago, etc.

Couldn't tell if he was joking or was brainwashed himself.


Title: Bright streak of light reported over Calif.
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 16, 2013, 02:56:04 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/bright-streak-light-reported-over-calif-155742051.html

2/16/13

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hours after a meteor exploded over Russia and injured more than 1,000 people and an asteroid passed relatively close to Earth, residents in California reported seeing an unusual flash of light over the San Francisco Bay area that left many startled and thrilled.
 
Based on reports, the light streaking in the Northern California sky was a sporadic meteor, or fireball, and not a major event, said Mike Hankey, operations manager for the American Meteor Society at Pennsylvania State University. The group recorded at least 35 reports of the event, he said.
 
"Fireballs happen every single night, all around the world," he said.
 
Experts say smaller meteorites hit Earth five to 10 times a year but large meteors, such as the one that streaked over Chelyabinsk, Russia, are much rarer. Another meteor landed in the Bay Area in October and caused a loud sonic boom.
 
On Friday, the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland also reported receiving calls describing what appeared to be a fireball flying west around 8 p.m.
 
Jonathan Braidman, an instructor at the center, described the object based off reports as likely being a small piece of an asteroid that "somehow" got on a collision course with the earth.
 
"This is a very common occurrence," Braidman said. "What is uncommon is that it's so close to where people are living."
 
Bay Area media outlets reported the fireball was reported seen from an area stretching from Gilroy, about 80 miles south of San Francisco, to Sacramento, about 90 miles to the northeast.
 
One viewer told television station NBC11 the object appeared bluish in color and appeared to be heading straight to the ground. San Leandro resident Krizstofer Loid told KTVU-TV that he was sitting on a lawn chair in the backyard of his home when he saw the object.
 
"I saw, like, a blue streak from the sky coming down. I thought it was fireworks, but I didn't hear any sounds," he said.
 
The center's large telescopes did not pick up the object during a stargazing event, astronomer Gerald McKeegan told KGO-TV.
 
"The media attention on the Russian thing got people's attention, so they're more likely to notice things in the sky," said Mike Hankey, operations manager of the American Meteor Society.
 
While Friday night's fireball received a lot of attention in the San Francisco Bay area, Braidman notes about 15,000 tons of debris from asteroids enter the earth's atmosphere every year.
 
"Usually these things break up into small pieces and are difficult to find," he said.


Title: Re: Giant Fireball Crashes in Russia
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 16, 2013, 07:22:38 pm
This source credits Infowars for this bit - but just throwing this out there anyways.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/02/russian-meteor-possible-us-excalibur-weapon-provocation-2565922.html

2/15/13

Russian “Meteor”… Possible US “Excalibur” Weapon Provocation

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/5710_616400841710172_519471351_n.jpg)

Russian "Meteor"... Possible US Excalibur Weapon Provocation
 
More wide eyed theorists have suggested that the object may not have been a meteor at all and could have been a satellite that was shot down, or some form of kinetic bombardment weapon aimed at Russia.
 
The latter theory seems to have stemmed from comments made by Russian nationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who claimed that the flashes and sonic booms witnessed were the results of a secret US weapons test.
 
Zhirinovsky, known for making such startling claims about advanced weaponry, suggested that he had advance knowledge of a test. He also claimed that US Secretary of State John Kerry had attempted to warn Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about a coming “provocation” earlier this week, but couldn’t reach him.
 
source http://www.infowars.com/russia-shot-down-the-meteor-theory-spreads-online/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=3
 
Excalibur
 
When I first read this report from Infowars, it reminded me of the Phoenix Journals article about secret weapons,  Joshua, and Excalibur.... read more about in Phoenix Journal #3 Space Gate - The Veil Removed
 
Use your OWN DISCERNMENT for these coming times.... as this example shows... we've got crazy people in leadershp, with all sorts of weapons, the public hasn't heard of. 
 
What Could This "Meteorite" Be?
 
So far on the radar screen... it's looking like it's either "Excalibur", or connected to Planet X, or just a hunk of rock randomly flying through space (yeah right!)..... Remember the Russians and US are in bed together.... but fighting... varies levels of insanity abound.
 
Be well... if any of this is unsettling, go into your heartspace...


Title: Re: Giant Fireball Crashes in Russia
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 16, 2013, 07:52:12 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/russian-meteor-blast-bigger-thought-nasa-says-234920189.html

2/16/13

Russian Meteor Blast Bigger Than Thought, NASA Says
The meteor that exploded over Russia Friday was slightly larger than previously thought and more powerful, too, NASA scientists say.
 
The Russian meteor explosion over the city of Chelyabinsk, on Friday (Feb. 15), injured more than 1,000 people and blew out windows across the region in a massive blast captured on cameras by frightened witnesses. Friday afternoon, NASA scientists estimated the meteor was space rock about 50 feet (15 meters) and sparked a blast equivalent of a 300-kiloton explosion. The energy estimate was later increased to 470 kilotons.

 But late Friday, NASA revised its estimates on the size and power of the devastating meteor explosion. The meteor's size is now thought to be slightly larger — about 55 feet (17 m) wide — with the power of the blast estimate of about 500 kilotons, 30 kilotons higher than before, NASA officials said in a statement. [See video of the intense meteor explosion]
 
The meteor was also substantially more massive than thought as well. Initial estimated pegged the space rock's mass at about 7,000 tons. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., now say the meteor weighed about 10,000 tons and was travelling 40,000 mph (64,373 km/h) when it exploded.

more


Title: Suspected meteor explosion reported in central Cuba
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 16, 2013, 08:24:02 pm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2013-02/16/c_132171646.htm

2/16/13

HAVANA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- An object fell from the sky over central Cuba on Thursday night and turned into a fireball "bigger than the sun" before it exploded, a Cuban TV channel reported Friday, citing eyewitnesses.
 
Some residents in the central province of Cienfuegos were quoted as saying that at around 8 p.m. local time Thursday (0100 GMT Friday) they saw a bright spot in the sky comparable to a bus in size.
 
The object then turned into a fireball "bigger than the sun," said the witnesses, adding that several minutes later they heard a loud explosion.
 
One resident told the TV station that his house shook slightly in the blast.
 
Cuban experts have been dispatched to the area to look for possible remains of the meteor-like object, said the report.
 
It remains unknown whether the reported phenomenon in Cuba is related to Friday's meteor strike in central Russia, which set off a shockwave that shattered windows and left some 1,000 people injured.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on February 17, 2013, 03:49:10 am
Fireballs reported in skies above Cuba and California

Fireballs have been reported above Cuba and California in the same week that a meteor streaked across the skies over Russia.


 In Cuba on Tuesday, residents reported seeing a bright light in the sky and a loud explosion that shook windows and walls, although there were no reports of any injuries or damage.

One resident of the city of Rodas, near Cienfuegos, described the light as "bigger than the sun". He said: "On Tuesday we left home to fish around five in the afternoon, and around 8:00 we saw a light in the heavens and then a big ball of fire, bigger than the sun."

Another resident said described how her home was "completely shaken" by the explosion. She added: "I had never heard such a strange thing."

There were also numerous unconfirmed reports of a bright streak of light over the San Francisco Bay area on Friday night.

Scientists at the Chabot Space and Science Center, in Oakland, said it had received calls describing what appeared to be a fireball flying west, but it was not clear what the object was.

rest: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9875149/Fireballs-reported-in-skies-above-Cuba-and-California.html


Title: United Nations Reviewing Asteroid Impact Threat
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 17, 2013, 02:25:44 pm
United Nations Reviewing Asteroid Impact Threat

http://news.yahoo.com/united-nations-reviewing-asteroid-impact-threat-151714576.html

2/17/13

The Russian fireball and the close flyby of the asteroid 2012 DA14 on Friday (Feb. 15) came at a moment in time when the United Nations is discussing international response to the near-Earth object impact concern.
 
Detailed discussions about the Russian meteor explosion and Earth's encounter with asteroid 2012 DA14 were high on the Feb. 15 agenda of Action Team-14 during the 50th session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), being held from Feb. 11 to 22 at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna.
 
The multi-year work of Action Team-14 (AT-14) is focused on pushing forward on an international response to the impact threat of asteroids and other near-Earth objects (NEOs).
 
Up for discussion at the Vienna gathering is the report: "Near-Earth Objects, 2011-2012, Recommendations of the Action Team on Near-Earth Objects for an International Response to the Near-Earth Object Impact Threat." [See video of the Russian meteor explosion]

more


Title: Re: Giant Fireball Crashes in Russia
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 17, 2013, 07:57:02 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/russian-fireball-wont-last-surprise-asteroid-attack-132108316.html

2/16/13

The world will have to live with surprise asteroid attacks on the scale of Friday's Russian fireball, at least for a while.
 
The meteor that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk without warning Friday (Feb. 15), damaging hundreds of buildings and wounding more than 1,000 people, was caused by a space rock about 50 feet (15 meters) wide, researchers said.
 
Asteroids of this size are both difficult to detect and incredibly numerous, so it will take a long time for astronomers to find and map out the orbits of all the potentially dangerous ones. Besides, researchers have bigger fish to fry.
 
"Defending the Earth against tiny asteroids such as the one that passed over Siberia and impacted there is a challenging issue that is something that is not currently our goal," Paul Chodas, a scientist with the Near Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told reporters Friday (Feb. 15). [Meteor Blast Over Russia Feb. 15: Complete Coverage]
 
"We are focusing on the larger asteroids first," Chodas added. "They are the ones that are the most hazardous."

more


Title: Another meteor? 'Fireballs' light up Florida sky
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 18, 2013, 10:14:37 am
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/18/17001094-another-meteor-fireballs-light-up-florida-sky?lite

2/18/13

By Juan Ortega and Gilma Avalos, NBCMiami.com

South Floridians who happened to be looking in the right place at the right time Sunday night saw one spectacular light show – possibly a sporadic meteor.

The Coast Guard began getting flooded with phone calls about 7:30 p.m., with reports of folks seeing flare-like objects from Jacksonville to Key West, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Laberdesque.

People called in, describing the flares “as orange or red fireballs in the sky,” Laberdesque said. The display was limited to the sky: No injuries were reported, Laberdesque said.

A sporadic meteor is basically a rocky object that comes from the asteroid belt, said Mike Hankey, operations manager for the American Meteor Society, based in Genesee, N.Y. The group logged 27 reports within about the first two hours of the event, he said.

"This is a lot of reports to come in quickly," Hankey said
.

Gauging by the reports, it happened somewhere over the ocean.

"These fireballs are common," Hankey said. "It’s rare for any one person to see one more than once or twice in their lifetime. But on any given night, it might happen somewhere in the globe a few times in a day."

Hankey added: "People should not be scared of the sky falling or anything at all."

Amanda Mayer, of West Palm Beach, said she saw something in the sky and said she thought it was somebody flashing a light. She said she hit record on her camera.

"I was like, 'Wow! That's weird," Mayer said. "I just started videotaping, and that's when it happened."

It turned out to be good timing: The ball of light appeared as she recorded, she said.

"I was pretty sure it was a meteor because of everything else that's been happening," Mayer said.

The Coast Guard said it had suspected Sunday's sighting was a meteor shower, but Hankey disagreed. "Meteor showers usually are much dimmer and faster moving," Hankey said.

After a meteor exploded overhead near Chelyabinsk, Russia, on Friday, reportedly injuring more than 1,000 people, many people elsewhere in the world have wrongly thought that streaks they've seen in the sky, including planes, are meteors, Hankey said.

"We’re getting a lot more false reports," Hankey said
.

But with false reports, the group tends to receive only one report describing an incident, Hankey said. If the same event is reported over and over in five or 10 minutes, then that’s more likely to be "a legitimate event,” or sporadic meteor, Hankey said.

In South Florida Sunday night, the Coast Guard found that the light streak vanished in an instant. The Coast Guard sent out a helicopter to check out a report of a flare near the MacArthur Causeway in Miami, but found nothing there, Laberdesque said.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on February 22, 2013, 07:39:30 pm
‘No Emergencies’ Reported After Bright Light Seen In SoCal Skies

 A streak of light that apparently sparked several reports across Southern California was not considered to be a public threat, according to fire officials.

Over 40 reports from eyewitnesses around the Southland and statewide reported the sight to the American Meteor Society (AMS) around approximately 10:30 p.m. on Thursday night.

Residents from cities as far north as Sacramento, Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara and as far south as Malibu and Costa Mesa reported a “brief tail of light” – described as everything from blue to white to bright green in color – traveling in a east-southeast to west-northwest direction across the night sky.

Sightings were also reported in Montebello, Anaheim, Palm Desert, Alhambra, Canyon Country, Arcadia, Laguna Niguel, Burbank, Van Nuys, Glendale, Pasadena, San Fernando, and other cities.

The flood of reports prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to respond on Twitter: “We are in routine operations. There are no emergencies in Los Angeles related to the sighting of a bright light in our atmosphere.”

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/02/22/no-emergencies-reported-after-bright-light-seen-in-socal-skies/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Boldhunter on February 22, 2013, 10:36:24 pm
I think I'm outta here!


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on February 23, 2013, 03:45:44 am
 ???


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Boldhunter on February 24, 2013, 10:31:15 pm
Meaning- seems like impending judgements heading for CA- I'm ready to move out of this place!


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Christian40 on February 25, 2013, 01:16:38 am
i would not want to live in CA either :-\


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on February 25, 2013, 03:40:19 am
Meaning- seems like impending judgements heading for CA- I'm ready to move out of this place!

Ah, okay! I fully understand.  ;)


Title: Re: Giant Fireball Crashes in Russia
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 27, 2013, 11:40:06 am
http://rt.com/news/russian-meteorite-lake-craters-537/

Divers find Russian meteorite craters in Chebarkul Lake

Published time: February 27, 2013 17:40

Divers searching Chebarkul Lake in Russia’s Urals region have found several craters that may be the impact zones of fragments of the now-famous meteorite that exploded over the area on February 15.

The underwater hunt for the rare stones was hampered by cold weather and light-obstructing mud stirred up from the bottom. The divers used powerful lights and probes to uncover several potential sites where meteorite fragments may have landed.

On Thursday, a team from Ekaterinburg will join in the search by conducting a magnetic survey of the prospect locations; the initial results could be ready as early as that evening.

Some fragments of the meteorite were retrieved in the Chelyabinsk region, which endured the bulk of the spectacular cosmic event. The biggest meteorite chunk discovered was about 1 kilogram. It is hoped that the fragments inside the lake could be much bigger, weighing dozens of kilograms.

Videos of the meteorite streaking across Russia’s sky proved to be not only awe-inspiring for YouTube, but also served a scientific purpose: Two groups of researchers used the clips to calculate the meteorite’s trajectory.

Colombian astronomers from the University of Antioquia in Medellin are believed to be the first to report their preliminary results last week at the scientific publishing website arxiv.org. A similar work by researchers at the Astronomical Institute of Czech Academy of Sciences came days later on Monday.

Both teams used the proven method of analyzing video footage of the meteorite’s descent through a little bit of trigonometry. This time, however, the footage was taken by CCTV, car cameras and smartphones, rather than precisely calibrated observatory recorders.

The Russian meteorite was determined to be an Apollo-class asteroid, one of an estimated 5,000 near-Earth bodies orbiting the Sun and occasionally crossing the Earth’s orbit. Most of these objects are spread out between the orbits of Venus and Jupiter.

Russian astronomers will report their findings later in March, but have already confirmed that the results published by the Columbian and Czech researchers correspond with their findings.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 02, 2013, 10:40:29 am
http://msnvideo.msn.com/?channelindex=6&from=en-us_msnhp#/video/0f8664dc-0478-79ee-8afe-c7ead13d69c4

Video: Comets Lemmon and PanSTARRS sweeping through the Southern Skies


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 03, 2013, 08:59:35 pm
http://spaceweather.com/

BRIGHT COMET PAN-STARRS: Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4) is now inside the orbit of Mercury, brightening as it plunges toward the sun. Observers in the southern hemisphere report say they can see Pan-STARRS with the unaided eye in the evening sunset sky. Carl Gruber photographed the comet on March 2nd over the city lights of Melbourne, Australia:

(http://spaceweather.com/images2013/03mar13/gruber_strip.jpg)

"Despite bad light and smog pollution, the comet's nucleus was clearly visible to the naked eye as well as a small part of the tail," says Gruber. Light curves show the comet is approaching 2nd magnitude, about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper.

Several important dates are approaching. On March 5th, Comet Pan-STARRS makes its closest approach to Earth (1.09 AU), followed on March 10th by its closest approach to the sun (0.3 AU). As Comet Pan-STARRS passes the sun, solar glare will make it difficult to see even as the nucleus vaporizes and brightens. By March 12th and 13th, the comet will reappear in the sunset skies of the northern hemisphere not far from the crescent Moon; think photo-op! Check the realtime comet gallery for the latest images.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on March 08, 2013, 08:13:52 pm
NASA WARNING ON SUN: 'Something unexpected is happening there'...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2290289/NASA-warns-unexpected-happening-Sun-year-supposed-peak-sunspot-cycle.html


Another asteroid to fly past Earth this weekend...
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/07/asteroid-to-fly-past-earth-this-weekend/?hpt=hp_t3


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 10, 2013, 11:02:32 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21701641
3/8/13
Bright comet 'lighting sky' as it flies by Earth
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66254000/jpg/_66254568_panstarrs.jpg)

Stargazers could enjoy a rare spectacle as a bright comet swings into the Northern Hemisphere.

The icy mass, called C/2011 L4 Pan-Starrs, should be visible with binoculars or a telescope from 8 March.

But in the following days, it will become even brighter and could be seen with the naked eye.

Astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere have already been treated to a fly past, with reports that the body was as bright as stars in the Plough.

Mark Bailey, director of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, said: "We have great hopes for this comet. Of course we are always very cautious - even now we don't know how bright it is going to get - but we are keeping out fingers crossed."

more


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 11, 2013, 12:25:51 am
http://news.yahoo.com/four-asteroids-buzz-earth-single-week-212931314.html
3/10/13
Four Asteroids Buzz Earth in Single Week

In the last seven days, an asteroid 131 feet (40 meters) across and three smaller space rocks have zoomed safely by Earth, the latest demonstration that we live in a solar system that some scientists have dubbed a "cosmic shooting gallery."
 
All four asteroid flybys occurred between March 4 and today (March 10). The asteroids were also all discovered this month, some just days ago.
 
The biggest space rock encounter occurred Saturday (March 9), when the asteroid 2013 ET passed just inside 600,000 miles (965,606 kilometers) of Earth, about 2.5 times the distance between the planet and the sun. Early estimates for the asteroid suggested its size could be up to 460 feet (140 meters) across - about the size of a city block - but radar observations performed in the last several days by astronomers using NASA's Goldstone radio antenna in California revealed the smaller, 131-foot size, scientists said.

 "The scary part about this one, of course, is that it's something we didn't even know about," said Patrick Paolucci, president of the online Slooh Space Camera during a live webcast of 2013 ET's flyby. The asteroid was first discovered on March 3 by the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona.

more


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on March 11, 2013, 05:32:13 am
Quote
All four asteroid flybys occurred between March 4 and today (March 10). The asteroids were also all discovered this month, some just days ago.

Hmm, just days ago. So this shows that these things basically can show up at the last minute before we even know they are there. Small ones, no big deal, but I'd say the same could happen with one that's big. If it were a collision course with earth, we wouldn't have any time to do anything about it except pray, which is all we need any way, but for the unbelieving, imagine how helpless they'd feel.

Quote
"The scary part about this one, of course, is that it's something we didn't even know about,"


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 11, 2013, 09:48:08 am
Yeah, it's come to a point now where even the NASA people have no idea what's going on. Not that I ever endorsed NASA, but in their prior "reports", they seemed to be "confident" over what was going on. Now? It's as if they're starting to feel the fear.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 11, 2013, 11:29:05 am
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/03/11/three-near-misses-in-one-weekend
3/11/13
Three 'near' misses in one weekend

An asteroid as big as a city block shot relatively close past Earth at the weekend.[/b]

Discovered just six days ago, the 140m Asteroid 2013 ET passed about 966000km from Earth on Saturday. That is about 2.5 times as far as the moon, fairly close on a cosmic yardstick.
 
"The scary part of this one is that it is something we didn't even know about," Patrick Paolucci, president of Slooh Space Camera, said during a webcast featuring live images of the asteroid from a telescope in the Canary Islands.
 
Moving at a speed of about 41843km/h, the asteroid could have wiped out a large city if it had hit Earth, added Slooh telescope engineer Paul Cox.
 
Asteroid 2013 ET is nearly eight times larger than the bus-sized asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia last month, injuring 1500 people. The force of the explosion, equivalent to about 440 kilotons of dynamite, created a shock wave that shattered windows and damaged buildings.
 
Later that day, a small asteroid, known as DA14, passed about 27680km from Earth, closer than the orbiting networks of communications and weather satellites.
 
"One of the reasons we're finding more of these objects is that there are more people looking," Cox said.
 
Two other small asteroids, both about the size of the Russian meteor, were in Earth's neighbourhood at the weekend. Asteroid 2013 EC 20 passed just 4828km away on Saturday, said Cox.
 
Yesterday, Asteroid 2013 EN 20 flew about 449007km away from Earth.
 
"We know the solar system is a busy place," said Cox. "We're not sitting here on our pale-blue dot on our own in nice safety . This should be a wake-up call to governments."
 
The US Congress has asked Nasa to find and track all near-Earth objects of 1km or larger in diameter. Nasa estimates about 95% have been identified. But only about 10% of smaller asteroids have been discovered, it says.
 
The effort is intended to give scientists and engineers as much time as possible to learn if an asteroid or comet is on a collision course with Earth, in hopes of sending up a spacecraft or taking other measures to avert catastrophe.
 
About 100 tons of material from space hits Earth every day.
 
Astronomers expect an object about the size of the Russian meteor to strike about every 100 years.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 13, 2013, 09:11:00 pm
http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/space/exploding-meteorite-seen-in-sa-sky-1.1485408
Exploding’ meteorite seen in South African sky
3/13/13

Cape Town - Residents across Cape Town claimed to have sighted a meteorite on Tuesday after what appears to have been a fireball “exploded” in the sky.

It is said to have been sighted just after noon. Nicola Loaring, an outreach astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory, said they had received about four or five reports.

The green and blue light with a white tail that was reported to them appeared to be that of “a fireball, which is a bright meteor”.

Fireballs were caused by dust formed in space that enter Earth’s atmosphere.

“There are two meteor showers in March with one peaking on March 13 and this could be related to that.

Loaring said another meteor shower would start later this month and peak in April.”

“Meteor showers are best viewed in the morning. Up to eight an hour can be seen,” Loaring said.

People shouldn’t be alarmed since these were “common and predictable”.

Company director John Houston captured part of the event on camera while he was driving on the N1 from Stellenbosch.

There was a “huge” explosion that left a white cloud close to the Durbanville hills, he said. - Cape Argus


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 18, 2013, 06:04:14 pm
http://www.wcnc.com/news/Fireball-seen-gliding-across-the-Carolina-skies-Saturday-night-198681241.html
Charlotte News

Fireball seen gliding across the Carolina skies Saturday night


(http://media.wcnc.com/images/352*264/vlcsnap-2013-03-17-12h38m38s50.png)

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. – There are several reports from Saturday night of a meteor gliding across the Carolina skies.
 
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a large bolide meteor that split into several pieces.  First Warn Storm Spotter Stuart McDaniel caught it all on his sky camera.
 
McDaniel lives in Northern Cleveland County.  In his video, the fast moving meteor moved rapidly across the sky growing bigger and bigger then fading away.
 
McDaniel isn’t the only one who saw the meteor; the American Meteorologist Society received 55 reports about this fireball seen over Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 18, 2013, 09:29:43 pm
http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/18/17361256-astronomers-gear-up-for-comet-of-the-century?lite=
Astronomers gear up for 'Comet of the Century'
3/18/13

Astronomers are already getting set for the arrival of Comet ISON, which may become one of the brightest comets ever seen when it cruises through the inner solar system this fall.

NASA has brought together a small team of experts to organize an observing campaign for Comet ISON, which could potentially shine as brightly as the moon when it makes its closest pass by the sun in late November if the most optimistic scenarios play out.

Coordinating the efforts of observatories on the ground and in space should help wring as much quality science as possible out of the comet's solar flyby, Comet ISON Observing Campaign (CIOC) officials said.

"It's a rare opportunity that we've got such a long heads-up time, so we actually have time to organize a campaign like this," said Karl Battams, a scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Lab in Washington and a member of the eight-person CIOC Team. "There's a lot of new science that we could get from this."

Bringing everyone together
Russian amateur astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok discovered Comet ISON in September 2012 after poring over photographs taken by a telescope run by the International Scientific Optical Network. Hence the comet's official name, which is C/2012 S1 (ISON).

(http://m.static.newsvine.com/servista/imagesizer?file=bill-m--fink6841504C-D41A-4BE2-D95B-141261F6CBFF.jpg&width=600)

ISON is a sungrazing comet, meaning its long, looping path through space takes it extremely close to our star. Indeed, ISON is forecast to zoom just 680,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) above the solar surface on its closest approach, which will take place on Nov. 28.

Comet ISON could put on a spectacular show around this time, experts say, potentially glowing so brightly that it's visible in the daytime sky. (The comet poses no impact threat to Earth.)

Skywatchers aren't the only people looking forward to the icy wanderer's solar encounter. Astronomers are excited as well, for ISON's flyby could give them a rare window into comet composition.

"Sungrazers experience the most intense thermal and gravitational stresses of any comet. There's a lot of sublimation of material that doesn't normally sublimate," Battams told Space.com. "Once (ISON) gets really close in to the sun, then we could start to see some of the composition that you wouldn't normally get."

So Battams and his colleagues have contacted major ground-based observatories, raising awareness of the comet's flyby and encouraging them to solicit ISON-observing proposals. The response has been warm, with telescope operators typically voicing enthusiasm about the campaign, Battams said.

The CIOC crew has also reached out to some spacecraft mission teams, asking them to consider taking a look at the comet at some point. And a number of them are already on board.

"Observing campaigns are planned by the SOHO, STEREO and SDO solar missions; by Spitzer, Chandra and Hubble space telescopes; and by the Deep Impact, JUNO, Mercury MESSENGER, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions," the CIOC website states. "Other missions at or on Mars are looking into observing ISON, as are a handful of other NASA Planetary missions. We welcome and encourage our international partners to contact us and join in the fun!"

In fact, Deep Impact has already begun its ISON work. The NASA probe, which has also studied several other comets in deep space, snapped its first photos of Comet ISON in January.

Sizzle or fizzle?
There's no guarantee that ISON will live up to the hype; it may fall apart before even making its closest solar approach. Comets are notoriously unpredictable and sometimes fizzle out despite great expectations, as Comet Kahoutek did in 1973.

The wild-card factor with ISON is especially high, Battams said, since this is apparently the comet's first trip through the inner solar system from the distant, icy Oort cloud. Astronomers and skywatchers probably won't get a real sense of how the comet is going to behave until early August, when water ice should start sublimating in earnest, he added.

But the CIOC Team is proceeding as if Comet ISON will put on a dazzling show, because that's the scientifically prudent thing to do.

"We have to go forward with optimism and prepare for something really special, something really spectacular, and hope that it happens," Battams said. "If it does, we're absolutely going to be in place to take an unprecedented and comprehensive set of observations of the comet."


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 23, 2013, 01:59:50 am
Meteor Spotted Streaking Through Sky Over Region
3/22/13
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/DC-Md-Va-Meteor-199628261.html

Breaking: Multiple reports of blue or green light streaking through sky

The bright streak of light spotted over the region Friday evening was in fact a meteor, StormTeam 4 Meteorologist Doug Kammerer has confirmed.

Multiple reports began coming in around 8 p.m. People spotted the streak of light in both Maryland and Virginia -- and as far north as New York and Maine. Many said it appeared to be blue or green.

The meteor was traveling about 10 miles per second, much faster than even a speeding bullet, Kammerer said.

While meteors are not rare and come through the Earth's atmosphere every day, this meteor was larger than usual, which is what made it much easier to see, Kammerer said. That's why it had such a dramatic light.

On Twitter, @MisterNeek told us, " definitely witnessed what appeared to be a shooting star around 8 o clock, which then burst into a beaming red/green glow."

Rebecca Hovis told us in an email at 8 p.m. that she saw what appeared to be a meteor. "I was on Van Dorn [Street] going toward seminary road," she wrote.

Karen Watson told us on Twitter: "Yes, yes! Saw the meteor -- bright green -- in the sky over Kingstowne (Alexandria), Va."

Twitter user @brownpau wrote: "Saw it going west to east about 10 degrees up in the northern sky from Dunn Loring area, bright green with a plasma trail."

Jennifer Stymiest told us, "I live in the Croom area of Upper Marlboro and at approximately 7:55 this evening, I saw a rather large bright blue ball with what looked like a bright orange tail go soaring past our house.... It appeared to be just over the treetops."

Thomas Birchall told us, "Meteor spotted streaking across the sky in Germantown, Md. It was greenish blue in color and could be seen disintegrating in the Gaithersburg direction."

The sighting comes five weeks after a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, injuring nearly 1,500 people and blowing out windows across the region.

Also in February, meteors were reported over the Bay Area and in Florida.

While it may seem like there's been an uptick in meteor sightings lately, Kammerer said it's more likely that the growth of social media has made reports of them more widely known.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 23, 2013, 02:58:54 am
http://news.yahoo.com/meteor-over-manhattan-east-coast-fireball-sets-internet-052545019.html
3/23/13
Meteor Over Manhattan: East Coast Fireball Sets Internet Abuzz

A bright meteor briefly outshined the lights of New York City Friday evening (March 22), according to reports by witnesses who used Twitter and the Internet to report sightings of the fireball streaking over a broad stretch of the U.S. East Coast.

"Strange Friday night … a meteor passed over my house tonight!" wrote one New Yorker writing as Yanksmom19.

The first fireball sightings came at about 8 p.m. EDT (0000 March 23 GMT) and sparked more than 500 witness reports to the American Meteor Society. Reports of the meteor flooded Twitter from New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.

"The witnesses range from along the Atlantic Coast ranging from Maine to North Carolina," Robert Lunsford, the society's fireball coordinator, wrote in an update. "This object was also seen as far inland as Ohio." [5 Amazing Fireball Videos]

The CBS WUSA 9 television news station obtained several security camera videos of the fireball as it lit up the night sky over Washington and parts of Maryland.

In New York, some observers reported seeing the meteor low in the sky as it streaked from west to east across the night sky.

"It shot over Manhattan and broke up over the East Village," observer Ross E. of New York City wrote in his fireball report to the meteor society. In fact, the meteor streaked across hundreds of miles and was visible from many states along the Eastern Seaboard.


According to Lunsford, meteors often appear closer than they actually are due to the observer's perspective.

Fireballs occur every day and are typically caused by small space rocks about the size of a basketball disintegrating as they streak through Earth's atmosphere, officials with NASA's Asteroid Watch outreach program wrote in a Twitter post.

On Feb. 15, a bus-size meteor exploded over Russia near the city of Chelyabinsk, shattering windows in hundreds of buildings and injuring nearly 1,500 people. That rare meteor explosion, which scientists have classified as a superbolide, was the most powerful in more than a century, NASA scientists said.

The Earth is bombarded by nearly 100 tons of material from space every day, but most of those objects are tiny dust grains that burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere.

NASA scientists and astronomers around the world regularly monitor the night sky for signs of larger asteroids that could pose an impact threat to Earth. Friday night's meteor came just days after back-to-back hearings in the House and Senate about the dangers posed by near-Earth asteroids. Those meetings were scheduled in the wake of the Feb. 15 Russian meteor explosion.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 31, 2013, 05:36:39 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-spacecraft-snaps-photo-potential-comet-century-112400946.html
3/30/13
NASA Spacecraft Snaps New Photo of Potential 'Comet of the Century'

A NASA spacecraft scanning for the most powerful explosions in the universe has captured a photo of Comet ISON, an icy wanderer that could potentially dazzle stargazers when it swings close to the sun later this year.

NASA's Swift satellite, which is typically used to track intense gamma-ray bursts from distant stars, photographed Comet ISON on Jan. 30, with the space agency unveiling the photo today (March 29). By tracking the comet over the last two months, Swift has allowed astronomers to learn new details about how large the comet is and how fast it is spewing out gas and dust.

"Comet ISON has the potential to be among the brightest comets of the last 50 years, which gives us a rare opportunity to observe its changes in great detail and over an extended period," said Lead Investigator Dennis Bodewits, an astronomer with University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) who helped obtain the new image.

Some astronomers have predicted that ISON could be the "Comet of the Century" when it makes its closest approach to the sun in late November. But a recent analysis found that the comet is not brightening as expected, and may have a ways to go to meet such expectations.

Comet ISON was first discovered in September 2012 by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok using the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) located near Kislovodsk. The comet's official designation is Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON). [See more photos of Comet ISON]

more


Title: Video: Massive fireball in the sky over central Spain
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on April 15, 2013, 06:37:31 pm
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/348009#ixzz2QYNkwCaX
4/15/13
Video: Massive fireball in the sky over central Spain

Toledo   - Astronomers were stunned by a huge fireball which lit the skies over central Spain this weekend. Apparently this was a fragment from a meteor which burst into flames.

The Spanish Network for Meteorite Research recorded the fireball on their detection systems when it entered the earth's atmosphere at around 11:45 pm on Saturday.

Professor José Marie Madiedo, from the University of Huelva caught the incident on video (above) and told the media:
“The collision was so violent that the fragment burst into flames creating a fireball at an altitude of about 100km.”

He added that the comet was traveling at a speed of 75,000 kph before it burned out over the Serranillos Valley.

Reportedly, the flash from the meteor could be seen as far away as Seville and Granada and astronomer Ana Leonor Hernandez from the Astronomical Center of Hite near Toledo saw it too.

“As I was looking there was a flash of light that grew in a matter of seconds. I couldn’t stop myself from screaming ‘Look!’," said Hernandez. “At that point the group turned round to see it as the fireball became more and more intense.”

“It was like an explosion with everything turning white for a few seconds, like it was broad daylight," she added.

Madiedo said that thankfully there was no danger that the fireball could have crashed to earth and explained, “There were several flashes of blue and green until the huge trace faded into a last flash. We were shouting uncontrollably and we kept our eyes fixed on the sky as if we were waiting for it to reappear. We could not believe what we had just seen."

According to RT News, the celestial display was so bright it could be seen across the entire country.

The video above was caught on camera by the Hita Observatory at the University of Huelva at around 11:45pm local time. The object struck the atmosphere above the Villamuelas district in the province of Toledo, southwest of Madrid.

Video: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/348009#ixzz2QZugLQmT


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on April 22, 2013, 12:05:07 pm
http://ntdtv.org/en/news/world/south-america/2013-04-22/suspected-meteor-lights-up-sky-above-argentina.html
4/22/13
Suspected Meteor Lights Up Sky Above Argentina

Thousands of residents of the Argentine city of Santiago del Estero in the early hours of Sunday morning caught a glimpse of a suspected meteor that lit up the sky above the city. The event took place at about 3:20 AM (local time). Argentine authorities believe the spectacular fireball was caused by a meteor entering the earth's atmosphere and disintegrating. Some witnesses reported to local newspapers that they felt a slight tremor soon after seeing the meteorite. According to local media reports, police in the area were inundated with phone calls from frightened residents, and from parents who were worried about their children still out in the city's bars and nightclubs. Meteors are small particles from the solar system that burn from friction when entering the atmosphere. According to the American Meteor Society, thousands of meteors of fireball magnitude occur every day, most of them unseen over the oceans or hidden by daylight. A similar event lit up the skies above 13 U.S. states on March 22. On February 15, a meteor exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains and sent fireballs blazing to earth, injuring almost 1,200 people and causing approximately 33 million U.S. dollars in damages.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on April 23, 2013, 05:57:15 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/hubble-telescope-photographs-potential-comet-century-192609966.html
4/23/13
Hubble Telescope Photographs Potential 'Comet of the Century'

NASA's iconic Hubble Space Telescope has snapped stunning new photos of Comet ISON, which could become one of the brightest comets ever seen when it zips through the inner solar system this fall.

Hubble captured the new photos on April 10, when Comet ISON was slightly closer than Jupiter. At the time the icy wanderer was about 386 million miles (621 million kilometers) from the sun and 394 million miles (634 million km) from Earth.

The new images are already helping astronomers take a bead on the mysterious Comet ISON, which may shine as brightly as the full moon when it makes its closest pass by the sun in late November. (The comet poses no threat to Earth, NASA has said.) [Photos of Comet ISON in Night Sky]

For example, the Hubble telescope photos show that ISON is already becoming quite active, though it's still pretty far from our star. The comet's dusty head, or coma, is about 3,100 miles (5,000 km) wide, and its tail is more than 57,000 miles (92,000 km) long, astronomers said. And ISON sports a dust-blasting jet that extends at least 2,300 miles (3,700 km).

Yet the comet's nucleus is surprisingly small — no more than 3 or 4 miles (4.8 to 6.5 km) across.

more


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on April 26, 2013, 05:10:26 pm
Meteorite Seen over Central Israel
4/25/13
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/267088#.UXr6x2wo5Mu

A meteorite was seen, Thursday evening, in the skies over central Israel. The meteorite, estimated to weigh from hundreds of grams to a few kilograms, turned into a fireball as it went through the atmosphere in an easterly direction and burned up without touching the ground.

The phenomenon followed a meteorite shower, earlier in the week, which may have been hidden by cloudy skies.

 :o


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on April 27, 2013, 10:17:23 pm
http://www.astrowatch.net/2013/04/new-comet-discovered-c2013-g9-tenagra.html
New Comet Discovered: C/2013 G9 (TENAGRA)
4/20/13

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zJJsIkQeGzg/UXMDUaWcvbI/AAAAAAAAVAo/Kh79lEBLbHk/s640/April_18.jpg)

Cbet nr. 3478, issued on 2013, April 19, announces the discovery of a apparently asteroidal object (discovery magnitude ~19.6) by M. Schwartz and P. R. Holvorcem on CCD images obtained with the Tenagra II 0.41-m f/3.75 astrograph located near Nogales, AZ, U.S.A. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, this apparently asteroidal object as been found to show cometary features by our team.

Stacking of 12 R-filtered exposures, 50-sec each, obtained remotely from Haleakala-Faulkes Telescope North on 2013, April 18.4, through a 2.0-m f/10.0 Ritchey-Chretien + CCD (operated by LCOGT), shows that this object is a comet: compact coma about 5" in diameter elongated toward PA 110

The new comet has been designated COMET C/2013 G9 (TENAGRA).

In the elaboration below you can see the shape difference between the comet (on the left) and background stars (on the right).

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--04N9IvUTzE/UXGrBYbPX8I/AAAAAAAABWE/jqPprAUBJio/s640/Immagine_111.JPG)

M.P.E.C. 2013-H23 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2013 G9: T 2015 Jan. 24.08; e= 1.0; Peri. = 207.84; q = 5.17; Incl.= 145.90

by Ernesto Guido & Nick Howes


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on April 28, 2013, 04:19:17 am
Quote
compact coma about 5" in diameter

Really? 5 inches? Why are they even talking about this thing?  ::)


Title: Japan Meteor Explosion! 5/6/13
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 07, 2013, 06:56:01 pm
Japan Meteor Explosion! 5/6/13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJV6ZPQI8C8



Title: Large meteor dances across Wyoming sky
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 07, 2013, 07:08:39 pm
Large meteor dances across Wyoming sky
5/7/13

A large meteor exploded in the sky above southern Wyoming on Sunday night and was observed from as far as 400 miles away.

Jordan Dowers of Olympia, Wash., was driving along Interstate 80 near Laramie with his father when they spotted it about 10:45 p.m.

“The first thing we noticed is the sky lit up really bright,” said Dowers, 23. “At first it was, ‘Where did that lightning strike come from?’ Then it was much, much brighter than lightning. From the south, it was neon blue. It looked like it was going to hit the ground. Then it just disappeared.”

Eight witnesses reported the event to the American Meteor Society, including people as far away as Idaho and Colorado.

Technically, the meteor is called a bolide, said society volunteer Mike Hankey, who lives in Baltimore.

Bolides tend to be blue in color.

A bolide is “the type of meteor that leaves meteorites” after exploding, Hankey said. “It’s really bright. It gets everyone excited.”

Hankey estimated the bolide’s trajectory at 150 miles. It traveled from southeast to northwest and lasted just seconds.

“They blow up and that’s when all that light happens,” Hankey said. “Then the boulder turns into thousands of little pieces.”

In fact, it’s rare for stuff from outer space to stream through the atmosphere without burning up or exploding, he said.

“With movies and all this, we think it’s, like, this burning mass that hits the ground and then there’s this explosion and a crater on the ground. That happens only once every 100,000 years," he said.

About three bolides trail across the Earth’s skies a day. But a person actually seeing a bolide is rare since most of the world is covered by oceans.

Most people will only see a bolide once or twice in their lifetimes, Hankey said.

In Wyoming, the lack of light pollution from cities may increase someone's chances. At 5:45 a.m. on March 28, a meteor that traveled across the sky from the Bighorn Mountains to Montana's Medicine Rocks State Park was seen by people as far away as Canada. Numerous Casperites who were commuting for work saw it, too.

Hankey said that when he started working with the society in 2009, only a few bolides were reported.

This year, it’s crazy, man,” he said. “They’re happening left and right. [People] are more aware. They’re more connected. They’re using the Internet. They know about our site.”


Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/large-meteor-dances-across-wyoming-sky/article_15b94eb3-b58d-5c25-8c79-edecacd84c4c.html#ixzz2SefZwEQK


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 08, 2013, 11:22:21 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLA60nUv_kI


Title: Meteor spotted in night sky in England and Wales
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 09, 2013, 12:37:53 pm
Meteor spotted in night sky in England and Wales
5/9/13
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22460642

People have reported seeing a bright light, thought to be a meteor, in the sky in parts of England and Wales.

Sightings of the celestial body were reported on Twitter in areas such as Cornwall, Hampshire, Lancashire, south Wales and Worcestershire.

Suzy Buttress, of Basingstoke, described witnessing the bright light as a "once in a lifetime thing".

One scientist said it could have been a "random small piece of rock, probably from the asteroid belt".

'Ball with tail'
 
Ms Buttress, who was driving home on the M3 when she saw the light, told the BBC: "It was amazing, so big, bigger than a shooting star. It had a strange greenish tinge to it, with a definite tail behind it.

"This was definitely a ball with a tail. It took its time going across the sky. It went behind a cloud, then came out the other end.

"At first I hoped it wasn't an aircraft crashing. It's a once in a lifetime thing."

Richard Escott, a security supervisor for the BBC in Cardiff, explained what he saw.

"I was standing outside having a bit of fresh air and as I turned round I saw this very bright blue light which was dimming," he said.

"It was coming very steadily, progressing across the night sky, but it was at sort of building level and then died out to nothing. I saw it for about five, 10 seconds."

'Random fireball'
 
Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen's University Belfast Astrophysics Research Centre, said the light was probably a "random fireball".

Though meteors from Halley's Comet can be seen at this time of year, he said it did not come from the comet.

He said: "When we see meteors coming from Halley's Comet, they come from a particular point in the sky - only above the horizon. Therefore we only see them in the very early hours of the morning, in the hours before dawn.

"It was probably a random fireball - a small piece of rock from an asteroid belt."


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on May 09, 2013, 03:03:58 pm
"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them." Jeremiah 10:2 (KJB)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 14, 2013, 10:00:01 am
 ???

Giant Chunk Of Ice Slams To Earth Near Kids Playing In Gray, Tennessee
http://www.wbtw.com/story/22221107/giant-chunk-of-ice-slams-to-earth-near-kids-playing-in-tenn

Quote
May 13, 2013 - UNITED STATES - A Tri-Cities man has video of what appears to be a large chunk of ice that he says fell from the sky on Wednesday and landed in a yard in Gray, TN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzeTuben_Ro


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on May 15, 2013, 11:21:55 am
4 huge solar flares in 48 hours: What's going on with the sun?

2013 has been a relatively quiet year in terms of solar activity — at least until this week. For the past two days, the sun anchoring our solar system has been throwing something of a temper tantrum. And it's made for some rather spectacular fireworks.
 
In the past 48 hours alone, the sun has sent four colossal X-class solar flares whipping into space, all emerging from darkened sunspots dotting our star's chromosphere. (X-class flares, it's worth noting, are assigned a number to illustrate their relative strength: An X2 flare is twice as powerful as an X1, and so forth.)
 
Wired reports that the first three projections were each "the most energetic solar flare of 2013" — until "the next one came along."
 
The first, an X1.7, occurred around 10 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, on May 12. Then, an X2.8 erupted at 12:05 p.m. on May 13. And the last one, an X3.2, peaked at 9:11 p.m. on May 13. X3.2 is the third-largest flare of this solar cycle, with the largest being an X6.9 in 2011. [Wired]
 
The fourth and decidedly more benign flare, according to BBC News, was an X1 that sprang up briefly in the middle of the night.
 
Alex Young, a heliophysicist at NASA, tells Wired that the flares each produced about 100 sextillion Joules of energy. For perspective, that's the rough equivalent of 100 million hydrogen bombs detonating simultaneously.

rest: http://theweek.com/article/index/244189/4-huge-solar-flares-in-48-hours-whats-going-on-with-the-sun


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 15, 2013, 02:10:17 pm
4 huge solar flares in 48 hours: What's going on with the sun?

2013 has been a relatively quiet year in terms of solar activity — at least until this week. For the past two days, the sun anchoring our solar system has been throwing something of a temper tantrum. And it's made for some rather spectacular fireworks.
 
In the past 48 hours alone, the sun has sent four colossal X-class solar flares whipping into space, all emerging from darkened sunspots dotting our star's chromosphere. (X-class flares, it's worth noting, are assigned a number to illustrate their relative strength: An X2 flare is twice as powerful as an X1, and so forth.)
 
Wired reports that the first three projections were each "the most energetic solar flare of 2013" — until "the next one came along."
 
The first, an X1.7, occurred around 10 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, on May 12. Then, an X2.8 erupted at 12:05 p.m. on May 13. And the last one, an X3.2, peaked at 9:11 p.m. on May 13. X3.2 is the third-largest flare of this solar cycle, with the largest being an X6.9 in 2011. [Wired]
 
The fourth and decidedly more benign flare, according to BBC News, was an X1 that sprang up briefly in the middle of the night.
 
Alex Young, a heliophysicist at NASA, tells Wired that the flares each produced about 100 sextillion Joules of energy. For perspective, that's the rough equivalent of 100 million hydrogen bombs detonating simultaneously.

rest: http://theweek.com/article/index/244189/4-huge-solar-flares-in-48-hours-whats-going-on-with-the-sun

Yeah, this got my attention quite a bit the last couple of days. :o


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on May 15, 2013, 03:40:27 pm
"And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:" Acts 2:19 (KJB)


Title: Four Fireballs at Four in Last 24 Hours(5/18-19/13)
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 20, 2013, 01:43:13 pm
Four Fireballs at Four in Last 24 Hours
http://www.amsmeteors.org/2013/05/four-fireballs-at-four-in-last-24-hours/

In the last 24 hours the AMS has received confirmed reports about 4 unique fireball events all occurring near 4:00 AM UTC time. The most recent event occurred in Arkansas and Missouri on May 19th near 3:37 UTC. At the same time 3:37 UTC 4 witnesses reported a fireball in Arizona. The distance between these two locations would inhibit witnesses from observing the same fireball from both locations. On May 18th two large fireball meteors were also spotted within an hour of each other, one over the central east coast and another in Colorado. Below is a table of the events in question.

AMS  ID UTC DATE AND TIME ESTIMATED HEADING STATES WITNESSED
1082 2013-05-18 03:47 UTC South East -> North West CO
1081 2013-05-18 04:26 UTC South East -> North West CT, MD, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV
1083 2013-05-19 03:37 UTC South East -> North West AR, IL, IN, MI, MO, OH, TN
1084 2013-05-19 03:37 UTC South South East -> North North West AZ

(http://www.amsmeteors.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ams-four-fireballs-may192013.jpg)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on May 30, 2013, 01:32:37 pm
Huge Asteroid 1998 QE2 Sails By Earth on Friday
5/30/13
http://news.yahoo.com/huge-asteroid-1998-qe2-sails-earth-friday-133958512.html

A massive asteroid nearly 2 miles wide will zip by Earth on Friday (May 31), in a cosmic event that has grabbed the attention of stargazers, scientists and even White House officials. The asteroid poses no threat of hitting Earth during the flyby, NASA officials assure.

The huge asteroid 1998 QE2 is the size of nine cruise ships, about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) across, NASA scientists say. While the asteroid makes its closest approach to Earth on Friday, traveling within 3.6 million miles (5.8 million km), you don't have to wait that long to see it. NASA chief Charles Bolden will host live telescope views of the asteroid today (May 30) at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1739 GMT) during a one-hour broadcast from the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

You can watch the asteroid webcast live on SPACE.com courtesy of NASA. Later tonight, NASA will host a webchat about the asteroid with the agency's meteor expert William Cooke at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. That discussion begins at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) and can be accessed here: http://www.nasa.gov/chat

Then on Friday (May 31), just hours before the asteroid flyby, the White House will host its own asteroid-themed "We the Geeks" Google+ Hangout starting at 2 p.m. EDT.

The live video conference will bring together experts including Bill Nye the Science Guy, former astronaut Ed Lu, NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, and Peter Diamandis, co-founder of asteroid mining company Planetary Resources. To watch these experts talk about the identification, resource potential and threat of asteroids, you can visit the White House's Google+ page: https://plus.google.com/+whitehouse/

In its closest approach for at least the next two centuries, 1988 QE2 will whiz by at a harmless distance millions of miles from Earth.

The space rock was first discovered on Aug. 19, 1998, by MIT's Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) Program near Socorro, N.M. The moniker 1988 QE2 was assigned by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass., which names each newfound asteroid according to an established alphanumeric scheme that lays out when it was discovered.

Tempting as the connection may be, the space rock's name is not a nod to England's Queen Elizabeth II, or to the famous 12-deck ocean liner that was retired from service in 2008. But to give a sense of the asteroid's enormous scale, NASA officials pointed out that the QE2 asteroid is the size of nine QE2 cruise ships.

It's unlikely that an observer on the ground will be able to spot 1988 QE2 without the help of a telescope. Even from a location free of light pollution, the asteroid will be 100 times fainter than the dimmest star visible in the sky, according to the Slooh Space Telescope.

But there are several outlets where you can watch the flyby online.

Slooh, for one, will have a webcast of the approach starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT on Friday on its website Slooh.com. Starting at 4:00 p.m. EDT, astrophysicist Gianluca Masi will have a webcast from the Virtual Telescope in Italy: http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/. Both webcasts are also available to watch live on SPACE.com here.

NASA keeps a close watch on asteroids that could pose a potential threat to the planet, and President Barack Obama's 2014 federal budget request sought to ramp up those efforts by including funds to kick-start a new mission to capture a small asteroid and park it near the moon.

Earthlings were reminded of the danger of space rocks this past Feb. 15. On that day, skywatchers were waiting for an asteroid about half the size of a football field (2012 DA14) to pass by the planet at a distance of just 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers). But hours before its closest approach, a different, 55-foot (17 m) object exploded without warning over Russia, damaging hundreds of buildings and injuring more than 1,000 people.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on June 15, 2013, 05:42:49 pm
http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/mulitple-reports-bright-burning-light-sky/1906947/
6/13/13
Multiple reports of bright burning light in the sky(Australia)

(http://media2.apnonline.com.au/img/media/images/2013/06/13/meteorite_t460.JPG)

THERE have been multiple reports of a bright burning light in the sky on the Mid North Coast this evening.

Witnesses reported seeing an amazingly bright white ball falling to earth with a tail on it that quickly turned orange in the night sky around 6pm.

There have been multiple reports to police of flares spotted out at sea off Coffs Harbour, Taree and Port Macquarie.

There have also been similar reports on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and in Toowoomba.

It is understood the object may have been a meteorite.

If you happened to have spotted the object or photographed it, click here to email the Advocate.

(http://media2.apnonline.com.au/img/media/images/2013/06/13/facebook_t460.JPG)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Christian40 on June 16, 2013, 05:42:54 am
Quote
Multiple reports of bright burning light in the sky(Australia)

This is the first time i have heard of this, i dont wait up at night looking at the sky so it just shows how something can happen without being aware of it.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on June 28, 2013, 05:45:51 pm
http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/local/rare-ball-lightning-blamed-as-mannings-heath-loses-power-and-internet-1-5218207
Rare ‘ball lightning’ blamed as Mannings Heath loses power and internet
6/24/13

An eyewitness has described seeing a ball of white light shoot through Mannings Heath, just before a power cut and digital disruption.

The object, which appears to fit descriptions of a rare phenomenon called ‘ball lightning’, was seen in the village on the afternoon of June 7.

Roger Spinks told the County Times he was working at The Village Store, Pound Lane, when he saw it shoot past, heading south-west along the course of Golding Lane and Church Road.

He was standing at the counter talking to a customer when he saw it out of the window, going past very quickly with a strange motion ‘like a bouncing bomb’.

Mr Spinks said it reminded him of the mysterious balloon-like entity from cult TV series The Prisoner.

It was just like a ball of white light,” he said. “It flashed down the road, then there was a terrific bang like a bomb going off, and our lights went out.

“Our card machine went out - I think it took out a lot of the village’s phones, broadband and Sky.”

BT engineers were in the village for three days, restoring connections.

“Our telephone was gone for several days,” said Mr Spinks. “A couple of lads came in, they were window cleaners.

“One of them had been up a ladder cleaning and the shock of it knocked him off the ladder.”

Ball lightning is rarely seen, and its cause and nature are the subject of a number of hypotheses.

These range from it being a form of St Elmo’s Fire - a harmless electrical effect often seen aboard ships - to it being caused by a tiny antimatter meteor reaching ground level.

The phenomenon is extremely difficult to study scientifically because it appears very rarely and very unpredictably. Since so little is known about it, ‘ball lightning’ has been used as a handy explanation for many reported mysteries, including UFOs, spontaneous human combustion, and the Star of Bethlehem.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on July 29, 2013, 06:14:24 pm
http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=27&month=07&year=2013
NACREOUS CLOUDS OVER TIERRA DEL FUEGO:  On July 24th, about an hour after sunset, Gerardo Connon of Rio Grande city in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, walked outside and witnessed a rare display of nacreous clouds. The colorful apparition was as bright as the street lights in the city below:

(http://www.spaceweather.com/images2013/27jul13/nacreous_strip.jpg)

These clouds, also known as "mother of pearl clouds," form in the stratosphere far above the usual realm of weather. They are seldom seen, but when they are, the reports usually come from high-northern parts of our planet. This apparition over Tierra del Fuego was unusual indeed.

Atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley explains the special conditions required to create such a cloud: "Take an unusually cold lower stratosphere (15-25km high), use some gravity waves generated by high winds and storms in the troposphere to stir in some water vapour, and -- voilà! You get these clouds made of tiny ice crystals shining after sunset with unforgettably bright iridescent colors."

"The very special conditions make nacreous clouds a rare, high-latitude phenomenon. Scandinavia, Iceland and northern Canada are favourite places to see them. Sightings in the southern hemisphere are even more rare because there is so little land far enough south except for Antarctica." 


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on August 01, 2013, 06:13:15 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FGi6jOY5Oc

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/07/31/Eyes-to-the-heavens-as-asteroid-streaks-over-Cayman/
Eyes to the heavens as asteroid streaks over Cayman
7/31/13

A meteorite passed over Cayman’s skies Monday night, causing a little alarm and a lot of excitement.

Chris Cook, president of the Astronomical Society, explained that sighting the object, that moved slowly across the sky in a shower of light around 10pm, was unusual, but nothing to be alarmed about.

“It was a very small asteroid, a fireball travelling from Honduras, across Cayman to Jamaica, a meteor that broke up. It’s not unusual for these things to happen, although it is more unusual actually to see it,” Mr. Cook said.

While regular meteor showers are commonplace, he said, this event was “absolutely unpredictable”, recalling that people started “waking up” to “near-Earth objects” only a couple of years ago when the massive comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smashed into Jupiter, the scars of which, apparently, remain visible.

“The odd fireball does come in,” he said, “I have seen three or four of these things in my lifetime, the last time probably in March this year. I was lecturing at the university [UCCI] and we all went outside to look at it.”

For Albert Forbes Elbert, the asteroid appeared to be charging down Bodden Town’s main street, an intense ball of light that grew brighter and bigger, trailing 300 feet of fire as it passed over his house.

He said he watched the fireball passing above Mostyn’s gas station and explode into hundreds of brilliantly coloured shards.

“It was as low as the mosquito research plane,” Mr. Elbert said. “I got frightened, I have to tell you. I called 911 and the police. I was afraid it was going to land on the house behind me.”

Apparently, the police didn’t take him seriously, disconnecting the call as he sat on the second-floor porch above his Bodden Town Art Shop Monday night.

“When I first saw it, I thought it was the helicopter, and thought ‘Oh, that nuisance again’. The strange thing was that it never made any kind of sonic boom.”

Monday’s event elicited excited responses on a meteorite watchers blog, drawing comments from half-a-dozen observers in both Jamaica and Cayman. One witness uploaded a video of the meteorite streaking over the George Town waterfront onto YouTube.

“Tom from Grand Cayman”, writing at 10.30pm Monday on the blog, said, “Ten seconds passing over us, but could see it in the distance for longer. E-W green and red as bright as plane lights. At first, thought it was a plane, four or five of them all travelling in line silent. 4 or 5 meteors all travelling slowly across the sky.”

Mr. Cook said he was equally excited: “No one is really sure how many asteroids are out there. This is a pretty rare thing, and provides an opportunity for us to gather information: how long it lasted, what direction it was heading, coming from Honduras and moving northeast.”


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on August 07, 2013, 09:31:46 am
Sun Will Flip Its Magnetic Field Soon

The sun is gearing up for a major solar flip, NASA says.
 
In an event that occurs once every 11 years, the magnetic field of the sun will change its polarity in a matter of months, according new observations by NASA-supported observatories.
 
The flipping of the sun's magnetic field marks the peak of the star's 11-year solar cycle and the halfway point in the sun's "solar maximum" — the peak of its solar weather cycle. NASA released a new video describing the sun's magnetic flip on Monday (Aug. 5).

"It looks like we're no more than three to four months away from a complete field reversal," Todd Hoeksema, the director of Stanford University's Wilcox Solar Observatory, said in a statement. "This change will have ripple effects throughout the solar system."
 
As the field shifts, the "current sheet" — a surface that radiates billions of kilometers outward from the sun's equator — becomes very wavy, NASA officials said. Earth orbits the sun, dipping in and out of the waves of the current sheet. The transition from a wave to a dip can create stormy space weather around Earth, NASA officials said.

rest+videos: http://www.space.com/22271-sun-magnetic-field-flip.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on August 07, 2013, 11:54:08 am
Signs are really popping up all over the place now...


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on August 07, 2013, 04:08:45 pm
Not sure this should be considered a sign. They claim to have observed this before, saying it's an 11 year occurrence. so they say it happened about 11 years ago, which would be in 2002. I really hesitate to put much significance in these type things, especially since unless something happens they claim is a result of it, I have no real way of even proving these fields even exist. I've used electronic equipment to measure magnetic fields, but that doesn't really prove the details of what they claim.

If their instruments say that thing reversed it's poles, okay, thank you Jesus. If something happens as a result, okay, thank you Jesus.

Curious things, that's about it.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on September 03, 2013, 11:44:24 am
WOW!! Comet Ison Up Close,It’s Not A Comet !! (Video)

C/2012 S1, also known as Comet ISON, is a sungrazing comet discovered on 21 September 2012 by Vitali Nevski (Виталий Невский, Vitebsk, Belarus) and Artyom Novichonok (Артём Новичонок, Kondopoga, Russia).The discovery was made using the 0.4-meter (16 in) reflector of the International Scientific Optical Network near Kislovodsk, Russia and the automated asteroid-discovery program CoLiTec. Precovery images by the Mount Lemmon Survey from 28 December 2011 and by Pan-STARRS from 28 January 2012 were quickly located. Follow-up observations were made on 22 September by a team from Remanzacco Observatory in Italy using the iTelescope network. The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 24 September. Observations by SWIFT suggest that C/2012 S1′s nucleus is around 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) in diameter.[8]DAHBOO7…..the messenger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRlzuLtLDaM&feature=player_embedded#t=153

http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2013/09/wow-comet-ison-up-closeits-not-a-comet-video-2465330.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 03, 2013, 11:57:00 am
Just saw the video - not that I fear or anything, but at the same time a bit at a loss for words... :o


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on September 03, 2013, 05:02:42 pm
It played for like 10 seconds, with some guy saying something about "out of this world news", and all it shows is three white lines and a red x.

I don't get it.  ???

Okay, watched it from the webpage. Curious, but to me is no indication of anything other than some areas that appear whiter/brighter in a unique, unexpected pattern. Science tends to say that there are no straight lines in nature, it's "organic", so straight edges usually mean not natural to the environment, it's "man made". I don't believe that rule to always be true.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 10, 2013, 11:28:15 am
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-loses-contact-comet-hunting-deep-impact-spacecraft-120126678.html
NASA Loses Contact With Comet-Hunting Deep Impact Spacecraft
9/10/13

NASA's veteran Deep Impact probe may have chased its last comet.

The spacecraft's handlers lost contact with Deep Impact — which slammed an impactor into Comet Tempel 1 in 2005, made a close flyby of Comet Hartley 2 in 2010 and recently observed ISON, a "comet of the century" candidate — sometime between Aug. 11 and Aug. 14, mission team members announced last Tuesday (Sept. 3).

"The last communication was on August 8. After considerable effort, the team on August 30 determined the cause of the problem," principal investigator Mike A'Hearn of the University of Maryland wrote in a brief mission update Tuesday. "The team is now trying to determine how best to try to recover communication." [Photos of Comet ISON in Night Sky]

The issue stems from a software glitch that reset Deep Impact's computer, A'Hearn told the Nature News Blog, an arm of the prestigious scientific journal Nature. And things are serious, he added: Deep Impact is apparently spinning out of control after recent attempts to put the probe into hibernation mode were unsuccessful.

It's unclear how much time the mission team has to bring Deep Impact back in line. Depending on how the probe's solar panels are oriented, Deep Impact's batteries could run out of juice in a matter of days or keep going for several months, the Nature News Blog reported.

"How long we have depends on the state the spacecraft is in, and we don't yet know that," A'Hearn told SPACE.com via email. "Could be that it is too late already — could be we have another month or more."

Deep Impact launched in January 2005 on a mission to rendezvous with Comet Tempel 1. In July of that year, the spacecraft sucessfully smashed an impactor into Tempel 1, allowing scientists to study the icy object's composition.

Deep Impact then flew by Comet Hartley 2 in November 2010, as part of a broad extended mission that NASA dubbed EPOXI (a mashup of "Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization" and "Deep Impact Extended Investigation").

The probe observed Comet Garradd from afar from February-April 2012, then snapped its first photos of Comet ISON on Jan. 17 of this year.

ISON is slated to skim just 724,000 miles (1.16 million kilometers) above the surface of the sun on Nov. 28. If the comet doesn't break up en route, it could put on a spectacular skywatching show around this time, experts say.

Deep Impact's first ISON viewing window lasted from mid-January to March 8 of 2013; another one ran from early July through early September. The current problems with Deep Impact have prevented the probe from sending its more recently gathered data home, A'Hearn wrote in the Sept. 3 status update.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 18, 2013, 10:05:28 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIymqqAoESU


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 18, 2013, 10:14:19 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koCHzRqJfF4


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on September 28, 2013, 05:08:17 am
Bright green meteor reported in several East Coast and Midwest states; Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan so far - @realtimwilliams

Meteor sightings reported across East Coast, Midwest states; reports collected at @amsmeteors
http://amsmeteors.org/members/fireball/browse_reports?report_status=pending


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 05, 2013, 01:35:29 pm
http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2013/10/comet-isons-new-images-released-02-10-2013-must-see-in-hq-2467018.html
10/5/13
Comet ISON’S New Images Released 02-10-2013

The Video that you are about to see is untouched and reprocessed in anyway except where it is clearly stated that it has been done so. In those cases I will explain to the best of my ability the process that has taken place. Let me further reassure, you the reader that I am in absolutely no way attempting to fool, trick or mislead you the reader. I have no hidden agenda. The anomaly that you will see in this image were just as much a surprise to me, as I am sure they will be to you. I have no desire to suggest that this image represents anything but an anomaly, but let it ‘speak’ for it self. And just like most of you, I am not a degreed astrophysicist, so I cannot rule out that it is indeed a natural phenomenon. If there is anyone with the ability to prove the true nature of this object, I invite you to immediately contact me and share your opinion (please keep the comments appropriate). It is the explicit focus to seek out truth in science, and to do so by the conventional scientific method of observation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcL5Q4niSc8


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Boldhunter on October 06, 2013, 02:34:35 pm
Well it appears that the comet is dragging other things with it. But there is another video in the same search area that shows there are satellites that have been stationed to orbit around it. One thing I can't believe is how much money is spent to do such an observation that is of no real value. As if anyone can defy whatever the Lord will do. And we know their bunkers won't save them either.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 10, 2013, 12:59:45 pm
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/strongest-solar-flare-months-unleashed-sun-8C11369482
10/10/13
Strongest solar flare in months unleashed by sun

The strongest solar flare in nearly two months erupted from the sun Tuesday, causing a minor geomagnetic storm as charged particles from the sun passed by the planet.

The sun unleashed the moderate M2.8-class solar flare at 9:48 p.m. EDT. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) recorded a video of the October solar flare's dramatic genesis.

M-class solar flares are generally considered to be midrange solar storms, but Tuesday's eruption was still the strongest in months due to the sun's oddly quiet activity. X-class flares are the most powerful type of solar storm, with C-class flares classified as solar tempests at a step below M-class events.

Yesterday's solar flare was not aimed directly at Earth, but it did cause a minor geomagnetic storm. The storm has since subsided, but another wave of geomagnetic activity could follow, according to forecasters at the Space Weather Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"The G1 (Misnor) Geomagnetic Storm of the early hours on October 9 has weakened, and now forecasters await another shock in the next few hours," officials at the Space Weather Prediction Center wrote in an update yesterday.


Geomagnetic storms occur when solar particles interact with Earth's magnetic field. Powerful solar flares aimed directly at Earth can sometimes cause significant disruptions to satellites in space, and can knock out power grids and communications infrastructure on the ground.

Tuesday's M-class flare erupted from a sunspot region called AR1865, which will be turning to face Earth over the next few days, according to Spaceweather.com.

Sunspots are temporary blemishes on the solar surface that are caused by intense magnetic activity. These structures sometimes erupt into flares and solar storms that blast streams of plasma and charged particles into space.

A different region on the sun also appears to be waking up, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. "That active region will be Earth-facing for the next 11 days or so, possibly fueling additional eruptions from an otherwise quiet sun," experts said in an update.

Unlike many federal agencies, which are shuttered because of the government shutdown, the Space Weather Prediction Center operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continues to post updates on space weather events because of their potential impact to astronauts and satellites in space, and infratructure on the ground. Strong solar flares also can supercharge the Earth's auroras, causing magnificent northern lights displays.

Astronomers closely monitor sunspots because they act as indicators of the sun's current status. Solar activity typically ebbs and flows on an 11-year cycle. The sun is currently in the midst of Solar Cycle 24, and scientists had predicted solar activity would ramp up this year toward the solar maximum. Until now, however, the sun has remained strangely calm.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 11, 2013, 02:50:47 pm
RADIO-ACTIVE SUN: Radio amateurs, have you heard any strange roaring sounds coming from the loudspeakers of your shortwave radios this week? It might have been the sun. "The Sun has been generating Type III solar radio bursts and they appear to be intensifying," reports amateur radio astronomer Thomas Ashcraft of New Mexico. "The strongest burst so far came at 2155 UTC on October 9th." Here it is as recorded on two radios at 28 MHz and 21 MHz:

Ashcraft recommends listening to the audio using stereo headphones. "Type III bursts drift downward in frequency," he explains. "In stereo you can hear the burst pass through 28 MHz first on one speaker and then flow through 21 MHz on the other sound speaker."

Type III solar radio bursts are produced by electrons accelerated to high energies (1 to 100 keV) by solar flares. As the electrons stream outward from the sun, they excite plasma oscillations and radio waves in the sun's atmosphere. When these radio waves head in the direction of Earth, they make themselves heard in the loudspeakers of shortwave radios around the dayside of the planet.

 More radio bursts could be in the offing. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of M-class flares and a 5% chance of X-class flares during the next 24 hours. Stay tuned! Solar flare alerts:text, voice.

listen at site: http://spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on October 11, 2013, 03:01:47 pm
"Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it." Ecclesiastes 8:17 (KJB)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 16, 2013, 08:15:08 am
CRACKLING SUNSPOT

Sunspot AR1865 is crackling with C- and M-class solar flares, at least one every few hours. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme UV flash from this M1-flare at 23:36 UT on Oct. 15th. Stronger flares could be in the offing.   

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 17, 2013, 11:04:15 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjNvv4de9x8


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 18, 2013, 07:48:38 pm
http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/local-news/meteor-burns-up-as-it-flies-over-washington-area.php
Meteor Burns Up as It Flies Over Washington Area

A fireball raced across the skies over the East Coast Monday night. NASA is currently shut down, but at least savvy amateur astronomers were on the case.

 October 15, 2013

Stargazers around Washington got a bit of a show Monday evening when a fireball streaked over the East Coast, prompting dozens of eyewitness accounts from around the region. The meteor burned up in about 8:25 PM, giving a show to people from Virginia to as far away as Connecticut, according to reports collected by the American Meteor Society.

“Bright but small at head. Long trail. Seemed to wink out with small flash beyond Baltimore,” an observer from Gaithersburg wrote. Others said it appeared take on a greenish glow as it streaked across the night sky.

A Herndon resident wrote that the fireball seemed “quite close,” while a Fairfax spotter said it appeared to be headed in a “downward direction.” Mike Hankey of the American Meteor Society writes that a preliminary trajectory plot suggests the meteor entered the atmosphere over New Jersey and flew northeast, crossing the tip of Delaware and a corner of Maryland before finally burning out over Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Some on Twitter joked that a space rock flaming out over the Washington area was symbolic of the continuing shutdown.

But the combination of extraterrestrial bodies and a federal budget impasse is no joke. Perhaps the most unnerving moment of the shutdown came early on, when NASA suspended its Asteroid Watch Twitter account. At least amateur astronomers were on the case, if not the officials who are supposed to keep track of the estimated one million near-earth objects big enough to wipe out an entire city.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 18, 2013, 07:54:16 pm
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuevodiarioweb.com.ar%2Fnotas%2F2013%2F10%2F8%2Fextrana-bola-fuego-surco-cielo-venezuela-colombia-483288.asp
A strange fireball across the sky in Venezuela and Colombia

Hundreds of people were shocked and scared.  Social media were flooded with images about it. Gallery


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

VENEZUELA. - On Saturday, a strange phenomenon caused concern and scare people from the towns of San Cristobal, Tachira and Cucuta in Colombia, who reported a strange object in the sky.

 Jesus Otero, director of the Venezuelan Society of Amateur Astronomers said in dialogue with " Report 21 "that it was a possible" Draconid meteor ", a fireball of magnitude -10, approximately, which was observed on Saturday October 5, between 06:30 and 07 night.  "Despite the fading light, was very striking," he said.

 The incandescent material, which was yellow and left a small wake during its fall, "could be a Draconid meteor bearing the address" which is located at 250 degrees Az, argued the specialist.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 18, 2013, 08:01:58 pm
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diariodepernambuco.com.br%2Fapp%2Fnoticia%2Fvida-urbana%2F2013%2F09%2F26%2Finterna_vidaurbana%2C464618%2Fsuposto-meteorito-cai-em-povoado-de-vicencia.shtml
Suspected meteorite crashes in town of Vicenza
9/26/13

A suspected meteorite crashed in town Rubber, Vicenza district, North Forest in Pernambuco, and is worrying farmers in the region.  The object had fallen from the sky on the evening of last Monday (23).  Although seem unlikely, since Wednesday (25), and until the 25th of November, happens a meteor shower, known as Oriônidas in space.  The phenomenon occurs when the Earth crosses the orbit of Halley's Comet, taken as the origin of rock fragment.  Rain records a typical rate 20-25 meteors per hour - which can be seen on a dark night and clear skies.  Inside, the resident who found the material not resist and kept the "burnt stone" of 1.2 pound home.

The information was confirmed late on Thursday (26) by the Mayor of Vicenza, Paulo Tadeu.  The manager said it only learned of the incident on Thursday, when he returned from a trip to Recife.  According to the Coordinator of Civil Defense of Pernambuco, the coordinator of Civil Defense City, Ernesto Francisco, going to the site on Friday (27) look for more information about the case.  The mayor said that also send a geologist to examine the material found.

The stone fell a few feet of a resident known as adeildo Joiner, who saved the fragment as a souvenir.  "I was working when I heard the bang. I was scared. Thought I looked to see if anyone had played, but had no one. Was a very big noise. Might have just fallen from the sky. Was still hot," he explained.  The tranquility of the joiner is not widespread.  Many residents are concerned about the danger that the mysterious stone can hold.  "Nobody knows if you have a risk of contamination. Might be something radioactive. Fell in the street and broke the pavement. Someone has to do something," blurted the farmer José Cavalcanti Lucena.

The Institute of Technology of Pernambuco is responsible for the analysis of materials supposedly fallen from heaven, but not yet activated.  The Federal University of Pernambuco also collaborates with the control through the Department of Nuclear Energy.

What are they?

Meteors are small celestial bodies moving in space and entering the Earth's atmosphere, burning partly or wholly due to friction with the atmosphere and contact with oxygen.  The phenomenon leaves a risk bright in the sky, popularly called shooting star.

Phenomenon
 
According to the National Observatory, meteor showers no risk to Earth and occur in almost every month, some with more intensity and wide visibility.  The apex of Oriônidas will be on 21 and 22 October, but the observation conditions are not favorable, because the Moon will be passing on the full phase waning.  The meteor shower comes from the constellation of Orion, near the star Betelgeuse - the brightest red star in the constellation.

Also according to the Observatory, it is meteor shower when the Earth crosses the orbit of a comet, which causes small fragments that celestial body leaves along its orbit to penetrate the Earth's atmosphere in a short time interval and trajectories almost parallel.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 22, 2013, 06:44:14 am
Comet ISON possibly NOT RUBBISH after all - glows GREEN in latest pics

(http://regmedia.co.uk/2013/10/22/ison_adam_block_small.jpg)

The highly anticipated Comet ISON, which earlier this month had been dubbed not "visually pleasing" by the NASA astroboffins who snapped it with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, has had its portrait taken again as it wends its way towards its rendezvous with the Sun, and the result was far more impressive.

This new image was taken by astrophotographer Adam Block on October 8 using an SBIG STX-16803 camera with a hefty 36.8-by-36.8 millimeter CCD sensor that provides a 16.8 megapixel image, attached to the University of Arizona's 32-inch Schulman Telescope.

The image of ISON, which was discovered last by amateur Russian astronomers Artyom-Kislovodsk and Vitaly Nevsky using the International Scientific Optical Network’s (ISON) 0.4 metre reflector as it entered the outer solar system from the Oort Cloud, seems to indicate that the comet is still holding up quite nicely on its way to the Sun, and not breaking up as some had feared.

ISON will make its closest pass around ol' Sol on November 28 at 23:00 GMT, at which time it will be within 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of the solar surface – although saying exactly where the solar "surface" begins is a bit of an inexact science.

If it survives that close encounter of the toasty kind, ISON may become quite spectacular, possibly being easily visible to the naked eye before and after its whiplash around the Sun.

Or not. Comets are notoriously unpredictable beasts. The truth is, no one really knows how ISON will perform when it meets up with the sun – and anyone who says otherwise is either trying to pull the wool over your eyes or is simply wrong.

Your humble Reg reporter, however, having lived through such duds as Comet Kohoutek in 1973 and Comet Halley in 1986, and the decidedly less-disappointing Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, would greatly enjoy a big ol' sky show in late November and early December.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/22/new_image_of_comet_ison_shows_marked_improvements/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 25, 2013, 10:08:42 am
Major solar flare measuring X1.7 erupted from Region 1882

Following days of increased solar activity newly emerging Active Region 1882 erupted with major solar flare measuring X1.7 on October 25, 2013. The event started at 07:53, peaked at 08:01 and ended at 08:08 UTC. This region is not in geoeffective position but will be in the coming days. Potential impacts: area of impact consists of large portions of the sunlit side of Earth, strongest at the sub-solar point. Radio - Wide area blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication for about an hour.   

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2013/10/25/strong-impulsive-solar-flare-measuring-x1-7-erupted-from-region-1882/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 26, 2013, 09:13:23 am
Sun unleashed one of its strongest solar flares, sparking temporary radio blackout
 Increased activity has led to stronger solar flares coming from the sun since Wednesday

 The strongest flare came early Friday morning, and caused a temporary radio blackout
 Flares glancing earth this weekend may cause further radio blackouts, as well as power grid and GPS issues


Solar flares this week knocked out radio transmissions and had the potential to disrupt satellite communications and possibly harm astronauts in orbit.
 
A series of solar flares starting Wednesday and lasting into at least Friday were similar in strength to ones that in the past caused radio blackouts at the north and south poles and caused problems with GPS satellites and power grids, according to NASA.
 
The strongest flare came early Friday morning, just after 4am, and was rated as an X1.7-solar event, according to NBC News. The flare erupted from a newly discovered sunspot cluster, Region 1882, and caused a momentary radio blackout, officials said.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2477179/Sun-unleashed-strongest-solar-flares-sparking-temporary-radio-blackout.html#ixzz2ipyrIgnH


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 28, 2013, 07:41:31 am
ANOTHER X-FLARE

Earth-orbiting satellites detected an X1-class solar flare from sunspot AR1875 on Oct. 28th at 0203 UT. This is the 3rd X-flare since Oct. 25th, which means solar activity is still high. Stay tuned for more information about the latest eruption.   

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Major X1.0 solar flare erupts with bright CME - glancing blow expected on October 31

Increased solar activity will continue this week. Beta-Gamma-Delta classified Active Region 1875 erupted with major solar flare reaching X1.0 at 02:03 UTC on Monday, October 28, 2013. A bright Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is visible emerging from the Sun. This region is located on the west limb and the majority of material is heading away from Earth. However, it appears that the eastern flank of the expanding cloud may still be Earth directed and a glancing blow impact to our geomagnetic field will be possible within 72 hours.   

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2013/10/28/major-x1-0-solar-flare-erupts-with-bright-cme-glancing-blow-expected-on-october-31/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 31, 2013, 08:19:54 am
SPOOKY AURORAS
High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras on Halloween. A CME is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field on Oct. 31st, possibly sparking polar geomagnetic storms. In northern Norway, the show got started early... As Oct. 31st begins, indicators still suggest a CME is approaching Earth. NOAA forecasters expect a G1-class geomagnetic storm when it arrives.

http://www.spaceweather.com/   


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 31, 2013, 08:01:09 pm
Not that we should fear - but nonetheless fireballs are being reported every day recently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEno7OWHqP8


Fireball over the Netherlands

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lntE7H_jJjE/UnHQ9cgidqI/AAAAAAABMRI/f64u3E8ZaiU/s1600/portlandfireballcomments01.jpg)


Fireball over Scotland

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h7j05zomDKk/UnHQ9QozUcI/AAAAAAABMRE/FJhexYdT300/s1600/portlandfireballcomments02.jpg)


Fireball Wows Spectators In Colombia - Overhead Explosion Felt As "Small Earthquake"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2W_qJBP1Yk


United Nations Plan To Fight Asteroids With "Committee On The Peaceful Uses Of Outer Space"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi54HYX9pWc

http://theweek.com/article/index/251842/how-the-un-plans-to-defend-earth-from-asteroids


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on November 01, 2013, 07:52:53 am
28 solar flares in the last seven days, and more may be coming

The sun has erupted more than two dozen times over the last week, sending radiation and solar material hurtling through space - and scientists say more eruptions may be coming.


This shouldn't be unusual. After all, we are technically at solar maximum, the peak of the 11-year cycle of the sun's activity. But this has been a noticeably mellow solar maximum, with the sun staying fairly quiet throughout the summer. So when our life-giving star suddenly let loose with 24 medium strength M-class solar flares and four significantly stronger X-class flares between Oct.  23 and Oct. 30, it felt like a surprise.
 
Many of the flares originated from sunspot AR1884, a particularly active region of the sun that is currently facing Earth, almost at the center of the star. If this region stays active, it will continue to hurl radiation and solar material our way for about another week until it rotates out of sight.

A sunspot is an area of the sun where the magnetic fields have gotten all twisted up. "You get a tangled bunch of magnetic fields, and they get too tangled and too stressed, they end up erupting," said Holly Gilbert, a solar physicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 
 
The good news is that none of the rapid-fire solar flares of the last week have had much effect on life on Earth. Our atmosphere protects us from the sun's occasional powerful bursts of light and radiation, but solar flares do occasionally interact with our communications systems. The radiation can mess with an upper layer in our atmosphere called the ionosphere and cause radio signals to act funky.
 
Gilbert said the solar physicists at Goddard were glad to see more activity from the sun after such a quiet summer.
 
"It hadn't been active in months, so it's like it finally woke up," she said. "For those of us who study the dynamics of the sun, it is exciting because it gives us more events to study."
 
And for the rest of us it gives us the opportunity to watch cool videos, like the one above, of the sun erupting.
 
Crazy things are happening up there in the sky. Follow me on Twitter for more stories like this.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-solar-flare-20131031,0,7996603.story#axzz2jOinJ7tV


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 05, 2013, 02:42:30 pm
http://www.space.com/23417-comet-ison-performance-approaching-sun.html
10/31/13
Comet ISON Gives Perplexing Performance En Route to Sun

With just one month to go before its dramatic solar rendezvous, skirting to within a hairbreadth of the surface of the sun, Comet ISON continues to befuddle observers with its performance en route to the sun.

Based on a compilation of Comet ISON observations from observers worldwide as of Oct. 24, the comet, once proclaimed as possibly the "Comet of the Century" was running approximately 1.3 magnitudes, or 3.3 times fainter, than the "official" brightness forecast issued by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass. As the comet comes down the home stretch of its long journey before finally grazing to within 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of the sun, great uncertainty continues regarding whether or not it will remain disappointingly dim or whether it will end up evolving into a spectacularly bright object.       

Carl Hergenrother of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Ariz., noted that part of the uncertainty is due to what wavelengths the comet is observed in: "Visual and CCD-V observations do show a comet that is brightening at a normal rate (perhaps even faster than normal for a dynamically new comet) while CCD-R observations show a comet that is barely brightening at all. CCD-R sees predominately dust in contrast with visual and CCD-V, which have large gas components. It seems that over the past month or so ISON's gas production rate has increased as expected while its dust production rate has not," Hergenrother said. "I don't really know what this means but something has to give, either the dust production picks up or the gas production slows down." [Photos of Comet ISON: A Potentially Great Comet]

Looking weird

The highly regarded comet observer John Bortle is just as perplexed by the comet's recent appearance, commenting that the recent images along with his own visual impression, is "downright weird." He adds that, "There is a bright, miniature, long-tailed comet situated within a much larger, but very much fainter and diffuse halo of a coma."

"Those visual people using larger telescope also often remark about the odd way the comet looks, while those using relatively small scopes and big binoculars report seeing a larger, more-or-less faint but uniform cometary mass," he added. "This comet is currently at a distance from the sun where it should no longer exhibit such a dichotomy of appearance.”

Bortle has observed several hundred comets and yet, he writes, "At this stage of the game, with the comet about to cross the orbit of Earth, I cannot recall any previous comet in my 50-plus years of comet observing looking quite like this. So, what does ISON's current look foretell, or mean? I honestly don't know. All I can say is I don't like the odd look of it at this time."

One step forward, one step back

Around Oct. 19, ISON seemed to suddenly brighten at a more rapid pace. On Oct. 21, Arizona observer Bruce Gary (who was the first to image the comet after it emerged from out of the glare of the sun on Aug. 12) wrote, "The comet (coma plus tail) continues a dramatic brightening trend that started Oct 19. The inner coma has brightened (due perhaps to an outburst of gases). This next week could be busy - and exciting!" [Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON: 8 Essential Facts]

But just four days later, with the comet showing signs of fading a bit rather than brightening, Gary, sounding almost a bit exasperated commented, "I don't know what's going on with this comet!"

Analyzing all the observations made since Sept. 4 shows that ISON is responding to the sun more like a solid body would respond, rather than as a typical "fluffy" comet.

Time Running Out

Whatever is happening, Comet ISON continues on its way in toward the sun and will cross the Earth's orbit on Wednesday (Oct. 30) at 6 p.m. EDT (22:00 GMT).

For the last couple of months, observers watching the comet brighten at what has seemed to be a frustratingly slow pace are still waiting for a more rapid brightening trend. That may still happen, but time is now running out; four weeks from Thursday will be the comet's moment of truth as it whips around the sun.

Will it remain disappointingly dim? Will it finally brighten up? Will it still be completely intact when it sweeps back out into space or will the sun's extreme heat and tremendous tidal forces cause it to fracture into several pieces? At SPACE.com we will continue to monitor the comet's future behavior and provide any new updates in the days to come, so stay tuned!


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 07, 2013, 11:53:06 am
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/11/06/large-meteor-shower-lights-up-night-sky-across-the-west/#at_pco=cfd-1.0
11/6/13
Meteor Shower Lights Up Night Sky Across The West

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Residents from around the Southland reported seeing a large light streak across the night sky Wednesday.

Authorities tell CBS2 and KCAL9 that the object appeared to be a meteor.

Many calls came into law enforcement agencies from Riverside, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage. CBS2 and KCAL9 also had reported sightings throughout Orange County.

One viewer, named Myriam R., was driving west on the 118 Freeway when she said she saw a large fireball around 7:50 p.m.

“I thought it was a plane,” she said, “but it was too fast.”

A witness named Fabian sent CBS2/KCAL9 video from a security camera in his front yard in Sylmar.

“At first I thought it might be fireworks,” he said. “It was kind of greenish, and it was large. And then it broke apart
.”

He added, “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

Other sightings were reported in Arizona, Utah and Las Vegas.

Scientists predicted a meteor shower that occurs every year about this time. But they also say we haven’t seen anything yet.

So-called  Taurid meteor showers, which seem to come from the direction of the constellation Taurus, will reach their peak this year on Nov. 16 through the early morning of Nov. 17. Observers, aided by a full moon, will see 10 to 20 large fireballs every hour.

The website PlanetSave.com says the 10-to-20 figure is actually fewer than we normally get in this time period,  but that it still promises to be “a pretty good show.”

KCAL9′s Serene Branson spoke to Dr. Laura Danly, a curator at the Griffith Observatory.

The fireballs are easily explained, Danly said.

“They’re rocks in outer space. They’re chunks of asteroids, called meteroids,” Danly said. “They’re flying into the Earth’s atmosphere and they’re burning up. It’s kind of like when astronauts return to the Earth’s atmosphere and there is all that heat during re-entry. Same idea. These rocks are literally burning up.  And that’s what you’re seeing.”

Phone lines at the Orange County Emergency Operations Center lit up. Dozens of OC residents were calling 911 when they saw a green light streak across the sky.

The residents told dispatchers they saw a meteor.

CBS2′s Stacey Butler spoke to witnesses in the OC.

A Mission Viejo man was driving on the 73 Toll Road when he saw the light show.

“I saw this big, greenish flash like, light up the sky,” Matthew Isaacs said. “It was headed pretty sideways from like, east to west. I thought, ‘Is that a firework?’ And then I realized, that couldn’t be that big. It’s just in the middle of nowhere in a totally dark area where there’s no houses or anything where anyone would shoot fireworks. I thought, ‘Man, it must have been a meteor.’”

An astronomy professor at UC Irvine said the green light people saw was oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere.

She said every day, there are about 800 meteors in the Earth’s atmosphere. Most of them don’t ever touch ground and many of them are 100 grams, like the size of a yogurt cup.

Sightings were reported as far away as Texas.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 07, 2013, 11:17:21 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/astronomers-dumbfounded-six-tailed-asteroid-193129286.html
Astronomers 'dumbfounded' by six-tailed asteroid
11/7/13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - - Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have spotted a freakish asteroid with six comet-like tails of dust streaming from its body like spokes on a wheel, scientists said on Thursday.

"We were literally dumbfounded when we saw it," astronomer David Jewitt with the University of California at Los Angeles, said in a statement. "It's hard to believe we're looking at an asteroid."

Asteroids normally have no tails.

The asteroid, known as P/2013 P5, first appeared as a fuzzy point of light in a sky survey by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii in August.

In September astronomers used the sharp-eyed orbiting Hubble telescope to zero in on the object, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Not only is the asteroid sporting six tails, follow-up observations 13 days later showed it had changed shape.

Scientists suspect pressure from photons, small particles of light or electromagnetic radiation, in sunlight is causing the asteroid to spin faster, disrupting its surface.

Computer models show the dust plumes likely started rising off the asteroid's surface in April 2012, according to Jessica Agarwal, with the Max Planck Institute in Lindau, Germany.

"P/2013 P5 might be losing dust as it rotates at high speed," Agarwal said in a statement. "The sun then drags this dust into the distinct tails we're seeing."

Astronomers intend to keep a lookout for signs the asteroid is breaking up, a process they suspect is common, but never before observed.

"This is just an amazing object to us, and almost certainly the first of many more to come," Jewitt said.

The research appears in this week's issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 08, 2013, 08:52:12 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8UMg8BIJm8


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on November 11, 2013, 08:06:45 am
CHANCE OF FLARES

(http://www.freesmfhosting.com/gallery/endtimesandcurrentevents/1_08_09_12_5_11_48.gif)

NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of M-class flares and a 30% chance of X-flares on Nov. 11th. The most likely source is active sunspot AR1890, which has already produced three X-flares since Nov. 5th. In addition, a new flare threat is emerging over the sun's SE limb: Sunspot group AR1895 appears to be big and potent enough to produce some explosions of its own during the next 25 hours.   

http://www.spaceweather.com/



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 11, 2013, 09:05:58 am
Noone's seen anything yet.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on November 12, 2013, 01:10:05 pm
Strange Doings on the Sun

Something is up with the sun. Scientists say that solar activity is stranger than in a century or more, with the sun producing barely half the number of sunspots as expected and its magnetic poles oddly out of sync. "There is no scientist alive who has seen a solar cycle as weak as this one," said Andrés Munoz-Jaramillo, who studies the solar-magnetic cycle at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. To complicate the riddle, the sun also is undergoing one of its oddest magnetic reversals on record.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304672404579183940409194498 


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 12, 2013, 09:39:49 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/old-faithful-comet-encke-makes-appearance-november-night-211806137.html
'Old Faithful' Comet Encke Makes Appearance in November Night Sky
11/12/13

While all eyes have been on the potentially dazzling Comet ISON as it approaches the sun, one of the most studied comets in history — called Encke's Comet — will make its closest pass with the sun just one week before ISON.

Aside from Halley's Comet, Encke's Comet might be considered as the "Old Faithful" among comets. It likely has one of the most famous and richest histories of the mysterious, icy wanderers that wend their way among the planets.

Encke is the comet with the shortest documented orbital period — taking almost precisely 3.3 years to complete one revolution around the sun. Because it doesn't approach giant Jupiter as closely as some other periodic comets, Encke's orbit has remained more or less stable for hundreds of years. [Comet Quiz: Test Your Cosmic Knowledge]

This year, Encke's Comet will reach perihelion — its closest point to the sun — on Nov. 21. Whenever perihelion falls in November, December or January, the comet becomes very favorably placed for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.

Conversely, when perihelion is in May, June or July, the comet is difficult or impossible to see north of the equator, but can be well seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

Lost and found

The history of Encke's comet stretches back more than two centuries. The Parisian comet hunter Pierre Méchain first saw it as a fuzzy object on Jan. 17, 1786.

Because three revolutions of this comet so nearly equal ten years, it retraces almost the same path across the sky at such intervals.  True to this 10-year interval, the comet was not seen again until Caroline Herschel accidentally ran across it on November 7, 1795. Comet Encke was then about 24 million miles (38.6 million kilometers) from Earth, and her brother William reported that he could even glimpse it without any optical aid.

Another observer compared the comet in brightness to the Andromeda Galaxy. The comet was visible for three weeks before it disappeared into the evening twilight, but unfortunately, astronomers were unable to calculate an adequate orbit for it.   

Yet another 10 years passed. The comet was discovered independently by not one, but three observers: Pons (Marseilles), Huth (Frankfurt-on-Oder), and Bouvard (Paris) within several hours of each other on the morning of October 20, 1805.

The comet would pass unseen through the inner solar system three more times before it was again recovered in 1818 and its unusually short period was finally recognized.

Jean Louis Pons at Marseilles discovered a comet on November 26, 1818, but had no way of knowing it was the same object that he had previously seen in 1805. Only when Johann Franz Encke, then just 27 years old, worked out the orbit, did it become clear to him that the comets observed in 1786, 1795, 1805, and 1818 were one in the same. Bringing his calculations forward, he predicted that the comet would next come to perihelion on May 24, 1822, which it did. [Amazing Comet Photos of 2013 by Stargazers]

His forecast was so accurate that astronomers universally attached the name of Encke to the comet. Yet, to his dying day, Encke always refused to accept credit for the comet that now bears his name.  He always maintained that he merely calculated its orbit and referred to it as "Pons' Comet."

Since Encke's calculation, the comet has been seen on every one of its returns with the sole exception of August 1944 when its unfavorable position in the sky made observations difficult at a time when most major observatories were hampered by wartime conditions.

Encke's Comet is also the first comet that has been observed throughout its orbit. The comet was has photographed at the far end of its orbit (aphelion), first in September 1913 and again in August 1972. 

Here we glow again


Comet Encke was at aphelion in April 2012, at a distance of 381 million miles (613 million km) from the sun. Now, it is hurtling into Earth's neighborhood, where it swept to within 45 million miles (72.4 million km) of Earth on Oct. 17. On Nov 21st, it will swing within the orbit of Mercury — 31.4 million miles (50.5 million km) from the sun.

Since its 1786 discovery, this is the comet's 62nd recorded return!

Unfortunately, despite its fame, skywatchers should not expect an impressive showing from Comet Encke. You will need a telescope or at the very least, a good pair of binoculars to locate it. Skywatchers will also need a star chart depicting its projected path against the background stars.

Rarely does Comet Encke develop much of a noticeable tail. With such a small orbital period, and countless hundreds, if not thousands of previous visits to the sun's vicinity, this comet is probably "worn out." By now, most of its ices have been vaporized by the sun, and it probably consists of a fairly compact silicate residue, perhaps thinly mixed with the remnant of its original ices.

Currently, the comet is diving south and east through the constellation Virgo, where it will reside for the next 10 days, an easy object to see in binoculars, currently glowing at magnitude 7 (the lower the magnitude, the brighter the object; 6.5 marks the threshold of naked eye visibility). You'll need to have a star chart showing the comet's night-to-night path among the stars and a clear view low toward the east-southeast about a couple of hours before sunrise.

Two for the price of one

A few days after its Nov. 21 perihelion, Encke will be situated just a couple degrees to the north of the much-ballyhooed Comet ISON which itself might be a naked-eye object at perhaps around magnitude 3. After that, Encke will disappear into the dawn twilight and remain out of our view through the rest of 2013.

If you do happen to make a sighting of Encke's Comet, you will have seen it more times than Encke himself.  As Robert S. Richardson, former associate director of the Griffith Observatory and Planetarium in Los Angeles once noted:

"Although he devoted about forty years of his life to keeping track of this comet, Encke apparently never took the trouble to look at it through a telescope; a desk man to the end!"


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 14, 2013, 07:56:22 pm
http://www.bubblews.com/news/1549714-four-comets-visible-in-november
Four Comets visible in november
11/11/13

There are now four comets visible in binoculars or small telescopes that can be seen before dawn from the northern hemisphere:

1. C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy): A morning comet visible to the naked eye
 This comet begins the month in Cancer at magnitude 6.2. Look for a 20' coma. It is easily visible in binoculars as the month begins and as it brightens it should become visible to the unaided eye from a dark site around the morning of the 11th. It should brighten rapidly, moving into Bootes by month's end.

2. C/2012 S1 (ISON): A morning comet visible in binoculars
 This comet begins the month in Leo at magnitude 8.7. Look for a 6.5' coma and a 15' tail. It should brighten fairly rapidly, moving into Scorpius by month's end.

3. C/2012 X1 (LINEAR): A northern hemisphere morning comet visible in binoculars
 This comet had a large outburst on October 20. It brightened rapidly and images show an expanding coma similar to that of 17P/Holmes in 2007. It begins the month in Coma Berenices at magnitude 8.1. Look for a 9' coma. As of November 1 it was continuing to brighten and the coma is expanding, but it will likely peak soon. Although visible in binoculars a dark site with a clear horizon will be required.

4. 2P/Encke: A morning comet visible in small telescopes
 This comet begins the month in Virgo at magnitude 7.3. Look for a 8.5' coma. It should brighten by about 1.1 magnitudes, moving into Libra by month's end. On the morning of the 16th Encke will be in the same binocular field as Mercury.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 15, 2013, 12:53:58 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/comet-ison-headed-close-sun-encounter-thanksgiving-191746086.html
11/14/13
Comet ISON Headed for Close Sun Encounter on Thanksgiving

Comet ISON's highly anticipated flyby of the sun is now just two weeks away, and scientists and skywatchers alike hope the encounter gives them another reason to be thankful this holiday season.

Comet ISON will skim just 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) above the solar surface on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) before heading out into deep space once again. If ISON survives this perilous plunge, the icy wanderer could put on quite a show in the ensuing weeks, becoming visible to the naked eye throughout much of December, experts say.

ISON was discovered by two Russian amateur astronomers in September 2012, giving scientists more than a year to gear up for its dramatic brush with the sun. Researchers have tracked the comet assiduously, training a number of ground- and space-based instruments on ISON as it barrels through the inner solar system. [Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON: 8 Essential Facts]

This NASA-organized Comet ISON Observation Campaign (CIOC) aims to gain a better understanding of ISON's composition, by noting which gases boil off the object at various distances from the sun.

"Another interesting facet of Comet ISON is that it appears to be a dynamically new comet, fresh from the Oort Cloud," CIOC officials write on the campaign's website. "This means it has probably never been through our solar system, and has never been subjected to the melting effects of solar radiation. It's a truly pristine example of early solar system material, and thus we are particularly eager to see the combined result of a 'raw' piece of solar system material being subjected to the sun's outer atmosphere!"

Nobody knows exactly what will happen during ISON's close solar encounter; it's tough to predict the behavior of any comet, especially dynamically new ones such as ISON, whose core is thought to be between 0.12 miles and 1.2 miles (0.2 to 2 kilometers) wide.

However, some scientists have voiced optimism that the object won't break apart, provided it has the density and rotational characteristics of a "typical" comet.

You don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to look for Comet ISON. The icy wanderer is visible in binoculars right now, streaking low in the predawn sky through the constellation Virgo. If you're interesting in buying binoculars or a telescope to search for ISON, check out SPACE.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao's advice here.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on November 18, 2013, 09:02:42 am
COMET ISON'S SUPER TAIL

Comet's ISON's recent outburst of activity has done more than simply brighten the comet. Whatever exploded from the comet's core also created a spectacularly-long tail, more than 16 million kilometers from end to end. 

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on November 20, 2013, 05:54:59 am
Prepare For More Asteroids To Hit Earth, Scientists Say

Asteroids have been the fodder for some… interesting science fiction blockbusters, but with the strike in Chelyabinsk, Russia this year, scientists say it's time to get serious. Two papers published in Nature -- one of the most prestigious academic journals -- suggest that asteroid strikes might be a bit more common in the coming years. Current searches for asteroids are only for those that are at least 1 kilometer wide, but those are rocks big enough to end our civilization. Smaller bits -- those that are capable of devastating countries or cities -- slip through the cracks. Former astronaut Edward Lu is prepared to help defend Earth with B612 -- a project with the goal of detecting much smaller threats from outer space. According to the project, there are a million "near-Earth asteroids large enough to substantially damage or destroy a major city." Equivalent to a massive minefield of nuclear warheads, this is not a threat we can simply ignore.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asteroids-hitting-earth,25053.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 22, 2013, 09:47:35 pm
http://spaceweather.com/

SOLAR FLEET PICKS UP COMET ISON:  Because NASA's twin STEREO probes are designed to observe the sun, they can see sundiving comets even when the glare becomes intense. Yesterday, Comet ISON joined Earth, Mercury, and Comet Encke in the field of view of STEREO-A's Heliospheric Imager. Click on the image to view ISON's grand entrance:

(http://spaceweather.com/images2013/22nov13/twocomets_strip2.gif)

"The dark 'clouds' of stuff you see coming from the right are density enhancements in the solar wind, and these are what are causing all the ripples you see in comet Encke's tail," explains Karl Battams of NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign. "I can pretty much promise you that we're going to see ISON's tail doing that in a couple of day's time, but on a much larger scale!"

Battams points out another exciting development: Comet Encke and Comet ISON are converging for a photogenic close encounter. "No they're not going to hit each other - in reality they are millions of miles apart - but as seen from the STEREO-A spacecraft, they are going to get very close!" he says. "We are probably a couple of days away from seeing two comets almost side-by-side in that camera, with long tails flowing behind them in the solar wind. To say that such an image will be unprecedented is rather an understatement." Stay tuned for that.

ISON, THE DAWN COMET:  Comet ISON is plunging toward the sun and brightening as it heads for a perilous close encounter on Nov. 28th. Yesterday morning, with the "final countdown" clock at T-7 days, Juan Carlos Casado photographed the sundiver over the Teide Observatory in the Canary Islands:

(http://spaceweather.com/images2013/21nov13/dawncomet_strip.jpg)

"The comet is over the distant island of Gran Canaria," he says, "while in the central cloud we can see the planet Mercury. ISON was at the limit of naked-eye visibility, but it was an easy target for my SLR camera with a small telephoto lens (85 mm focal length) on a static tripod and 6 seconds of exposure."

Because Comet ISON is moving into the rosy glow of dawn, it will soon be impossible for cameras on Earth to track it. Fortunately, NASA's fleet of solar spacecraft are able to follow the comet into the glare. NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft has already picked up Comet ISON. In the days ahead, STEREO-B, SOHO and the Solar Dynamics Observatory will join the hunt, providing continuous views all the way to perihelion (closest approach to the sun) on Nov. 28th.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 23, 2013, 03:16:00 pm
http://www.latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-nasa-comet-ison-encke-gif-20131122,0,6187934.story#axzz2lOFgBL10
11/22/13
NASA's awesome GIF shows comets ISON and Encke in a race

NASA spotted Comet ISON coming on strong on Thursday. An awesome set of images shows Comet Encke, its tail wriggling, along with Mercury and Earth. Then ISON enters the field. It looks like a comet race.

It's evidence, the space agency says, that ISON is still intact and hasn't splintered as it approaches the sun. A camera on NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory captured the action Thursday. Watch the tails of the comets below. Solar wind, the particles that stream outward from the sun at 1 million miles per hour, make the comets' tails move.

(http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/encke_ison_crop_srem_lr.gif)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 24, 2013, 10:58:01 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/icy-comet-survive-close-encounter-sun-152843378.html
11/24/13
Will icy comet survive close encounter with sun?

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — For months, all eyes in the sky have pointed at the comet that's zooming toward a blisteringly close encounter with the sun.

The moment of truth comes Thursday — Thanksgiving Day.

The sun-grazing Comet ISON, now thought to be less than a mile wide, will either fry and shatter, victim of the sun's incredible power, or endure and quite possibly put on one fabulous celestial show.

Talk about an astronomical cliffhanger.

Even the smartest scientists are reluctant to lay odds.

Should it survive, ISON, pronounced EYE'-sahn, would be visible with the naked eye through December, at least from the Northern Hemisphere. Discernible at times in November with ordinary binoculars and occasionally even just the naked eye, it already has dazzled observers and is considered the most scrutinized comet ever by NASA. But the best is, potentially, yet to come.

Detected just over a year ago, the comet is passing through the inner solar system for the first time. Still fresh, this comet is thought to bear the pristine matter of the beginning of our solar system.

It's believed to be straight from the Oort cloud on the fringes of the solar system, home to countless icy bodies, most notably the frozen balls of dust and gas in orbit around the sun known as comets. For whatever reason, ISON was propelled out of this cloud and drawn toward the heart of the solar system by the sun's intense gravitational pull.

The closer the comet gets to the sun, the faster it gets.

In January, it was clocked at 40,000 mph.

By last Thursday, with just a week to go, it had accelerated to 150,000 mph.

Right around the time many Americans will be feasting on turkey, the comet will zip within 730,000 miles of the sun, less than the actual solar diameter. In other words, another sun wouldn't fit in the missed distance.

By the time ISON slingshots around the sun, it will be moving at a mind-boggling 828,000 mph.

Whether it survives or is torn apart, earthlings have nothing to fear.

The comet will venture no closer to us than about 40 million miles, less than half the distance between Earth and the sun. That closest approach to Earth will occur Dec. 26. Then it will head away in the opposite direction forever, given its anticipated trajectory once it flies by the sun.

ISON is named after the International Scientific Optical Network, used by a pair of Russian astronomers to detect the comet in September last year. But it officially is known as C/2012 S1, a designation indicating when it was discovered.

Take heart: The "C'' means it is not expected here again.

NASA wasted no time jumping on ISON. The space agency's Deep Impact spacecraft observed ISON back in January from a distance of about 500 million miles.

Since then, the observations have stacked up.

Among NASA's space telescopes taking a look: Swift, Hubble, Spitzer, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Solar and Heliospheric Observatory or SOHO, Chandra, Mercury-orbiting Messenger, and the Stereo twin spacecraft.

"Every spacecraft that has a camera, we're turning on it," said John Grunsfeld, NASA's science mission director.

The newly launched Maven spacecraft en route to Mars will gaze at ISON the second week of December, once its ultraviolet instrument is up and running.

"That's well after closest approach to the sun," the University of Colorado's Nick Schneider, who's in charge of the instrument, said in an email. So it's not known "whether we'll see a comet, comet bits or the last wisps of comet vapor."

"Whatever happens, it's bound to be interesting. The quip from my colleagues is, 'Comets are like cats: They have tails and do whatever they want.'"

Besides ISON, NASA is spying on Comet Siding Spring, another Oort cloud comet discovered in January by the Australian observatory of the same name. Siding Spring will pass within tens of thousands of miles of Mars next October, so close that scientists believe the coma of the comet — its thin but expansive atmosphere — will envelop the red planet.

"It will be blanketed in water and dust and meteorites. It moves like 50 kilometers per second, blazing through the environment," said Jim Green, director of NASA's planetary science division. That's more than 110,000 mph, so the comet will be gone from Mars "pretty quick."

Siding Spring-type events have happened before, Green noted. "We're just lucky in our lifetime" to have the right spacecraft in the right place to observe the spectacle.

The same applies to ISON.

Add small sounding rockets to the list of paparazzi chasing the comet; NASA fired up one from New Mexico on Wednesday with an ultraviolet telescope that reached 172 miles high before descending by parachute. Consider all the ground observatories peering at the comet, as well as countless amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, and ISON has become the belle of the cosmic ball.

"Comets evolve from the time they start brightening until they go all the way around the sun, and go back out," Green said. "By having and leveraging these assets, it really gives us that view — that unique view — that we couldn't get otherwise."

Some sky gazers speculated early on that ISON might become the comet of the century because of its brightness, although expectations have dimmed over the past year.

Scientists expect to know ISON's fate fairly quickly. At least three spacecraft will be aiming that way in real time.

If ISON survives, "it's going to fly right over the Northern Hemisphere," Green said with clear excitement in his voice. It should be visible with the naked eye for 30 days.

"So it's really a holiday comet. You ought to be able to see it well past Christmas," Green said. "But it's got to survive it, that's the only thing about that."


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 26, 2013, 05:17:05 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/comet-will-light-up-the-sky-if-it-survives-close-encounter-with-the-sun-145951765.html
11/26/13
Comet will light up the sky if it survives close encounter with the sun

Comet ISON might offer one of the most amazing sky shows ever seen — if it isn’t destroyed by a close encounter with the sun over Thanksgiving.
Some astronomers have already dubbed the ball of dirt and ice the “Comet of the Century,” but ISON could break apart as it passes through the sun’s atmosphere on Nov. 28.

Scientists hope that remote spacecraft that monitor the sun will be able to get a close look at ISON as the comet is baked by the sun’s radiation and buffeted by solar ejections.

"We're going to be roasting a ball of ice while people are roasting their turkeys,” Karl Battams, an astrophysicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, in Washington, D.C., told NPR.

If the comet survives its encounter with the sun, Earth watchers will have an incredible view in the early weeks of December as ISON emerges from behind the sun and approaches closer and closer, scientists say.

NASA has even created the hashtag #WillItBreakUp so Twitter users interested in the comet can find one another and share their observations.

ISON emerged from the Oort cloud, a vast area beyond Pluto made up of cosmic debris left over from the formation of the solar system, and has been headed toward Earth for the past million years.

First spotted by two Russian astronomers a year ago, the comet is named after the International Scientific Optical Network, or ISON. The Russians relied on data from the network of scientists working at 20 observatories in 10 countries to pinpoint the comet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Yd-TiNiyU


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on November 27, 2013, 02:07:02 pm
Mysterious Comet ISON Screaming Past The Sun: Where To Watch Thanksgiving Toast In Space

The much-awaited showy comet, on Thanksgiving Day, will scream past the surface of the Sun, skimming over the roiling surface of our star at a height of just 1.1 million kilometers (700,000 miles). Could light up with one of the most spectacular sights of a generation, shining mightily, or blast off chunks of itself, or disintegrate completely during this close encounter, we do not know what exactly will happen.
 
But you can watch the whole thing live on Google+! NASA is holding a live video Hangout on G+ during ISON's perihelion passage (peri = close, helion = Sun, so perihelion is the closest point in an object's orbit to the Sun). The event is from 18:00 - 20:30 UTC (1:00 - 3:30 p.m. EST).

There will be live feed from NASA's SOHO Sun-observing satellite and from the Kitt Peak Observatory solar telescope.
 
Moreover, there will be a live talk about the comet, the Sun, and what astronomers will be seeing on the screen, according to Slate.com.
 
"Guests include astronomers C. Alex Young, W. Dean Pesnell, Karl Battams (who runs the SunGrazingComets feed on Twitter), and me (reporter from Slate)! (He'll) be on from 1:30 - 2:30 EST to talk about the comet, the Sun, and what we'll be seeing on the screen."
 
They will also be answering questions live from Twitter. So, ask away using the hashtags#ISON and #askNASA.
 
A dusty cosmic snowball named Comet ISON in streaking towards us.
 
"There's great interest in comet ISON," said Don Yeomans, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "First, it's coming from the very edge of our solar system so it stills retains the primordial ices from which it formed four-and-a-half billion years ago.
 
"It's been traveling from the outer edge of the solar system for about five-and-a-half million years to reach us in the inner solar system, and it's going to make an extremely close approach to the sun. Hence it could become very bright and possibly a very easy naked-eye object in early December," he added.
 
NASA will capture images of ISON's approach to the sun to share them with the public tomorrow via its website.
 
Using Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft, NASA will capture images from three different positions as ISON moves through its perihelion, the point in its orbit that is closest to the sun. The website will show near real-time images along with video of ISON's journey and possible end.
 
The images should begin appearing sometime between 12:45 pm and 1:00 pm ET, NASA reported on the website.
 
Scientists are expecting that by studying ISON, they will gain insight about the ancient formation of the solar system and its planets.
 
"The reason we study Comet ISON to begin with is because it's a relic," said Carey Lisse, a senior research scientist with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, during a NASA news conference Tuesday.
 
"It's a dinosaur bone of solar system formation. You need comets in order to build the planets. This comet has been in a deep freeze half way to the next star for the last four and a half billion years. It's just been coming in over the last few millions years and possibly even started around the dawn of man," he added.
 
For the past year, scientists have been tracking ISON's movement as it hurtles towards the inner solar system, and on Nov. 28, it will have a close encounter with the sun and pass through the corona of the sun itself.
 
Relatively recently, the 4.6 billion years old comet, give or take, was knocked out of the distant Oort cloud-a belt of comets on the very edge of the Solar System-and began its journey towards the sun.
 
There are three possible scenarios for what will happen on Nov.28.
 
Option 1 is the gravitational force of the sun could stretch the comet apart, pulling it beyond breaking point and compelling it to explode as it leaves the corona.
 
Option 2 is ISON to submit to the heat of the sun. Comets are composed of icy and frozen gases, and while this one is a "star-grazer", expected to only pass the sun once, it could experience heat of up to 2,760 degrees centigrade (5000 degrees Fahrenheit) and may simply fade away.
 
Final option is the one many scientists and fans on Earth are hoping for.
 
As the comet flies through the corona, the gases could be heated up and ignited just enough to develop a huge tail after its brush with the Sun, but not enough to destroy it.
 
If this happens, millions of people in Earth's northern hemisphere will be able to witness an extraordinary display in the night sky. The comet could appear as a bright object near the horizon, with a tail extending all the way overhead.
 
Should it survive, millions of people in Earth's northern hemisphere will be able to see Comet ISON with the naked eye through December. The comet could appear as a bright object near the horizon, with a tail extending all the way overhead.
 
Moreover, for the first time using a spectrometer, scientists hope to measure the contents of the tail. They will be able to measure something which we know has existed, almost entirely unchanged, since the start of the solar system.

http://www.designntrend.com/articles/9349/20131127/mysterious-comet-ison-screaming-past-sun-where-watch-thanksgiving-toast.htm


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 28, 2013, 05:41:33 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25143861
11/28/13
Comet Ison destroyed in Sun passage

Comet Ison was severely battered in its encounter with the Sun, and largely destroyed.

Telescopes saw the giant ball of ice and dust disappear behind the star, but only a dull streamer emerge.

Astronomers continued to search for the object, but it eventually became clear that the much vaunted "Comet of the Century" had gone out with a whimper.

Despite its great size, Ison was probably torn apart in the immense heat and tidal forces so close to the Sun.

The European Space Agency's experts on the Soho Sun-watching satellite called the death of the comet at about 21:30 GMT.

"Our Soho scientists have confirmed, Comet Ison is gone," Esa's twitter feed announced.

Ison had captivated skywatchers with its promise ever since it was discovery by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in 2012.

A "fresh", 2km-wide object flung in towards the inner Solar System from its home far beyond the outer planet Neptune, it was hoped it might produce a brilliant tail that would arc across the night sky, perhaps for weeks.

And, as it got closer and closer to the Sun, its ices did indeed begin to vaporise, releasing dust that shimmered in a distinctive trailing stream.

But from early on, it was clear Ison was unlikely to be spectacular; it was just not brightening in the way experienced comet watchers had anticipated.

This led scientists to fear for its survival when it eventually grazed past the star at a distance of just 1.2 million km at 18:35 GMT on Thursday.

Soho followed Ison as it began its sweep around the back of the Sun, but then failed to pick up a coherent object at the time it was supposed to re-emerge. A streak in the imagery was interpreted as the last fizzling of debris.

Other telescopes such as Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory could detect no clear sign of the comet's nucleus, either.

Passing close to the Sun, Ison would have been subjected to temperatures over 2,000C. And the immense gravity of the star would also have pulled and squeezed on the object as it tumbled end over end.

All the evidence suggests Ison's nucleus was torn apart in the close pass, in the same way that Comet Lovejoy - a previous hopeful in 2011 - was disrupted.

Comets will stay in the news, however. Next year, in October, Comet Siding Spring will breeze past Mars at a distance of little more than 100,000km. And then in November, the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission will attempt to place a probe on the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 28, 2013, 07:14:29 pm
http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2013/11/hot-news-nasa-ison-exploded-nasa-image-exposed-nucleus-c2012s1-video-2470674.html

SAY NO, IT ISNT SO!! Comet ison Exploded, NASA image, EXPOSED nucleus, c2012s1

ACCORDING TO NASA ISON HAS EXPLODED. I REPEAT, ACCORDING TO NASA. (Take it for what it’s worth) I don’t want to believe it…


Published on Nov 27, 2013

COMET ISON EXPLODED, EXPOSED: Comet ISON Up Close: NASA comet ISON image has been adjusted using various light reducers. Inside comet ISONs coma, comet ison nucleus.
You can watch a video about Comet ISON’s current brightness here on djorbitek YouTube Channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPZ1dIkwywM

NOW WHAT? Will we be pelted with meteorites? What happens now? ISON is 1.1 million kilometers above the sun’s surface on Nov. 28 but with the latest public-announcement-video there lays some confusion with, whether comet ISON will hit the Sun or the Earth.

The question on everyone’s mind is how it will respond.

SEE LATEST UPDATE ON ISON AT:

/space/2013/11/phew-ison-looking-strong-isonsolar-watch-update-video-2470688.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 28, 2013, 07:19:22 pm
http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2013/11/comet-ison-survives-emerges-intact-alive-2470770.html
11/28/13
Comet ISON Survives & Emerges Intact? BPEarthwatch

Comet ISON has apparently emerged from behind the sun intact as shown in this just released video if BPEarthwatch is correct. The screenshot below from the Heleoviewer appears to show an intact ISON as well. Is ISON intact or has it disintegrated as NASA has said? If still alive, what will the next stage of Comet ISON’s journey bring us as it boomerangs back towards the planet Earth? There is also a new and longer 2nd video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFejUqJfWqQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gfl9Gi3pxI

(http://beforeitsnews.com/contributor/upload/5385/images/Screenshot%20from%202013-11-28%2016_18_31.jpg)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 29, 2013, 11:34:45 am
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/did-comet-ison-survive-scientists-see-tiny-hope/2013/11/29/45c3d852-58d9-11e3-bdbf-097ab2a3dc2b_story.html
Did Comet ISON survive? Scientists see tiny hope
11/29/13

STOCKHOLM — A comet that gained an earthly following because of its bright tail visible from space was initially declared dead after essentially grazing the sun. Now, there is a silver of hope that Comet ISON may have survived.

New images, basically faint smudges on a screen, being analyzed Friday showed a streak of light moving away from the sun that some said could indicate it wasn’t game over just yet.

“It certainly appears as if there is an object there that is emitting material,” said Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Basically a dirty snowball from the fringes of the solar system, scientists had pronounced Comet ISON dead when it came within 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) of the sun Thursday.

Some sky gazers speculated early on that it might become the comet of the century because of its brightness, although expectations dimmed over time. But it wouldn’t be all bad news if the 4.5-billion-year-old space rock broke up into pieces, because some scientists say they might be able to study them and learn more about comets.

The European Space Agency, which had declared ISON’s death on Twitter late Thursday, was backtracking early Friday, saying the comet “continues to surprise.”

Comet ISON was first spotted by a Russian telescope in September last year, and became something of celestial flash in the pan this week for its vivid tail — visible by the naked eye — and compelling backstory of impending doom.

The comet was two-thirds of a mile wide as it got within 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) of the sun, which in space terms basically means grazing it.

NASA solar physicist Alex Young said Thursday the comet had been expected to show up in images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft at around noon eastern time (1700 GMT), but almost four hours later there was “no sign of it whatsoever.”

Images from other spacecraft showed a light streak continuing past the sun, but Young said that was most likely a trail of dust continuing in the comet’s trajectory.

However, instead of fading, that trail appeared to get brighter Friday, suggesting that “at least some small fraction of ISON has remained in one piece,” U.S. Navy solar researcher Karl Battams wrote on his blog. He cautioned that even if there is a solid nucleus, it may not survive for long.

Two years ago, a smaller comet, Lovejoy, grazed the sun and survived, but fell apart a couple of days later.

“This is what makes science interesting,” said Fitzsimmons, who specializes in comets and asteroids. “If we knew what was going to happen, it wouldn’t be interesting.”

ISON’s slingshot toward the sun left astronomers puzzled and excited at the same time.

Made up of loosely packed ice and dirt, the space rock came from the Oort cloud, an area of comets and debris on the fringes of the solar system.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 29, 2013, 08:35:48 pm
http://spaceweather.com/

COMET ISON LIVES (UPDATED):  Cancel the funeral. Comet ISON is back from the dead. Yesterday, Nov. 28th, Comet ISON flew through the sun's atmosphere and appeared to disintegrate before the cameras of several NASA and ESA spacecraft. This prompted reports of the comet's demise. Today, the comet has revived and is rapidly brightening. Click to view a SOHO coronagraph movie of the solar flyby (updated Nov. 29 @ 1800 UT):

Before the flyby, experts had made many predictions about what might happen to the comet, ranging from utter disintegration to glorious survival. No one predicted both.

Karl Battams of NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign says, "[colleague] Matthew Knight and I are ripping our hair out right now as we know that so many people in the public, the media and in science teams want to know what's happened. We'd love to know that too! Right now, here's our working hypothesis:

"As comet ISON plunged towards to the Sun, it began to fall apart, losing not giant fragments but at least a lot of reasonably sized chunks. There's evidence of very large dust in the long thin tail we saw in the [SOHO coronagraph] images. Then, as ISON plunged through the corona, it continued to fall apart and vaporize, losing its coma and tail completely just like sungrazing Comet Lovejoy did in 2011. What emerged from the Sun was a small but perhaps somewhat coherent nucleus that has resumed emitting dust and gas for at least the time being."

Battams emphasizes that it is too soon to tell how big the remnant nucleus is or how bright the resurgent comet will ultimately become. "We have a whole new set of unknowns, and this ridiculous, crazy, dynamic and unpredictable object continues to amaze, astound and confuse us to no end. We ask that you please be patient with us for a couple of days as we analyze the data and try to work out what is happening."

Astrophotographer Babak Tafreshi has edited an HD video that compares views of ISON from both of SOHO's coronagraphs. "It seems the comet could become a naked eye object with several degrees of scattered tail by Dec 2nd or 3rd," he predicts. "It's not the comet of the century for sure, and fainter than the Lovejoy sungrazer in Dec. 2011, but an interesting imaging target is just a few nights away!" 


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Boldhunter on November 30, 2013, 12:23:02 am
Not saying this has 100% credence - but it is food for thought in light of debris... and unknown nucleus...interesting path projection graphics around 1-18-14

http://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-ison-debris-tail-and-fema-3-region.html?m=1

Revelation 8:5-11 KJV

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on December 20, 2013, 06:40:26 am
Sun Will ‘Flip Upside Down’ Within Weeks, Say Scientists

The sun is set to “flip upside down” within weeks as its magnetic field reverses polarity in an event that will send ripple effects throughout the solar system. Although it may sound like a catastrophic occurrence, there’s no need to run for cover. The sun switches its polarity, flipping its magnetic north and south, once every eleven years through an internal mechanism about which little is understood. The swap could however cause intergalactic weather fronts such as geomagnetic storms, which can interfere with satellites and cause radio blackouts. The impact of the transfer will be widespread as the sun’s magnetic field exerts influence well beyond Pluto, past Nasa’s Voyager probes positioned near the edge of interstellar space.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11173939&ref=rss


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on December 29, 2013, 05:18:38 am
Huge Fireball Over Iowa Likely Meteor

A very huge fireball in the Iowa skies awed and amazed several witnesses in Des Moines and across the U.S. Midwest. There were hundreds of reports received by the American Meteor Society (AMS), of a bright ball of fire streaking across the night sky. Experts agree that is very likely a meteor entering and burning up in our atmosphere.   

http://guardianlv.com/2013/12/huge-fireball-over-iowa-likely-meteor/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on December 30, 2013, 07:42:43 pm
Video: The Mystery Fireball in the Sky

Sun, Dec 29, 2013 1:39 
ABC News Videos
 
More than 1,200 people in at least six states witness fireball in the sky.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/mystery-fireball-sky-011803911.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on January 07, 2014, 08:32:49 pm
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/sunspot-goes-wild-x-class-solar-flare-blasts-our-direction-2D11875714
Sunspot goes wild! X-class solar flare blasts in our direction
1/7/14

The sun erupted with a powerful solar flare on Tuesday, disrupting radio traffic and sending a blast of electrically charged particles our way. And there may be more blasts to come.

The X1.2-class flare was recorded by sun-observing satellites, including NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, at about 2:32 p.m. ET. X-class flares are the strongest category of solar outbursts, although X1.2 is toward the category's low end. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said the flare sparked a strong radio blackout.

For days, space weather forecasters have been bracing themselves for solar eruptions from a large active sunspot region called AR1944. This region has now turned to face Earth directly, which means strong solar flares are likely to send storms of charged particles — also known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs — heading straight for us.

Strong solar storms can damage satellites and electrical grids. One such outburst in 1989 knocked out power for a wide swath of Quebec. And don't get us started about the superstorm of 1859!

The geomagnetic storm generated by Tuesday's flare won't be that disruptive, but it could have an impact. NASA expects the CME to sweep over us somewhere around 3 p.m. ET Wednesday. The current space weather report says there's a chance we'll see more X-class flares through Friday.

Although space storms can be damaging, they can be beautiful as well: Be on the watch for enhanced northern lights over the next couple of nights. To get the auroral forecast for your area, check out the maps at SpaceWeatherLive.com. And for cool views of the aurora, keep an eye on SpaceWeather.com.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on February 01, 2014, 08:37:29 pm
The North Star Polaris Is Getting Brighter

After dimming for the last few decades, the North Star is beginning to shine brightly again. And over the last two centuries, the brightening has become rather dramatic. "It was unexpected to find," Scott Engle of Villanova University in Pennsylvania told SPACE.com. Engle investigated the fluctuations of the star over the course of several years, combing through historical records and even turning the gaze of the famed Hubble Space Telescope onto the star.   

http://www.space.com/24439-north-star-polaris-getting-brighter.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on February 11, 2014, 05:59:22 am
EMERGING SUNSPOTS

Over the weekend, active sunspots AR1967 and AR1968 rotated off the solar disk. However, the chance of flares has not decreased very much. Three new active regions have popped up to take their place. 

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on February 19, 2014, 08:10:39 am
GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS

A minor geomagnetic storm is in progress on Feb. 18-19. The cause: Magnetic fields in the interplanetary medium have tipped south, opening a crack in Earth's defenses against the solar wind. 

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 19, 2014, 03:51:50 pm
We ain't seen nothin' yet!


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 25, 2014, 04:54:50 pm
Yesterday’s Mammoth Solar Flare Is The Biggest Of 2014 So Far
2/25/14

She’s a rainbow! You can see the first moments of a huge flare belching off the sun in the picture above. The so-called X-class flare erupted a few hours ago (at 7:25 p.m. EST Feb. 24, or 12:25 a.m. UTC Feb. 25) and was captured by several spacecraft. If you have a pictures of the sun yourself to share, feel free to post them in the Universe Today Flickr pool.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory saw the flare growing in at least six different wavelengths of light, which are visible in the image above. This is classified this as an X4.9-class flare, which shows that it is pretty strong. X-flares are the most powerful kind that the sun emits, and each X number is supposed to be twice as intense as the previous one (so an X-2 flare is twice as powerful as X-1, for example).

SpaceWeather.com says this is the most powerful flare of the year so far, emitted from sunspot AR1967 (or more properly speaking, AR1990; sunspots are renamed if they survive a full rotation of the sun, as this one has done twice already!) While solar flares can lead to auroras, in this case it appears the blast was pointed in the wrong direction, the site added.

“Although this flare is impressive, its effects are mitigated by the location of the blast site–near the sun’s southeastern limb, and not facing Earth,” SpaceWeather stated. “Indeed, a bright coronal mass ejection (CME) which raced away from the sun shortly after the flare appears set to miss our planet.”


Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/109727/yesterdays-mammoth-solar-flare-is-the-biggest-of-2014-yet/#ixzz2uI5STFJi


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on March 25, 2014, 07:48:13 am
GLANCING-BLOW CME, INCOMING

A CME launched from sunspot AR2014 on March 23rd is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on March 25th. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30%-40% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on March 25-26.   

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on April 25, 2014, 03:44:59 pm
Powerful X1.3 Solar Flare Causes Radio Blackout

The Sun unfurled a powerful X-class solar flare early Friday, triggering a brief radio blackout on the daylight side of the Earth.

Lasting nearly two hours, the X1.3-class flare came from departing sunspot AR2016, reaching its peak intensity at 00:27 UT, or 8:27 p.m. EDT on April 24.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Humans on Earth are protected from solar flares by the atmosphere, but when strong enough, solar flares can disrupt the layer of the atmosphere where GPS and communications signals travel, NASA said in a statement released Friday in response to the flare.

Solar flares can also trigger coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which are massive bursts of solar wind and magnetic fields. Friday's solar flare did trigger a CME, but it is not directed towards Earth, leaving possibilities of a geomagnetic storm - leading to intensified aurora borealis - low.

There are several classes of solar flares, but M-class and X-class are most noteworthy because they can cause geomagnetic storms on Earth. M-class flares are the weakest type of solar flare that can cause some space weather effects near Earth, while X-class flares are the most powerful class of solar flare.

The numbers following a solar flare's letter class provide more information about the flare's strength. An X2 flare, for instance, is twice as strong as an X1.

SpaceWeather.com has uploaded some videos of Friday solar flare which reveal the intensity of the event.

The largest solar flare released this year was an X4.9 which occurred on Feb. 25, surpassing all X-class flares in recent memory. The largest solar flare of 2013 was rated X3.3.

The strongest solar flare in this 11-year solar cycle, which started in February 2011, was an X6.9 that occurred in August 2011.

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/6759/20140425/powerful-x1-3-solar-flare-causes-radio-blackout.htm


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on April 29, 2014, 12:23:10 pm
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/solar-eclipse-set-to-cast-its-shadow-20140429-zr155.html
4/29/14
Solar eclipse set to cast its shadow

Australian star-gazers will be treated to a rare celestial spectacle from late Tuesday afternoon, as an annular solar eclipse casts its shadow across the land down under.

Perth will be the first to welcome what will be seen here as a partial eclipse at 1.17pm, followed by Adelaide (3.25pm), Hobart (3.51pm), Melbourne (3.58pm), Canberra (4.08pm), Sydney (4.14pm) and Darwin (4.21pm).

But it is Australia's southern-most state that will get the best view of the annular eclipse, which occurs when the sun is obscured by the moon, creating a "ring of fire" effect. With 72 per cent of the sun covered, Tasmanians will experience the closest to a full eclipse, Dr Brad Tucker from the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra said.

And although Australia will be one of the few places in the world where the eclipse is visible, Aussies won't quite have the box seat.

"The only place you'll be able to get a good annular solar eclipse will be in Antarctica," Monash University ARC Future Fellow Dr Michael Brown told Fairfax Media.

"To get that ring of fire, you need to have everything nicely lined up - the moon, Earth and the sun."

Dr Brown said that "it all depends where on Earth you are at the time".

"The reason we only see a partial eclipse is that we're not perfectly lined up in the centre of it - it's all to do with angles on Earth."

"In this case, the penguins in northern Antarctica will get the best view," he said.

In Australia, Melburnians are set to experience the next best view after Tasmania, unless the forecast rain and cloud interferes.

And although it may be difficult to resist, star-gazers around Australia should make do with pin-hole cameras, "tree shadows" or TV images, or risk burning their eyes, experts have warned.

President of the Astronomical Society of Australia and Associate Professor at the Australian Astronomical Observatory, Michael Hopkins, said star enthusiasts should "absolutely never look directly at the sun" without specialised equipment.

"You can only view the eclipse through special eclipse glasses or a solar filter, such as a piece of polarised glass that limits the amount of light transmitted from the sun."

Dr Brown said using a pinhole camera - where a large piece of cardboard is pierced by a needle or a nail in the centre, allowing the light to pass through the hole and onto a flat surface, such as a wall, projecting a safe image of the sun  -  was a safe alternative for amateur star gazers.

Similarily, looking at the shadows created by leafy trees would also project an image of the eclipse.

Dr Brown said Australia's next full solar eclipse was due in 2028, in Sydney.

"Sydney has the good fortune to have a total solar eclipse coming," he said.

"It is actually quite rare to be able to view a total eclipse from a major city since you need the city, moon and sun to be almost perfectly lined up."

Tuesday's solar eclipse will be the second major celestial event to grace the Earth this year. Two weeks ago, the moon entered a full lunar eclipse, turning a reddish orange as it passed through Earth's shadow.

The spectacular lunar eclipse on April 15 was the result of the sun, moon and Earth aligning, causing Earth's shadow to fall on the moon.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Kilika on April 29, 2014, 01:31:11 pm
Quote
"In this case, the penguins in northern Antarctica will get the best view," he said.

I'm sure they are thrilled!  ;D


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on May 06, 2014, 06:54:22 am
Fireball over NY and Canada



People across Western New York and Ontario Canada reported seeing an extremely bright daylight fireball.

Several people caught images of the bright object appearing to explode on dashboard cameras in their cars.

It happened Sunday at about 4:16 p.m. and people said the object had a brightness rivaling the sun.

The American Meteor Society is investigating the incident.

People also reported hearing a loud boom. No impact zone has been located so its unclear if any part of the object made it all the way down to the Earth's surface.

This incident came a day before the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. NASA says the annual springtime event happens as the earth passes through the debris trail from Halley’s Comet.  It takes place May 5 and 6th.

Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/story/25433224/fireball-over-ny-and-canada#ixzz30w4jslnw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aHlY56OQUBk




Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on June 12, 2014, 05:24:22 am
Solar Flares Disrupt Communications on Earth...
Could Send Shockwave on Friday the 13th...
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2014/06/solar-flares-disrupt-communications-on-earth-could-send-shockwave-on-friday-the-13th/

Intense...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-captures-powerful-xclass-solar-flares-emitted-by-the-sun-9528885.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on September 11, 2014, 08:39:19 pm
"Extreme" solar storm streaking towards Earth, scientists say

An extreme solar flare is blasting its way to Earth and could mess up some power grids, satellites and radio transmissions, scientists say. It's been several years since Earth has had a solar storm of this size coming from sunspots smack in the middle of the sun, said Tom Berger, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.   

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/extreme-solar-storm-streaking-towards-earth-scientists-say/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 13, 2014, 03:19:42 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/strong-solar-flares-week-rare-double-whammy-scientists-150003499.html
Strong Solar Flares This Week a Rare Double Whammy, Scientists Say
9/12/14

Two powerful solar storms arriving at Earth today have captured the public's attention for their potential to spark amazing auroras, but scientists say there's another reason to watch. The solar double whammy is actually somewhat rare.

The particles from the two flares could interact as they head toward Earth, and researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said they are monitoring the situation.

The sun unleashed a medium-sized flare on Monday (Sept. 8) followed by a second, larger flare, called an Earth-directed X-class flare, on Wednesday (Sept. 10). Both are from the same active sunspot region (Active Region 2158) and are directed at Earth, said Thomas Berger, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center, during a news conference yesterday (Sept. 11).

Solar flares are powerful eruptions of radiation. Large flares can produce coronal mass ejections (CMEs), waves of solar plasma and charged particles that can travel millions of miles an hour through space. Last night, as expected, the first of the CMEs made its appearance and is expected to cause geomagnetic storming, reaching moderate levels, this morning, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. [Sun Storm: See Images of the Amazing Solar Flares]

The magnitude of the new CMEs, however, isn't that unusual, Berger said. Typically, the sun launches between 100 and 200 CMEs of this size during a solar cycle, a time encompassing about 11 Earth years, he said.

"The unique thing about this event is that we've had two in close succession, and the CMEs could possibly be interacting on their way to Earth, at the Earth's orbit or beyond perhaps — we don't know that yet," Berger said.

In past solar cycles, it was not unusual to have two solar eruptions aimed at Earth at the same time. William Murtagh, a program coordinator at the Space Weather Prediction Center, told Live Science in an email.

"But we have seen very few such occurrences during this cycle," Murtagh said. "It is generally recognized that a worst-case scenario geomagnetic storm would involve two or more CMEs in succession, prolonging a geomagnetic [storm] over several days."

What's more, the second CME is moving at a faster speed and catching up to the first one.

"Currently our models show that it is not going to catch up to and interact with that CME, the first CME, when it's at the Earth's orbit," Berger said. But, he added, "the models are not exact and the inputs are not exact. So we're keeping a close watch on whether this storm is stronger than might be expected because of this possibility of interaction."

The two CMEs may lead to geomagnetic storms hitting Earth and could cause problems with radio and GPS signals, Berger said.

"It's fairly rare for two CMEs of this magnitude to come in close succession like this," he said. "Because of this we cannot rule out higher storm levels," particularly in polar regions where interactions with the Earth's magnetic field are strongest.

The International Space Station will measure the CMEs as they pass by, giving scientists on Earth a 30- to 45-minute head start to prepare for the CMEs. But, on the upside, the solar event is expected to produce an array of beautiful northern lights, visible to people living in the northern United States, said William Murtagh, a program coordinator at the Space Weather Prediction Center. 

Whatever the CMEs' effects, the Space Weather Prediction Center said it would be following them closely.

"We're keeping a close eye on these events," Berger said.

The geomagnetic storming from these events is expected to continue through Sunday (Sept. 14), according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 26, 2014, 12:26:38 am
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/25/fireballs-sky-east-us_n_5882472.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
9/25/14
Four Fireballs Spotted In Sky Along U.S. East Coast, Midwest

Not one, not two, and not even three -- but four fantastic fireball events were reported Tuesday along the East Coast and in the Midwest, the American Meteor Society said.

The bright fireballs all came within a 90-minute timespan, according to the society. Multiple fireball events in a single evening are considered rare.

The abundance of fireballs caught the attention of the twitterverse. "Is it possible that these [four] events are related to a recent (but very small) fragmentation event from a parent body," Twitter user Kevin Heider asked the American Meteor Society in a tweet Wednesday.

Actually, the society said evidence suggests that the fireballs were unrelated.

No matter what, the fireballs put on a spectacular show--just check out the photo below:


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 24, 2014, 09:50:09 am
Solar flares from 80000-mile wide sunspot threatens Earth

A monster sunspot big enough it can be easily seen by a properly shielded naked eye, is brewing what strong solar storms.

Sunspots are active regions in the solar surface that look like dark spots. They are caused by intense magnetic activity and can cause flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which are known to threaten power and communication systems when directed to the Earth.

The sunspot known as AR 12192 appeared on the sun's eastern side on Oct. 17 and since then was predicted to be enormous. Over the past few days, it has grown bigger and is now almost 80,000 miles across, or about the size of planet Jupiter, the kind that has not been seen for a long time. The AR 12192 is so far the largest of the current 11-year solar cycle that started six years ago in January 2008.

The monster sunspot, which is currently being monitored by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), has already spewed X-class flares one on Oct. 19 and the other on Oct. 22 causing high frequency radio blackouts. X-class flares are categorized as the most powerful of solar flares and they are associated with solar radiation storms particularly if they come with CMEs.

AR 12192 has not directed CMEs to the Earth's direction so far but it has already produced several flares include two X-class flares, eight M-class flares, which are of medium strength, and 27 less powerful C-class flares. The X1.6 flare it spewed on Wednesday, created a very bright eruption in the lower corona of the sun, which was captured by the SDO.

"So far, this active region - labeled AR 12192 - has produced several significant solar flares," NASA said. "Active regions are more common at the moment as we are in what's called solar maximum, which is the peak of the sun's activity, occurring approximately every 11 years."

Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted on Friday of more solar flares with 95 percent probability that the sun will spawn M-class flares and 55 percent odds of X-flares within the next 24 hours.

"So far none of the CMEs associated with these events are expected to be geoeffective, however, forecasters will keep an eye out for both CME activity and solar radiation storm possibility as the region approaches center disk," NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said in a statement.

The largest sunspot recorded was spotted in 1947 and this was nearly three times as big as the AR 12192.

Read more: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/18620/20141024/solar-flares-from-80-000-mile-wide-sunspot-threatens-earth.htm#ixzz3H4eq99JU


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 24, 2014, 02:42:07 pm
Solar Storm 14 Times Larger Than Earth Could Unleash A Society-Crippling Electromagnetic Pulse

Did you know that a storm 14 times larger than the Earth is happening on the sun right now?  Earlier this week, it unleashed a flare which was a million times more powerful than all of the nuclear weapons in existence combined.  Fortunately, that flare was not directed at us.  But now the area of the sun where this solar storm is located is rotating toward Earth.  An eruption on the sun at just the right time and at just the right angle could result in a society-crippling electromagnetic pulse blasting this planet.  So if your computers, cell phones and electronic equipment get fried at some point over the next few weeks, you will know what is probably to blame.  Such an electromagnetic pulse has hit our planet before, and as you will read about below, some very prominent voices are warning that it will happen again.  It is just a matter of time.

Scientists tell us that the absolutely massive sunspot group that has recently formed on the sun is highly unusual.  NASA has described it as “crackling” with magnetic energy.  The mainstream media has not been paying too much attention to it, but this sunspot group is potentially extremely dangerous.

The following is an excerpt from an article on Discovery.com that gives some of the technical details about what has been going on…

    The sunspot, a dark patch in the sun’s photosphere, represents intense solar magnetism bursting from the sun’s interior known as an active region. This particular active region, designated AR2192, has been rumbling with intense flare activity, recently exploding with 2 X-class flares, causing some short-lived high-frequency (HF) radio black outs around the globe.

    Such blackouts are triggered by the intense extreme ultraviolet and X-ray radiation that solar flares can generate, causing ionization effects in the Earth’s upper atmosphere — a region known as the ionosphere. HF radio can be strongly hindered by this activity, triggering blackouts that can effect air traffic and amateur radio operators.

The other day a flare erupted which did cause radio blackouts all over the world for a time.  But we were fortunate that the flare was not directed at us.  If it had been, the results could have potentially been catastrophic.

We have not seen anything like this sunspot group for a very long time, and according to a report posted by the Daily Mail, experts are saying that we might not see another one like this for 25 years…

    Space Weather Prediction Center forecaster Christopher Balch, meanwhile, said the flare affected radio that uses part of the upper atmosphere. That includes some but not all radar and plane systems as well as amateur radio.

    Mr Balch said the storm briefly was rated as strong for affecting Earth radio systems but then dropped to minor levels.

    The event followed months of near-silent activity on the sun before the huge flare erupted from a sunspot 14 times bigger than Earth.

    A spokesperson for the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre told MailOnline it may be the biggest sunspot for 25 years.

Unfortunately, there are no signs that this sunspot group is fading.

In fact, an official at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said that “it continues to grow in size and complexity“.

Below, I have posted a video which shows some of the recent activity on the sun.  As you can see, these explosions can be quite violent…

rest: http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/solar-storm-14-times-larger-than-earth-could-unleash-a-society-crippling-electromagnetic-pulse


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on October 28, 2014, 06:43:02 am
ANOTHER STRONG FLARE AND RADIO BLACKOUT

Super-sunspot AR2192 produced another strong flare on Oct. 27th. The X2-category blast ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere and caused a strong HF radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean basin as well in South America and western Africa. AR2192 is the biggest sunspot in nearly 25 years, and it is still growing.   

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 04, 2014, 08:41:11 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/fireball-sky-us-chicago-nc-japan-video-185314944.html
Fireball spotted in skies from Chicago to Japan
11/4/14

Hundreds of people from Chicago to Japan reported seeing a fireball streaking across the sky on Monday night.

According to researchers at the American Meteor Society, which tracks these larger-than-normal meteors, there were nearly 400 reports of a fireball in more than a dozen states, including Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee and Illinois.

Steve Sobel captured footage of a streaking light over Chicago, where there were at least nine reports from eyewitnesses of the mysterious object.

"I looked up, and I just saw this bright light that looked kind of like a comet or something," Sobel told WGN-TV. "With the naked eye you could see fragments coming off the back of it, like it was something burning up."

In North Carolina, residents of Greensboro, High Point, Asheville, Fayetteville and Raleigh reported seeing a fireball around 6:20 p.m., about an hour before Sobel's sighting.

According to one witness near Charlotte, the sighting caused some drivers to "slam on their brakes."

Meanwhile in western Japan, there were multiple sightings of "a sparkling light racing across the sky," the BBC reports. One was captured on video at Fukuoka Airport.

It's not clear if the sightings across the U.S. and Japan were of the same object, though it's not likely.

Mike Hankey, operations manager for the American Meteor Society, told the Chicago Tribune that while the object on the East Coast "was definitely a fireball," the one in Chicago's sky "was most likely manmade" — possibly "a flare from a boat on Lake Michigan."


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on December 15, 2014, 07:00:08 am
INCREASING CHANCE OF FLARES: NOAA forecasters have raised the odds of an M-class solar flare today to 55%. This is in response to the emergence of several new sunspots, especially fast-growing AR2242, which has an unstable 'beta-gamma' magnetic field. Solar flare alerts: text, voice

WEEKEND METEOR SHOWER: Over the weekend, Dec. 13th and 14th, Earth passed through a stream of debris from "rock comet" 3200 Phaethon. This triggered a spectacular display of Geminid meteors. In the USA, NASA's network of all-sky cameras detected more than 200 fireballs--numbers that were matched or exceeded in other parts of the world. Meteor rates became so high in Iran that Amir H. Abolfath was able to photograph three Geminids at the same time:

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on January 04, 2015, 06:38:54 am
Mystery at the sun's south pole: Nasa reveals huge 'coronal hole' on the solar surface where winds reach 500 miles per SECOND

    Coronal holes are regions of the corona where the magnetic field reaches out into space
    Particles moving along those magnetic fields can leave the sun rather than being trapped near the surface
    Polar coronal hole can remain visible for five years or longer, although constantly changes shape



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2894840/Mystery-sun-s-south-pole-Nasa-reveals-huge-coronal-hole-solar-surface-winds-jet-500-miles-SECOND.html#ixzz3Nr7ok6js


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on January 04, 2015, 06:51:29 am
Scores of GIANT asteroids on course to hurtle past Earth within the month, NASA reveals
SCORES of giant asteroids are on course to hurtle close to Earth before the end of February, according to latest NASA space data.


Some are more than 1km wide and threaten devastating consequences if they were to strike our planet.

Of almost 70 asteroids on the radar most are around 100 metres wide, the size of a double decker bus, and would be capable of causing significant damage.

Experts warn if one of these monsters, some of which travel at up to 70,000 miles an hour, were to hit Earth it could “alter life as we know it”.

Plumes of debris thrown into the atmosphere would change the climate making the planet inhabitable for all life including humans.

An impact would still be catastrophic destroying cities and knocking out transport and communication networks.

According to NASA’s Near Earth Object Programme, there are 68 ‘close approaches’ forecast before the end of next month

The next, due on January 3, is the 490-metre wide 2005 YQ96 asteroid  currently hurtling through space at more than 30,000 miles per hour.

The biggest to skim the planet will be the mile-wide 2007 EJ asteroid due to throttle past on January 12th at 34,500 miles per hour.

Experts say although it is unlikely any of these will hit the Earth, there is always a chance they may veer off course or explode showering the planet with debris.

Bill Napier, professor of astronomy at the University of Buckinghamshire, said: “If you are talking about a real major impact you are looking at one every few centuries, these are the real show stoppers and in history have sometimes been described as fire from the heavens.

“However the smaller collisions happen more frequently, asteroids of 2km (1.2 miles) can cause a global catastrophe which would exterminate around two thirds of the human race, mainly due to the heat produced.

“There is also the hazard brought by comets, and these occur on much shorter timescales.

“It the Earth passes through the tail of a comet it will generate a massive plume of smoke, and this could be a civilization-stopper.”

The warnings come after scientists from around the world converged at the end of last year  to raise the alarm that there are around one million undetected asteroids currently flying through space.

They said without better technology and means of deflection one could hit the Earth and trigger a disaster similar to the collision which killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Launching Asteroid Day, designated the 30th of June, co-founder of the initiative Grigorij Richters said: “There are thousands of asteroids that we know nothing about, we take this threat very seriously.

“It just takes one asteroid to completely destroy life, not just humanity, but all species.

“Asteroid Day is all about raising awareness, understanding there’s a threat and dealing with it.

Scientists reckon of all the asteroids blasting through space and capable of wiping out our planet they are aware of just one per cent of them.

Space expert Bill Nye, who has backed the project, said if the Tunguska asteroid which hit Siberia on June 30, 1908 had arrived just hours later it would have “changed the path of civilisation”.

He said: “If the event had taken place 6.5 hours later Berlin would have been in the object’s path and that would have changed the path of civilisation.

“Our challenge is to find these things but it is looking like a piece of charcoal in the dark.

“We have technology to deflect asteroids using lasers, this is the real deal, perhaps the reason we haven’t heard from other civilisations in space is because they didn’t pass the asteroid test.

“Dinosaurs were almost certainly killed off by an asteroid.”

NASA said it is aware of 1,552 “potentially hazardous” asteroids (PHAs) in outer space which show an orbit dangerously close to swiping Earth.

A spokesman said: “Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid's potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth.

“This ‘potential’ to make close Earth approaches does not mean a PHA will impact the Earth.

“It only means there is a possibility for such a threat.

“By monitoring these PHAs and updating their orbits as new observations become available, we can better predict the close-approach statistics and thus their Earth-impact threat.”

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/549722/Giant-asteroids-close-Earth-month-February-Nasa?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-news-showbiz+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+News+%2F+Showbiz+Feed%29


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on February 11, 2015, 10:46:12 am
SUPER SOLAR FILAMENT: It is, arguably, the second biggest thing in the solar system. A filament of magnetism almost 1,000,000 km long is stretching across the face of the sun. Only the sun itself is bigger. Yesterday in the Canary Islands, Frank A. Rodriguez used a Lunt Solar Telescope to photograph the super structure:

(http://www.spaceweather.com/images2015/11feb15/filament_strip.jpg)

This is a solar filament, a tendril of plasma held suspended above the surface of the sun by magnetic forces. Filaments appear on the sun all the time, but this one is unusually large, 5 to 10 times longer than ordinary filaments. If it becomes unstable and erupts, it could hurl parts of itself into space. Pieces of the filament falling back to the solar surface would explode upon impact, sparking a Hyder flare.

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 20, 2015, 04:55:57 pm
https://gma.yahoo.com/500-pound-fireball-illuminates-pennsylvania-ohio-york-pre-212628147--abc-news-lifestyle.html
500-Pound Fireball Illuminates Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York Pre-Dawn Skies
2/19/15

A 500-pound fireball meteor going 45,000 miles per hour caught by NASA Meteor Watch cameras, illuminated skies above Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York early Tuesday.

The dense space rock, which was actually only about 2 feet in diameter, flare brighter than the full moon, NASA Meteor Watch wrote on Facebook.

The American Meteor Society received 96 reports of sightings of the meteor from eyewitnesses.

A security camera in Robinson, Pennsylvania, caught the burning space rock lighting up the sky, and video from it was uploaded to YouTube by user Ron Shawley.

The event took place at around 4:50 a.m., NASA said.

"It lit up the sky (and all it the snow of course) bright blue," Pennsylvania resident Karen Rayner Bierbauer wrote on Facebook. "Very neat."

NASA Meteor Watch also released an animation showing the orbit of the fireball and the its perspective as it approached Earth. The celestial visitor came a "might long way" from an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the agency added.

Fragments known as meteorites could be scattered on the ground east of the Kittanin, Pennsylvania, where cameras lost track of the fireball, NASA Meteor Watch said.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 27, 2015, 10:08:49 am
http://news.yahoo.com/fireball-seen-night-sky-u-west-likely-chinese-015425253.html
Fireball seen in night sky in U.S. West was likely Chinese rocket
2/24/15

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - A fireball spotted streaking across the night sky late on Monday in the western United States was almost certainly the body of a rocket used by China in December to launch a satellite, an astronomer said Tuesday.

Residents in Rocky Mountain states such as Idaho, Utah and Montana reported seeing the rocket as it disintegrated in the atmosphere about 70 miles (113 km) above Earth, said Chris Anderson, manager of the Centennial Observatory at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.

An organization that studies orbital debris, or space junk, and attempts to pinpoint when and where objects will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere had earlier predicted that the rocket which began its descent last year after sending a Chinese satellite into orbit would likely be seen about 2 a.m. local time in northern Russia, Anderson said.

The rocket, which was orbiting Earth about every 87 minutes, made an early appearance elsewhere and in fiery fashion likely because its orientation may have changed as it tumbled through space in its final orbit, affecting the rate of speed, he said.

“It’s devilishly difficult to predict exactly when things will come down and where because it depends so much on the atmospheric drag and the orientation of the object as it plows through the air,” Anderson said.


NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassador Patrick Wiggins also told The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper he was "95 percent sure" the fiery sighting was of the re-entry of a Chinese rocket body used to launch the satellite Yaogan Weixing-26 in December.

Space junk like parts of rocket launchers and inactive satellites are a pressing problem for Earth’s orbit, according to the European Space Agency, which in 2013 called for the debris to be removed to avoid crashes that could cost satellite operators dearly and knock out mobile and GPS networks.

A finding by the agency at the time suggested the density of debris was likely to trigger an in-orbit collision every five years. The agency estimated roughly 29,000 objects larger than 4 inches (10 cm) were orbiting Earth at average speeds of 15,500 miles per hour (24,945 kph), or 40 times faster than airplanes travel.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on February 27, 2015, 10:39:27 am
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/outposts/post/hole-punch-cloud-appears-twice-two-days-b-c/
Hole punch cloud occurs twice in two days over B.C.
Cloud phenomenon stirs quite an online reaction; meteorologist explains


February 25, 2015

(http://cdn.grindtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Beth-Gibbard-monday-over-pentictn-her-fb-page.jpg)

A rare cloud phenomenon called a hole punch cloud or a fallstreak hole occurred twice in two days over the southern region of British Columbia, Canada, earlier this week, stirring quite a reaction on Global BC’s Facebook page—everything from “kinda creepy but beautiful” to “aliens for sure.”

The first hole punch cloud was seen Sunday morning over the Lower Mainland, the second on Monday morning over Vernon.

So what is a hole punch cloud? Global meteorologist Kristi Gordon explained:
Another explanation is provided by the Cloud Appreciation Society:

Few of us like to be the first to take the plunge. We hold back at the water’s edge, waiting for others to dive in. Clouds are much the same, as is demonstrated by the phenomenon of a ‘fallstreak hole.’

Layers of high cloud, such as cirrocumulus or the high altocumulus, shown above, are often composed of water that is much colder than 0degC but hasn’t frozen into ice crystals. When water is in the form of tiny droplets suspended in the air, it can behave rather differently from that in an ice tray in the freezer. It can stubbornly refuse to freeze, remaining as ‘supercooled’ liquid at temperatures of –10, –15, –20degC… None of the droplets want to be the first to freeze, and they tentatively wait as liquid, until some brave souls decide to make their move.

For reasons that are none too clear, a particular region of supercooled cloud can throw caution to the wind and decide to freeze into ice crystals that grow and fall below. A hole is left behind, and this spreads outwards as neighbouring droplets are swept up in the excitement and start freezing too.

No sooner have some droplets made the change, than they are all joining in. How appropriate, that the trail of falling crystals can look like a bird taking flight.

Several people wound up photographing the hole punch cloud and posting images on Twitter or Facebook, or on Global BC’s Facebook page. Here’s a sample:

(http://cdn.grindtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Scott-MalkoskeChlliwack-on-Global-BC-facebook.jpg)

It was unclear whether these were the same hole punch clouds or others. Either way, it’s a fascinating phenomenon.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on March 11, 2015, 11:56:35 am
http://mashable.com/2015/03/11/colorado-fireball/
3/11/15
Mysterious 'bright green' fireball spotted over Colorado

So it's true: The early bird gets the fireballs.

Coloradans who were up before the sun on Wednesday morning saw a "bright green" fireball soar across the sky before it burned out over the mountains.

SEE ALSO: The jawdropping footage only a dashcam could capture

More than 60 eyewitnesses filed sightings on the American Meteor Society's website.

Greg Moore, an analyst and contributor at Weather5280, told Mashable he was driving over the top of Vail pass, west of Denver, just before 6 a.m. local time when "a bright green fireball caught my eye."

The object had a "flaming tail with a long trail behind it," Moore said. "As it moved towards the far horizon it started to flame out, but even after the tail was gone a bright orange ball was still visible till it disappeared beyond the far mountain range."

"It was pretty incredible," he said.

Snapchat user Joel Jimenez sent Mashable video he caught from a Home Depot parking lot in Fort Collins.

Brian Paulson, a software engineer, caught the fireball on his car's dash cam while driving about 15 miles north of Pueblo, Colorado. A second man caught it on his dash cam from Denver.

Colorado resident Nate Hershey told Mashable he was getting his kids dressed on Wednesday morning and happened to look out the window when the object was streaking across the sky.

"The head was bright white, and it had a deep orange tail with what looked like sparks falling behind, moving very slowly for a meteor," he said.

"I had time to put my 1 year old down, grab my four year old, climb onto my bed and hold him up to the window for a few seconds before it faded," Hershey said. "At the end, the tail appeared to be an eerie green with a slight blue tint as it disappeared."

"I've seen a lot of meteors in my day but this must have been the most spectacular "I've seen a lot of meteors in my day but this must have been the most spectacular, lasting for what seemed like around 10 seconds," he said.

The fireball, which could have been a meteor, satellite debris or a warning shot from an alien warship, was first reported on Twitter.

Others reported seeing the fireball on 9News's Facebook page.

We've reached out to NASA to see what's up.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on March 12, 2015, 10:04:59 am
X2-FLARE AND RADIO BLACKOUT

All week long, sunspot AR2297 has been crackling with solar flares. Yesterday it produced a really big one. On March 11th at 16:22 UT (09:22 PDT), Earth orbiting-satellites detected an X2-class flare. The blast zone was larger than Earth tself:   

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Powerful solar flare measuring X2.1 erupts from Region 2297

A major solar flare measuring X2.1 (R3-Strong radio blackout) erupted from Region 2297 at 16:22 UTC on March 11, 2015. The event started at 16:11 and ended at 16:29 UTC. A Type II (estimated velocity 1 461 km/s) and IV radio emissions were associated with the event. Type IV emissions occur in association with major eruptions on the Sun and are typically associated with strong Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and solar radiation storms. 

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2015/03/11/powerful-solar-flare-measuring-x2-1-erupts-from-region-2297/


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on June 23, 2015, 05:49:39 am
Look out! Sun unleashes 'triple whammy' geomagnetic storm on Earth as forecasters prediction massive aurora and possible problems from severe storm TONIGHT

    Three separate solar storms have combined to smash into Earth
    Could cause strong auroras as far south as the Canadian/US border


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3135185/Look-Sun-unleashes-triple-whammy-geomagnetic-storm-Earth-forecasters-prediction-massive-aurora-possible-problems-severe-storm.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on June 30, 2015, 04:10:44 pm
http://rt.com/news/270613-jupiter-venus-merge-conjunction/
Venus & Jupiter to pair in spectacular 'Star of Bethlehem' conjunction
6/30/15

The two brightest planets Venus and Jupiter are to appear so close in the sky in the upcoming nights that they will be seen like a single super bright star, which some astronomy-lovers say resembles the biblical 'Star of Bethlehem'.

“Throughout the month of June 2015, the two brightest planets in the night sky, Venus and Jupiter, are going to converge for a close jaw-dropping encounter,” said NASA in a news release.

During the whole month the planets were drawing closer to each other and on June 30 they will reach their tightest grouping. In fact every night in June, the separation between the celestial bodies was visibly shrinking.

“On that night [June 30] Venus and Jupiter will be a … 1/3rd of a degree apart. That's less than the diameter of a full moon. You'll be able to hide the pair not just behind the palm of your outstretched hand, but behind your little pinky finger,” added NASA.

more


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 21, 2015, 10:45:38 am
https://gma.yahoo.com/halloween-asteroid-close-pass-earth-202613289--abc-news-Halloween.html
10/20/15
Halloween Asteroid: How Close It Will Pass by Earth

How's this for eerie timing?

An asteroid that was only just discovered on Oct. 10 is set to whiz past Earth on Halloween, marking the closest encounter our planet has had with one of the massive speeding rocks since 2006, according to NASA.

NASA Offers Daily Look at Earth From Space

Coming within 1.3 lunar distances -- that's 310,000 miles -- the asteroid, called 2015 TB145, will brush past Earth but presents no threat to humans, NASA scientists said, noting the asteroid has an estimated diameter of between 525 feet and 2,000 feet.

Described as having an "extremely eccentric" orbit and appearing "cometary in nature," NASA said this asteroid is incredibly fast and predicts it will zoom past Earth at 78,000 miles per hour.

"The flyby presents a truly outstanding scientific opportunity to study the physical properties of this object," NASA officials wrote. It's worth noting this asteroid was only discovered days ago, but its next close encounter with Earth is expected to happen in a dozen years from now, in August 2027.



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 10, 2015, 08:02:35 pm
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fireballs-falling-earth-week-heres-214148653.html
Fireballs are falling to Earth this week in numbers we won't see for another 10 years — here's how to watch
11/9/15

Keep your eyes peeled this week for some spectacular fireballs — extremely bright meteors — lighting up the sky, like this one caught on camera in Thailand November 2:

Right now, Earth is passing through Comet Encke's tail, generating the Taurid meteor shower in the process.

"The best time to view the Taurids is from midnight to 3 am local time," NASA wrote in a Reddit AMA. "There should be a handful per hour. Taurid rates are not high, but the ones you will see will be very bright."

The peak of the shower — when we can see the most meteors per hour — will be the evening of Wednesday, November 11. But Monday and Tuesday night are also a good time to sit back and look up, weather permitting.

The best way to watch any meteor shower is to get far away from city lights and look up, no special equipment required. Here's a map from AccuWeather showing where the best spots in the country are to see the Taurids Monday night:

more



Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on November 20, 2015, 04:40:56 pm
https://gma.yahoo.com/see-moment-fireball-streaked-across-night-sky-180348586--abc-news-topstories.html#
See the Moment Fireball Streaked Across Night Sky
11/20/15

Check out the moment a meteor zoomed across the night sky, getting bigger and brighter as it moves toward the horizon.

Steve Hart, who lives in Anderson Township in Cincinnati, Ohio, said he was astounded when he saw the footage his camera captured Thursday night.

"This camera records movement and stores it up to 6 days, and when I saw this, I pulled it off of the DVR and saved it to my computer," he wrote to ABC affiliate WCPO. "I wish I would have been outside to see it!"

It's been a big week for sky gazers, who were treated to the annual Leonids meteor shower, which reached its peak Wednesday night.

With an estimated 15 meteors per hour streaking across the night sky, this year's show was quieter than previous years. The annual Leonids meteor shower happens when Earth passes through the debris left by Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which takes 33 years to orbit the sun. When the comet is at its closest, the Leonids can be astounding, with anywhere from hundreds to thousands of meteors blitzing across the sky.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on December 23, 2015, 09:43:53 pm
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/theres-rare-celestial-event-christmas-193621034.html
There's a rare celestial event on Christmas that won't happen again for another 19 years
12/23/15

Christmas is already a special time for many Americans, but there's an added bonus to this year's celebration:
For the first time in 38 years, the last full moon of the year will fall on Dec. 25.

The last time this happened was in 1977, and we won't see another celestial event like it until 2034.

So on early Christmas morning, be sure to steal a glance at the sky to catch the rare and beautiful full moon.

The moon will be full at exactly 6:11 a.m. ET, according to NASA — about an hour before sunrise in New York City.

That's when the moon and sun are on exactly opposite sides of Earth. This creates a 180-degree angle so that the entire Earth-facing half of the moon is completely illuminated by sunlight, which is what we see as a full moon.

The reason this is such a rare event dates back to what the Greek astronomer, Meton of Athens, first discovered in the 5th Century BC:

The time it takes the moon to complete 235 revolutions around the Earth amounts to 6,940 days, which is almost exactly how long it takes Earth to complete 19 revolutions around the sun — the two are just a few hours apart.

This means that the moon's phases will recur on the same calendar date every 19 years. The pattern follows what astronomers call the Metonic cycle, after its founder. Here's a 9th-Century manuscript depicting the Metonic cycle:

Because these two cycles are a few hours apart, we just missed a full moon on Christmas day in 1996. Instead it happened on Christmas Eve at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The next full Christmas moon will happen at 3:54 a.m. ET in 2034. Don't want to wait that long? Don't forget to look up this Christmas!

If you're not a morning person or your skies are too cloudy, then you can catch a nearly-full Christmas moon online thanks to online observatory Slooh.

Slooh will use the telescope at its flagship observatory in the Canary Islands to broadcast live feeds of this year's Christmas moon starting at 7 p.m. ET. Check it out on Slooh's website or below:


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on January 28, 2016, 10:37:40 am
http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/see-the-cloud-people-in-portugal-are-calling-the-hand-of-god/
SEE THE AMAZING CLOUD PEOPLE IN PORTUGAL ARE CALLING THE ‘HAND OF GOD’
It was snapped by weather blogger Rogerio Pacheco who saw the unusual clouds out of his bedroom window. Amazed onlookers have compared the bright orange cloud from everything from a fist from heaven to a comet.

1/27/16

THE INCREDIBLE CLOUD FORMATION DUBBED THE ‘HAND OF GOD’ WAS SPOTTED OVER THE PORTUGUESE ISLAND OF MADEIRA

“I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.” Job 27:11 (KJV)

An incredible cloud formation which appeared over the skies of Portugal has been dubbed the ‘hand of God’. The cloud took the form of a fist from Heaven with a hand holding a fireball as it dominated the skyline across the island of Madeira on Monday.
(http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/hand-fist-of-god-cloud-heaven-portugal-amazing-weather-nteb.jpg)

And weather blogger Rogerio Pacheco, 32, could not believe his luck when he looked up at the clouds while commuters made their way to work in the morning rush hour.

THE AWE-INSPIRING SNAPS HAVE SINCE BEEN SHARED ONLINE AFTER MR PACHECO OPTED TO POST THEM ON HIS BLOG.

Amazed onlookers have compared the bright orange cloud to everything from a flaming fist of fury to the iconic comet featured in the classic video game Final Fantasy VII.

Mr Pachero said: ‘As soon as I saw the sky, I was immediately intrigued and I just had to grab my camera to take photo.’

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:6,7 (KJV)


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Boldhunter on January 31, 2016, 03:45:35 am
1 Cor. 15


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on May 09, 2016, 07:37:48 pm
How Mercury's Transit Connects to End-Time Destruction in Micah 5

It appears the heavenly bodies are aligning for prophetic fulfillment as Mercury will pass close to Earth during a 7.5-hour transit on Monday. 

The move has some prophetic voices claiming an end-time significance with connections to Bible prophecy. 

The Transit of Mercury occurs on the months of May and November and the last three transits occurred in 1999, 2003 and 2006, according to the Crusader Journal. This will be the first Transit of Mercury in 10 years.

In a video posted to the Prophetico YouTube channel, the narrator says Mercury will transit over the Temple Mount right as the sun sets. 

The narrator believes it is linked to the Micah 5 prophecy that calls for destruction. 

Watch the video to see his explanation.

http://www.charismanews.com/world/57041-how-mercury-s-transit-connects-to-end-time-destruction-in-micah-5

wooooops


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on May 27, 2016, 06:08:59 pm
Is the Sun DISINTEGRATING? NASA spots monster hole open up on our star

NASA has revealed that a massive hole, measuring more than ten per cent of the Sun's surface area, has opened up on our star.

The remarkable footage was captured by the US space agency's Solar Dynamics Observatory between May 17 and 19.

The video shows a giant dark area on the star's upper half, known as a coronal hole.

A NASA spokesman said: "Coronal holes are low-density regions of the sun’s atmosphere, known as the corona.

"Because they contain little solar material, they have lower temperatures and thus appear much darker than their surroundings.

"Coronal holes are visible in certain types of extreme ultraviolet light, which is typically invisible to our eyes, but is colorised here in purple for easy viewing."

NASA says the huge hole is actually not of great concern, but it remains unclear why the coronal holes actually form.

But it does mean that large amounts of solar winds, that cause the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights to form, have been blasted to Earth.

While it’s unclear what causes coronal holes, they correlate to areas on the sun where magnetic fields soar up and away, without looping back down to the surface, as they do elsewhere.
NASA spokesman

These would weak havoc with our communications and blast us with cancer-causing UV rays, if it were not for the Earth's magnetosphere which shields us from them.

The spokesman added: "These coronal holes are important to understanding the space environment around Earth through which our technology and astronauts travel.

"Coronal holes are the source of a high-speed wind of solar particles that streams off the sun some three times faster than the slower wind elsewhere.

It could also means the large holes are getting bigger.

Last October, NASA released images showing a smaller hole, which was the size of 50 Earths, had formed in the same area.

At that time, it was believed to have been one of the biggest ever recorded.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/674234/Is-the-sun-DISINTEGRATING-NASA-spots-monster-hole-open-up-on-our-star


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on December 13, 2016, 07:33:28 pm
https://science.nasa.gov/news-articles/2016-ends-with-three-supermoons
2016 Ends with Three Supermoons

Step outside on October 16, and take a look at the moon. Not only will the moon be full, but on that day, the moon will be at its closest point to our planet as it orbits Earth. This makes the October full moon a supermoon.

The term supermoon has entered popular consciousness in recent years. Originally a term from modern astrology for a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit, supermoon now refers more broadly to a full moon that is closer to Earth than average. But why is the moon closer to Earth at some times but not others?

Since the moon’s orbit is elliptical, one side (perigee) is about 30,000 miles (50,000 km) closer to Earth than the other (apogee). The word syzygy, in addition to being useful in word games, is the scientific name for when the Earth, sun, and moon line up as the moon orbits Earth. When perigee-syzygy of the Earth-moon-sun system occurs and the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, we get a perigee moon or more commonly, a supermoon!

This coincidence happens three times in 2016. On October 16 and December 14, the moon becomes full on the same day as perigee. On November 14, it becomes full within about two hours of perigee—arguably making it an extra-super moon.

The full moon of November 14 is not only the closest full moon of 2016 but also the closest full moon to date in the 21st century. The full moon won’t come this close to Earth again until November 25, 2034.

The supermoon of December 14 is remarkable for a different reason: it’s going to wipe out the view of the Geminid meteor shower. Bright moonlight will reduce the visibility of faint meteors five to ten fold, transforming the usually fantastic Geminids into an astronomical footnote. Sky watchers will be lucky to see a dozen Geminids per hour when the shower peaks. Oh well, at least the moon will be remarkable.

How remarkable?

A supermoon, or perigee full moon can be as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than an apogee full moon. However it's not always easy to tell the difference. A 30% difference in brightness can easily be masked by clouds or the competing glare of urban lights. Also, there are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameters. Hanging high overhead with no reference points to provide a sense of scale, one full moon looks much like any other.

Low-hanging moons, on the other hand, can create what’s called a “moon illusion.” When the moon is near the horizon it can look unnaturally large when viewed through trees, buildings, or other foreground objects. The effect is an optical illusion, but that fact doesn’t take away from the experience.

A supermoon is undeniably beautiful. And we can multiply that beauty by three as 2016 comes to a close.

October 16, November 14, and December 14: mark your calendar and enjoy the super moonlight.


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on December 15, 2016, 07:52:51 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQcQpv1fwzE


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on July 10, 2017, 11:00:57 am
https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/stars/what-will-happen-september-23-2017/
What Will Happen on September 23, 2017?
by Dr. Danny R. Faulkner on May 1, 2017

Answer: Probably nothing unusual.

Introduction

Recently at Answers in Genesis, we have begun to get enquiries about a supposed event of great prophetic significance on September 23 of this year. Many videos on the Internet are promoting this. On this date, the sun will be in the constellation Virgo (the virgin), along with the moon near Virgo’s feet. Additionally, Jupiter will be in Virgo, while the planets Venus, Mars, and Mercury will be above and to the right of Virgo in the constellation Leo. Some people claim that this is a very rare event (allegedly only once in 7,000 years) and that it supposedly is a fulfillment of a sign in Revelation 12. Revelation 12:1–2 (ESV) reads:

    And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.

So we have here a woman (Virgo) in the sky (heaven), along with the sun, and the moon at her feet. What about the 12 stars? Virtually all the websites promoting this prophetic sign state that there are nine stars in Leo, but with the addition of the three planets (which appear as bright stars), there are 12 stars. Since Leo is to the upper right of Virgo’s head, one might see this as a crown of 12 stars, though these 12 stars will be far above Virgo’s head. Many of the videos that discuss this have various embellishments, such as tying this event to the supposed rogue planet Niburu or the tetrad of total lunar eclipses in 2014–2015. I’ve previously written about these other two subjects and found them wanting, so we ought to be wary about this one too. Let us examine the claims.

Examination of the Claims

First, there is nothing particularly unusual about the sun appearing in the constellation Virgo. As we orbit the sun each year, the sun appears to move through the 12 constellations of the zodiac, spending about a month in each one. The month that the sun appears in Virgo is around the time of the autumnal equinox, from mid-September through late October. Nor is it unusual to find the moon near the feet of Virgo. The moon takes 27 1/3 days to orbit the earth with respect to the stars. Therefore, for a day or two each month, the moon appears near the feet of Virgo. (I keep mentioning the feet of Virgo. Although I am very familiar with Virgo, I have never been able to see a woman in the sky there, so I can hardly pick out what is supposed to be her feet, and I seriously doubt anyone else can either.) Therefore, for a day or two each September or October, the sun appears in Virgo with the moon at her feet, so this is not that remarkable.

    This year’s event has attracted much more attention than previously, so why is this year so different?

It was more than 15 years ago that I first heard the suggestion that this annual event might be a fulfillment of Revelation 12 in some particular year. Since then, interest in this idea has increased, with some people speculating or even predicting that “this is the year,” only to forget about it when nothing significant transpired before moving on to the next year’s occurrence. However, this year’s event has attracted much more attention than previously, so why is this year so different? One possibility is the addition of Jupiter to the mix. Some people claim that this year Jupiter will be near what is supposed to be the womb of Virgo, so it represents the child that the woman is about to give birth to. Jupiter takes nearly 12 years to orbit the sun, so this is the period with which Jupiter moves through the zodiacal constellations, spending about a year in each one. In fact, I first saw Jupiter when it was close to Virgo in 1969—I have watched Jupiter pass through four complete orbits since. This means that Jupiter appears in the part of Virgo corresponding to her womb, along with the sun in Virgo and the moon at her feet for a day or two every 12 years or so. The last time this happened was in 2005, so why was that event not heralded for its prophetic significance? I suspect that it is because YouTube was very new then, having started in February of that year. This year, with the huge popularity of YouTube, it is much easier to propagate these ideas.

Another factor is the addition of the three naked-eye planets in Leo, above the head of Virgo. The videos promoting this supposed sign claim that the constellation Leo has nine stars, so the addition of these three “wandering stars” brings the total number of stars in Leo, above the head of Virgo, to 12, with the 12 stars forming the crown of the woman in the sky, according to Revelation 12:1. Except that Leo has more than nine stars. Where did the people touting this supposed fulfillment of prophecy get the idea that Leo has nine stars? Every presentation of the September 23 event that I have seen has used the popular Stellarium software package to illustrate the events of September 23. Sure enough, the lines connecting the stars of Leo into an outline of a lion include nine stars. However, even the Stellarium display shows other stars in Leo that are not connected by the lines. And different depictions of Leo connect different numbers of stars. For instance, the monthly star chart in the April 2017 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine (pp. 42–43) connects 13 stars with lines. The star chart at this website connects 10 stars. None of these charts connect a line to Omicron Leonis, the star that forms the front paws of Leo. When showing Leo to people, I always point out this star marking Leo’s paw. By the way, the Digistar-5 software in the Stargazers Planetarium at the Creation Museum connects 10 stars in Leo, including Omicron Leonis.

Since the claim that Leo has nine stars is false, the assertion that the addition of the three planets brings the total number of stars in Leo to 12 is false too. And how rare is this occurrence, to have these additional three planets in Leo at the same time that Jupiter is in Virgo? It isn’t that common, but it certainly has happened many times over the past 6,000 years, so the claim that this unusual event is so rare is false too. And how do we know that Jupiter must represent the child? There is no evidence for that either. Instead, this is a mere assertion that someone made, with many others repeating the claim. Based upon Revelation 12:5, most commentators think that the child was Jesus. Some promoters of this supposed sign claim that the Hebrews associated Jupiter with the Messiah. Again, this is a conjectural assertion not supported by any facts. These sorts of claims amount to Rorschach tests—people tend to see in them what they want to see.

Conclusion

I have identified several problems with the supposed sign of September 23, 2017. However, there are other, broader problems with it. One of the purposes that God ordained for the stars is for them to be signs (Genesis 1:14). However, to truly be a sign, shouldn’t such things be obvious, at least to a few people? Since the sun will be in Virgo at the time, virtually none of Virgo’s stars will be visible. The three planets in Leo will be visible in the early morning that day, but all will be low in the southeastern sky. Venus is very bright, so it will be relatively easy to spot; however, Mars and Mercury will not be, because they will be much fainter, and they won’t rise until about the time morning twilight begins. The thin crescent moon will be visible in the evening sky, low in the southwest. Jupiter may be visible lower in the southwest, though it will be difficult, since it will set before evening twilight ends. That is, not all of this “sign” will be visible, and those parts that will be visible won’t be visible at the same time. While this event may show up nicely on a computer screen, God set the lights in the “firmament of heaven” (not on computer screens) to be for signs.

    Instead of setting dates, we ought to be ready for His return at any moment. Are you ready?

What sort of prophetic event is this sign supposed to usher in? Clearly, most people promoting this have in mind the Lord’s return. Some explicitly state this, but others, mindful of the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:36, are hesitant to make that claim, though their implication is clear enough. These sorts of claims or intimations have been made many times before. For instance, the four lunar eclipses during 2014–2015 caused many people to anticipate the Lord’s return then, but of course this did not happen. I suspect that the same will be true on September 23 this year. People who get excited about supposed signs miss the point that Jesus made (Matthew 24:36–51). Instead of setting dates, we ought to be ready for His return at any moment. Are you ready?


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on July 20, 2017, 08:00:02 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm7-JBBpY6o&t=0s


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on July 21, 2017, 03:56:03 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTzrd4ezKXA&t=7549s


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 19, 2017, 01:44:55 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVMoTaK3CuA


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 19, 2017, 07:42:10 pm
This prophecy is NOT for the NT Church Age dispensation.

9/23/17 rapture-date setters exposed!
http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php/topic,12264.0.html

9/23/17 rapture-date setters tied to Hebrew Roots movement!
http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php/topic,12222.0.html


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 19, 2017, 08:08:01 pm
This prophecy is NOT for the NT Church Age dispensation.

9/23/17 rapture-date setters exposed!
http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php/topic,12264.0.html

9/23/17 rapture-date setters tied to Hebrew Roots movement!
http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php/topic,12222.0.html


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revelation_12_Sign

The Revelation 12 Sign is an apocalyptic belief heralding that the time of Jacob's Trouble—also known as the Tribulation Period—may begin on September 23, 2017, a date that coincides with the Autumnal equinox and the end of the Catholic Semptember Ember Days. This theory, which has been promoted by a number of people and news organizations, proposes that a literal fulfillment of the prophecy made in the Book of Revelation 12:1-2[1] will occur on this date over Jerusalem. Others maintain caution while nevertheless marveling at the coincidence.[2][unreliable source?]

This passage of scripture in the New Testament metaphorically describes "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." (NIV). Many people worldwide believe that an astronomical alignment involving the constellations Virgo and Leo, the sun, moon, and planets Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter occurring in September 2017 will fulfill this prophecy word-for-word.[3][4][5]

Overview

On April 7, 2011, William Tapley's channel ThirdEagleBooks published the first video about the alignment entitled "Stellarium" giving the 2017 date of the sign and explaining how the planetary alignment that year matched the text of Revelation 12 better than a 2011 alignments, which he said three earlier videos from other people had mentioned.[5]

A few months later, on July 30, 2011, Scott Clarke from ERF Ministries posted a video on YouTube describing the alignment, which some people worldwide have now come to believe is the Revelation 12 Sign. During 2011, Scott Clarke continued to popularize the alignment on YouTube.

On December 10, 2012, Unsealed World News suggested that the purported sign might be connected to the rapture of the Church, though they have repeatedly stated that the exact date of the rapture is unknown and might happen sometime before, on, or after September 23rd.[6]

Years later, Greg Lauer posted about the astronomical alignment and references Scott Clarke's reports on his website dated May 2017 that Lu Vega claimed that he discovered the sign about 2008 but told no one until after several others posted about it in 2011.[7].

Also in 2017, Luis ("Lu") B. Vega connected the sign to a "Conception Comet".[7]

The Apocalypse of John describes "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head." The proponents of the Revelation 12 Sign say that the woman represents the constellation Virgo and the crown of twelve stars represents the nine stars of the constellation Leo in conjunction with Mercury, Mars, and Venus. The moon appears to be under the "feet" of the constellation Virgo in September 2017 and the sun will be passing through the constellation, which they say is what is meant by the woman being "clothed with the sun".[4]

The second verse of the twelfth chapter of John's Apocalypse goes on to say that the woman "was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." Some people suggest this will be fulfilled because the planet Jupiter will be traversing the constellation after having undergone apparent retrograde motion. After entering what they perceive to be Virgo's "womb", Jupiter exits the lower part of the "womb" 42 weeks later, which is the approximate length of a human gestation (normal gestation periods lasting from 37 to 42 weeks).

more


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 22, 2017, 01:53:33 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3jF7hV-bQM


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 25, 2017, 12:13:57 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_rQUTLQuWo&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiPEOX58JaM&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeguZT32pDA&t=0s


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 30, 2017, 12:12:49 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AInVAv4PpdE


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 30, 2017, 01:31:25 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj6oVJWic9A


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on September 30, 2017, 01:51:03 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBbEcQWLNIc


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 02, 2017, 11:07:12 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHxGUe1cjzM


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Psalm 51:17 on October 03, 2017, 08:31:52 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipD8q_Pu47M


Title: Re: ...and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...
Post by: Mark on December 03, 2020, 06:50:20 pm
Meteor triggers sonic boom and "astonishing" flash of light across multiple states and Ontario

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meteor-sonic-boom-light-flash-multiple-states-ontario/


Jupiter and Saturn to align in the sky this month as 'Christmas Star'

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/jupiter-and-saturn-to-align-in-the-sky-this-month-as-christmas-star

Loud bang and house shaking in New York, flash of light in Toronto after huge meteor fireball explodes in daylight

https://strangesounds.org/2020/12/daylight-meteor-fireball-loud-boom-video-new-york-toronto.html


Huge fireball brighter than the full moon disintegrates over Japan in loud boom (video)

https://meteorshowertonight.org/huge-fireball-brighter-than-the-full-moon-explodes-over-japan/


The biggest solar flare in more than 3 years occured on Nov. 29th – Blackout in Atlantic, CME

https://strangesounds.org/2020/11/sun-explosion-solar-flare.html


JER 10 1 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.