Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE FEBURARY 21st 2008
DON'T FORGET TO STAY UP TO THE EARLY HOURS TO VIEW THIS ONE-LETS HOPE FOR CLEAR SKIES......
Total Lunar Eclipse--Full Coverage
GOOD INFORMATION:
LUNAR ECLIPSE: On Thursday morning, February 21st, the full Moon will turn a delightful shade of red and possibly turquoise, too. It's a total lunar eclipse—the last one until Dec. 2010. Sky watchers in Europe, the Americas, parts of the Middle East and Africa are favored for good views of the two-hour event. Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage including maps and timetables, live webcasts and discussion.
SPY SATELLITE UPDATE: The US Navy's first attempt to hit malfunctioning spy satellite USA 193 with a missile could come on Wednesday night during the lunar eclipse. This is based on an air traffic advisory warning pilots to steer clear of a patch of Pacific Ocean near Hawaii just when USA 193 is due to pass overhead. Until the satellite is shot down, it remains visible to casual sky watchers during evening passes over US and Canadian towns and cities; experienced observers say the decaying satellite is sometimes as bright as the stars of Orion, making it an easy target for unaided eyes and off-the-shelf digital cameras. Details, photos and more information are available at http://spaceweather.com. Subscribers to Spaceweather PHONE (http://spaceweatherphone.com) will receive email and telephone alerts when the spy-sat is about to appear over their backyards.
SPY SATELLITE UPDATE: The US Navy's first attempt to hit malfunctioning spy satellite USA 193 with a missile could come on Wednesday night during the lunar eclipse. This is based on an air traffic advisory warning pilots to steer clear of a patch of Pacific Ocean near Hawaii just when USA 193 is due to pass overhead. Until the satellite is shot down, it remains visible to casual sky watchers during evening passes over US and Canadian towns and cities; experienced observers say the decaying satellite is sometimes as bright as the stars of Orion, making it an easy target for unaided eyes and off-the-shelf digital cameras. Details, photos and more information are available at http://spaceweather.com. Subscribers to Spaceweather PHONE (http://spaceweatherphone.com) will receive email and telephone alerts when the spy-sat is about to appear over their backyards.
Friday, 15 February 2008
Titan's Surface Organics Surpass Oil Reserves on Earth
MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE 818-354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Carolina Martinez 818-354-9382
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
NEWS RELEASE: 2008-025 Feb. 13, 2008
Titan's Surface Organics Surpass Oil Reserves on Earth
Saturn's orange moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the
known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth, according to new data from NASA's Cassini
spacecraft. The hydrocarbons rain from the sky, collecting in vast deposits that form
lakes and dunes.
The new findings from the study led by Ralph Lorenz, Cassini radar team member from
the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., are reported in
the Jan. 29 issue of the Geophysical Research Letters.
"Titan is just covered in carbon-bearing material—it's a giant factory of organic
chemicals," said Lorenz. "This vast carbon inventory is an important window into the
geology and climate history of Titan."
At a balmy minus 179 degrees Celsius (minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit), Titan is a far cry
from Earth. Instead of water, liquid hydrocarbons in the form of methane and ethane are
present on the moon's surface, and tholins probably make up its dunes. The term
"tholins"was coined by Carl Sagan in 1979 to describe the complex organic molecules at
the heart of prebiotic chemistry.
Cassini has mapped about 20 percent of Titan's surface with radar. Several hundred lakes
and seas have been observed, with each of several dozen estimated to contain more
hydrocarbon liquid than Earth's oil and gas reserves. The dark dunes that run along the
equator contain a volume of organics several hundred times larger than Earth's coal
reserves.
Proven reserves of natural gas on Earth total 130 billion tons, enough to provide 300
times the amount of energy the entire United States uses annually for residential heating,
cooling and lighting. Dozens of Titan's lakes individually have the equivalent of at least
this much energy in the form of methane and ethane.
"This global estimate is based mostly on views of the lakes in the northern polar regions.
We have assumed the south might be similar, but we really don't yet know how much
liquid is there," said Lorenz. Cassini's radar has observed the south polar region only
once, and only two small lakes were visible. Future observations of that area are planned
during Cassini's proposed extended mission.
Scientists estimated Titan's lake depth by making some general assumptions based on
lakes on Earth. They took the average area and depth of lakes on Earth, taking into
account the nearby surroundings, like mountains. On Earth, the lake depth is often 10
times less than the height of nearby terrain.
"We also know that some lakes are more than 10 meters or so deep because they appear
literally pitch-black to the radar. If they were shallow we'd see the bottom, and we don't,"
said Lorenz.
The question of how much liquid is on the surface is an important one because methane is
a strong greenhouse gas on Titan as well as on Earth, but there is much more of it on
Titan. If all the observed liquid on Titan is methane, it would only last a few million
years, because as methane escapes into Titan's atmosphere, it breaks down and escapes
into space. If the methane were to run out, Titan could become much colder. Scientists
believe that methane might be supplied to the atmosphere by venting from the interior in
cryovolcanic eruptions. If so, the amount of methane, and the temperature on Titan, may
have fluctuated dramatically in Titan's past.
"We are carbon-based life, and understanding how far along the chain of complexity
towards life that chemistry can go in an environment like Titan will be important in
understanding the origins of life throughout the universe," added Lorenz.
Cassini's next radar flyby of Titan is on Feb. 22, when the radar instrument will observe
the Huygens probe landing site.
For images and more information visit: http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov .
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space
Agency and the Italian Space Agency. JPL, a division of the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science
Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and
assembled at JPL. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency,
working with team members from the United States and several European countries.
-end-
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE 818-354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Carolina Martinez 818-354-9382
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
NEWS RELEASE: 2008-025 Feb. 13, 2008
Titan's Surface Organics Surpass Oil Reserves on Earth
Saturn's orange moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the
known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth, according to new data from NASA's Cassini
spacecraft. The hydrocarbons rain from the sky, collecting in vast deposits that form
lakes and dunes.
The new findings from the study led by Ralph Lorenz, Cassini radar team member from
the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., are reported in
the Jan. 29 issue of the Geophysical Research Letters.
"Titan is just covered in carbon-bearing material—it's a giant factory of organic
chemicals," said Lorenz. "This vast carbon inventory is an important window into the
geology and climate history of Titan."
At a balmy minus 179 degrees Celsius (minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit), Titan is a far cry
from Earth. Instead of water, liquid hydrocarbons in the form of methane and ethane are
present on the moon's surface, and tholins probably make up its dunes. The term
"tholins"was coined by Carl Sagan in 1979 to describe the complex organic molecules at
the heart of prebiotic chemistry.
Cassini has mapped about 20 percent of Titan's surface with radar. Several hundred lakes
and seas have been observed, with each of several dozen estimated to contain more
hydrocarbon liquid than Earth's oil and gas reserves. The dark dunes that run along the
equator contain a volume of organics several hundred times larger than Earth's coal
reserves.
Proven reserves of natural gas on Earth total 130 billion tons, enough to provide 300
times the amount of energy the entire United States uses annually for residential heating,
cooling and lighting. Dozens of Titan's lakes individually have the equivalent of at least
this much energy in the form of methane and ethane.
"This global estimate is based mostly on views of the lakes in the northern polar regions.
We have assumed the south might be similar, but we really don't yet know how much
liquid is there," said Lorenz. Cassini's radar has observed the south polar region only
once, and only two small lakes were visible. Future observations of that area are planned
during Cassini's proposed extended mission.
Scientists estimated Titan's lake depth by making some general assumptions based on
lakes on Earth. They took the average area and depth of lakes on Earth, taking into
account the nearby surroundings, like mountains. On Earth, the lake depth is often 10
times less than the height of nearby terrain.
"We also know that some lakes are more than 10 meters or so deep because they appear
literally pitch-black to the radar. If they were shallow we'd see the bottom, and we don't,"
said Lorenz.
The question of how much liquid is on the surface is an important one because methane is
a strong greenhouse gas on Titan as well as on Earth, but there is much more of it on
Titan. If all the observed liquid on Titan is methane, it would only last a few million
years, because as methane escapes into Titan's atmosphere, it breaks down and escapes
into space. If the methane were to run out, Titan could become much colder. Scientists
believe that methane might be supplied to the atmosphere by venting from the interior in
cryovolcanic eruptions. If so, the amount of methane, and the temperature on Titan, may
have fluctuated dramatically in Titan's past.
"We are carbon-based life, and understanding how far along the chain of complexity
towards life that chemistry can go in an environment like Titan will be important in
understanding the origins of life throughout the universe," added Lorenz.
Cassini's next radar flyby of Titan is on Feb. 22, when the radar instrument will observe
the Huygens probe landing site.
For images and more information visit: http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov .
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space
Agency and the Italian Space Agency. JPL, a division of the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science
Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and
assembled at JPL. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency,
working with team members from the United States and several European countries.
-end-
Spy Satellite Sightings
Space Weather News for Feb. 14, 2008
http://spaceweather.com
Malfunctioning spy satellite USA 193 has been in the news lately because of expectations that it will reenter Earth's atmosphere in March and turn into a spectacular fireball. Reentry has not yet begun, but sky watchers are already noticing the satellite as it zips over Europe and the United States shining as brightly as a first or second magnitude star. Typical photos are shown on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.
In fact, USA 193 may never reenter--at least not in one piece. Today, the Pentagon announced it will attempt to blast the satellite with a missile before its orbit decays. This would lessen the chances of dangerous satellite debris and fuel reaching the ground while increasing the population of space junk in low-Earth orbit.
Would you like to see USA 193 with your own eyes? It is about to make a series of evening appearances over many US towns and cities, beginning this weekend and continuing until the Pentagon intervenes. Flyby timetables may be found at Heavens Above (http://heavens-above.com). You can also receive telephone and email alerts when the satellite is about to fly over your backyard by subscribing to Spaceweather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com .
http://spaceweather.com
Malfunctioning spy satellite USA 193 has been in the news lately because of expectations that it will reenter Earth's atmosphere in March and turn into a spectacular fireball. Reentry has not yet begun, but sky watchers are already noticing the satellite as it zips over Europe and the United States shining as brightly as a first or second magnitude star. Typical photos are shown on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.
In fact, USA 193 may never reenter--at least not in one piece. Today, the Pentagon announced it will attempt to blast the satellite with a missile before its orbit decays. This would lessen the chances of dangerous satellite debris and fuel reaching the ground while increasing the population of space junk in low-Earth orbit.
Would you like to see USA 193 with your own eyes? It is about to make a series of evening appearances over many US towns and cities, beginning this weekend and continuing until the Pentagon intervenes. Flyby timetables may be found at Heavens Above (http://heavens-above.com). You can also receive telephone and email alerts when the satellite is about to fly over your backyard by subscribing to Spaceweather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com .
Friday, 18 January 2008
SkyandTelescope.com - Homepage News - Reunion With Mercury
The planet Mercury and I go way back. In 1973, when NASA launched
Mariner 10 to pay it a visit, I was a Caltech undergrad working for
the head of the mission's imaging team. So I was on hand at the Jet
Propulsion Lab when the first-ever close-ups of Mercury came in the
following year.
A few months later I left California to join the staff of Sky &
Telescope. Mariner 10 would fly past the planet two more times, in
September 1974 and March 1975, and my first-ever bylined article in
S&T was a pictorial writeup following the second flyby. (If you've got
the November 1974 issue, look it up!)
What amazed me then, as now, is how Mercury looks superficially so
like the Moon — they both have scads of craters, giant impact basins,
and broad lava plains — and yet are so very different. Scientists
estimate that Mercury's metallic core takes up 75% of its radius and
nearly half its volume. How this "iron planet" came to exist remains
one of the great mysteries of planetary science.
The control room at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics
laboratory buzzed with activity during Messenger's first flyby of
Mercury on January 14, 2008.
S&T: J. Kelly BeattyFast forward to yesterday. NASA's Messenger
spacecraft was making the first return visit to Mercury in nearly 33
years (a third of a century, I remind myself), and I just had to be on
hand for the reunion. So I took a predawn flight from Boston to
Baltimore, then dashed over to the mission control center at Johns
Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory for a ringside seat.
I'm thrilled to report that the flyby was 100% "nominal." At 2:04:39
p.m. Eastern time (19:04:39 Universal Time), out of view from both the
Sun and Earth, Messenger swept over the planet's night-side equator at
an altitude of just 125 miles (less than a mile higher than planned).
Taken by Messenger from about 17,000 miles away, this view of Mercury
shows about half of the area not photographed by Mariner 10 in
1974–75. The heavily cratered landscape is reminiscent of other areas
previously seen. The broad circular plain at upper right, appearing
brighter than its surroundings, marks the interior of Caloris basin, a
huge impact scar more than 800 miles across. Click on the image for a
full-resolution view.
NASA / JHU-APL / Carnegie Inst. of WashingtonThree minutes later it
emerged from hiding, reestablished contact with NASA's tracking
stations, and then sped off in blazing sunlight on a slightly altered
trajectory that will bring it 'round again on October 6th and yet a
third time in September 2009. During their fourth and final meeting,
in March 2011, Messenger will fire its braking rocket and settle into
orbit.
Messenger stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry,
and Ranging — an acronym of sorts no doubt created by NASA's
super-secret think tank for mission names. In any case, Messenger
carries an impressive array of scientific instruments — and all seven
of them were hard at work yesterday. You'll see the eye-popping
results here and at the mission's website in the days and weeks ahead.
Back in the mid-1970s, Mariner 10 left us with many unanswered
questions about Mercury. Why does it have a magnetic field? What's the
source of the tenuous atmosphere that envelops it? And are there
really deposits of ice at its poles?
Topping the list of questions is how Mercury came to be so iron-rich.
(In fact, after adjusting for compression effects, it's actually
denser than Earth.) Something happened at the dawn of solar-system
history that set this innermost planet distinctly apart from its
terrestrial siblings. As mission leader Sean Solomon confided to me
yesterday, "I want to learn how Mercury got put together."
So do I, Dr. Solomon — so do we all.
Mercury:
Mariner 10 to pay it a visit, I was a Caltech undergrad working for
the head of the mission's imaging team. So I was on hand at the Jet
Propulsion Lab when the first-ever close-ups of Mercury came in the
following year.
A few months later I left California to join the staff of Sky &
Telescope. Mariner 10 would fly past the planet two more times, in
September 1974 and March 1975, and my first-ever bylined article in
S&T was a pictorial writeup following the second flyby. (If you've got
the November 1974 issue, look it up!)
What amazed me then, as now, is how Mercury looks superficially so
like the Moon — they both have scads of craters, giant impact basins,
and broad lava plains — and yet are so very different. Scientists
estimate that Mercury's metallic core takes up 75% of its radius and
nearly half its volume. How this "iron planet" came to exist remains
one of the great mysteries of planetary science.
The control room at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics
laboratory buzzed with activity during Messenger's first flyby of
Mercury on January 14, 2008.
S&T: J. Kelly BeattyFast forward to yesterday. NASA's Messenger
spacecraft was making the first return visit to Mercury in nearly 33
years (a third of a century, I remind myself), and I just had to be on
hand for the reunion. So I took a predawn flight from Boston to
Baltimore, then dashed over to the mission control center at Johns
Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory for a ringside seat.
I'm thrilled to report that the flyby was 100% "nominal." At 2:04:39
p.m. Eastern time (19:04:39 Universal Time), out of view from both the
Sun and Earth, Messenger swept over the planet's night-side equator at
an altitude of just 125 miles (less than a mile higher than planned).
Taken by Messenger from about 17,000 miles away, this view of Mercury
shows about half of the area not photographed by Mariner 10 in
1974–75. The heavily cratered landscape is reminiscent of other areas
previously seen. The broad circular plain at upper right, appearing
brighter than its surroundings, marks the interior of Caloris basin, a
huge impact scar more than 800 miles across. Click on the image for a
full-resolution view.
NASA / JHU-APL / Carnegie Inst. of WashingtonThree minutes later it
emerged from hiding, reestablished contact with NASA's tracking
stations, and then sped off in blazing sunlight on a slightly altered
trajectory that will bring it 'round again on October 6th and yet a
third time in September 2009. During their fourth and final meeting,
in March 2011, Messenger will fire its braking rocket and settle into
orbit.
Messenger stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry,
and Ranging — an acronym of sorts no doubt created by NASA's
super-secret think tank for mission names. In any case, Messenger
carries an impressive array of scientific instruments — and all seven
of them were hard at work yesterday. You'll see the eye-popping
results here and at the mission's website in the days and weeks ahead.
Back in the mid-1970s, Mariner 10 left us with many unanswered
questions about Mercury. Why does it have a magnetic field? What's the
source of the tenuous atmosphere that envelops it? And are there
really deposits of ice at its poles?
Topping the list of questions is how Mercury came to be so iron-rich.
(In fact, after adjusting for compression effects, it's actually
denser than Earth.) Something happened at the dawn of solar-system
history that set this innermost planet distinctly apart from its
terrestrial siblings. As mission leader Sean Solomon confided to me
yesterday, "I want to learn how Mercury got put together."
So do I, Dr. Solomon — so do we all.
Posted by Kelly Beatty, January 15, 2008
Mercury:Saturday, 22 December 2007
SkyandTelescope.com - The Other Bright Comet of 2007/2008
SkyandTelescope.com - Observing Blog - The Other Bright Comet of 2007/2008
 |  | |
 |
 OBSERVING BLOG by Tony Flanders The Other Bright Comet of 2007/2008With Comet Holmes still blazing away nearly as bright as ever, it's easy to forget that another bright comet is crossing the far-northern sky.  Comet 8P/Tuttle will be approaching its maximum brightness as it crosses Cassiopeia in the next-to-last week of December. Click above for a printable PDF chart. S&T Illustration To help you find the comet, we have prepared two printable finder charts in PDF format. Comet positions on both charts are shown for 0 h in Universal Time — equal to 7 p.m. on the preceding date in Eastern Standard Time. Click here to see the comet's path before Dec. 25. Click here for a chart covering late December and all of January.  S&T Illustration So far, the comet appears to be a modest-sized, medium-faint circular blob. But comets are famously unpredictable, as Holmes has just demonstrated in the most dramatic fashion. So Comet Tuttle bears watching too, despite its current rather bland appearance. Nobody can predict when or if it will sprout a tail — or even undergo a dramatic outburst like Comet Holmes. Tuttle moves across the sky at a fairly sedate pace in early December, but it picks up speed as it makes its closest approach the Earth — just 23.5 million miles away — on New Year's Day. Despite the full Moon, the comet should be a fairly easy target by the time it crosses the W of Cassiopeia from December 20-25. And around 0 h UT on December 31st (7 p.m. Dec. 30 EST), the comet passes through the outer edge of Messier 33, the Triangulum Galaxy. (Think photo-op!) The comet moves south quite rapidly during January, passing through Pisces, Cetus, Fornax, and then into the southern reaches of Eridanus. It will become a challenging target for northern observers around the middle of the month, when it's swallowed in the glow of the first-quarter Moon. For more information on Comet Tuttle, see the January issue of Sky & Telescope. And don't miss the sidebar on the checkered career of Horace Tuttle: comet hunter, war hero, and embezzler. Posted by Tony Flanders, December 12, 2007 |
| Find this article at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/12413606.html |
Monday, 17 December 2007
Astronomy and Earth Science: Winter solstice and Christmas
Christmas marks the birth of Christ, and it is celebrated by Christians around the world. But this holiday has close ties to an older festival known as the "Unconquered Sun." The impact this Pagan tradition had on how Christmas was celebrated is one of the ways in which The Christian tradition changed as it developed through the ages.
The winter solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its southernmost rising and setting points in the northern hemisphere and the Suns apex at noon is at its lowest point of the year. The days are shortest and the nights are longest.
December 25th was the date of the winter solstice in the calendar Julius Caesar devised for Rome in 46BC. Today the winter solstice usually occurs on December 21st. Although Caesar used a 365 1/4 day year, a year is actually a little shorter, and this made the solstice occur a little earlier over the years. There was a discrepancy of 1 day in 128 years.
The pagans celebrated the winter solstice as the Unconquered Sun. After this day, the Sun would begin to stay in the sky longer each day, and there would be less cold, and less night; the Sun would win the battle of night and day. There would be feasts, evergreens would be brought into the house to be decorated and lighted with candles to pay tribute to the Sun.
There is nothing in the Christian Bible to specify the day of Christmas. Prior to the fourth century, Christs birth had been associated with Three Kings Day on January 6. But the pagans and the newly converted were being a major problem to the church because they were still celebrating the Unconquered Sun. Nothing the church did or said made a difference; the winter solstice was just too important a festival.
What the Christians did in this dilemma, was execute a move seen over and over in history. If you cant defeat them, and refuse to join them, at least make it appear that you defeated them. Sometime between AD 354 and 360 a few decades after Emperor Constantine?s conversion to Christianity, the celebration of Christmas was shifted to the day of the Unconquered Sun. But the tradition of the Sun god lived on a long time.
The Romans got the idea of the sun god from the Syrians. Their Sun god, Deus Sol Invictus, became the chief god of the Roman State under Aurelian. The Fathers of the Church however, insisted that Christ was the true Sun God, and said that any celebrations for the Sun, were really in celebration of Christ.
Both the Sun worshipers and the Christians saw the solstice/birthday as a transition from darkness to light. Christ conquered the darkness, as did the Sun. Since the theme was similar, the traditions of one blended well with the other.
People have still carried over these traditions, though their earlier pagan roots have mostly long been forgotten. "Christmas" trees are still brought into the house. Colored lights and candles light the darkness. The Yule Log is lit.
In some Christian churches, on Christmas eve, the electric lights are dimmed. In the semi- darkness, the Christmas story is told, and near the end, a single candle is lit. It signifies the movement out of the darkness.
The winter solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its southernmost rising and setting points in the northern hemisphere and the Suns apex at noon is at its lowest point of the year. The days are shortest and the nights are longest.
December 25th was the date of the winter solstice in the calendar Julius Caesar devised for Rome in 46BC. Today the winter solstice usually occurs on December 21st. Although Caesar used a 365 1/4 day year, a year is actually a little shorter, and this made the solstice occur a little earlier over the years. There was a discrepancy of 1 day in 128 years.
The pagans celebrated the winter solstice as the Unconquered Sun. After this day, the Sun would begin to stay in the sky longer each day, and there would be less cold, and less night; the Sun would win the battle of night and day. There would be feasts, evergreens would be brought into the house to be decorated and lighted with candles to pay tribute to the Sun.
There is nothing in the Christian Bible to specify the day of Christmas. Prior to the fourth century, Christs birth had been associated with Three Kings Day on January 6. But the pagans and the newly converted were being a major problem to the church because they were still celebrating the Unconquered Sun. Nothing the church did or said made a difference; the winter solstice was just too important a festival.
What the Christians did in this dilemma, was execute a move seen over and over in history. If you cant defeat them, and refuse to join them, at least make it appear that you defeated them. Sometime between AD 354 and 360 a few decades after Emperor Constantine?s conversion to Christianity, the celebration of Christmas was shifted to the day of the Unconquered Sun. But the tradition of the Sun god lived on a long time.
The Romans got the idea of the sun god from the Syrians. Their Sun god, Deus Sol Invictus, became the chief god of the Roman State under Aurelian. The Fathers of the Church however, insisted that Christ was the true Sun God, and said that any celebrations for the Sun, were really in celebration of Christ.
Both the Sun worshipers and the Christians saw the solstice/birthday as a transition from darkness to light. Christ conquered the darkness, as did the Sun. Since the theme was similar, the traditions of one blended well with the other.
People have still carried over these traditions, though their earlier pagan roots have mostly long been forgotten. "Christmas" trees are still brought into the house. Colored lights and candles light the darkness. The Yule Log is lit.
In some Christian churches, on Christmas eve, the electric lights are dimmed. In the semi- darkness, the Christmas story is told, and near the end, a single candle is lit. It signifies the movement out of the darkness.
Yeah-always light a candle in the yule log at Christmas-cw..
A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR 2008 TO YOU ALL FROM ALL THE MEMBERS OF LYRA AND FROM KAG-GOOD TIDINGS......
Thursday, 13 December 2007
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