Eclipse:
The word 'eclipse' comes from 'leikw' (to abandon, leave). Derivative
words are lend, left, eleven(1 beyond 10), twelve(2 left), delinquent,
derelict, relinquish, liquid and lye. As I write this the lunar eclipse
has just started in the heavens above me. Lunar eclipses only occur on a
Full Moon and happen at the same time exactly as the Sun, Moon and Earth
align perfectly. In the past eclipses were feared because it had been
noticed that they often heralded earthquakes, tornadoes and winds.
Consequently it was assumed that the eclipses caused them, but such is not
the case. This alignment indeed has the potential to cause all the nasties
mentioned above because gravitational pull on the airtide is maximised.
The eclipse signals this, but won't cause it. This event is being seen in
parts of most countries, but Europe and E of N and S America will be
missing the show entirely.
Once in a blue eclipse
Eclipses typically occur in pairs, with a solar eclipse within 15 days
before or after a lunar one. Consequently there was a partial solar
eclipse on July 1st with another on July 31st. The last month to feature
two solar eclipses was Dec 1880, and the next will be Dec 2206; a rare
event!
Moon's Nodes - Path of Moon crosses Path of Sun
The orbit of the Moon is tilted to the plane of the Earth's orbit around
the Sun by about 5degrees. For half the month the Moon travels above the
Sun's line(ecliptic) and half the month below. The two crossing places are
called the nodes. When the Sun is near either of these nodes, which
happens about every 6 months, then a full or new moon will produce an
eclipse. Eclipse seasons are spaced 173.3 days apart, two defining the
Eclipse Year of 346.62 days. The line of the nodes, and hence eclipses,
moves backwards around the calendar by 19.618 days each year, taking
18.618 years to complete a circuit. In ancient astronomy texts, these
nodes were represented by the head and tail of a huge celestial dragon
which swallowed the Moon or Sun during eclipse. The 18.61 year is still
referred to as the Draconic Year, 6800 days long. And isn't it odd that
346.62 = 18.618 x 18.618?
When a lunar eclipse is due, the sun rises that morning about as far north
of due east as the Full Moon will rise that evening to the south of due
east(or vice versa). The simple rule is: equal angles from due east. So
sunrise and sunset are equally far from the east-west line.
There are generally four eclipses a year - two solar and two lunar. The
lunar nodes are very rich in symbolic meaning and are used extensively in
Hindu astrology. It is said they form an axis across the birth chart,
often pointing to deep, soul issues or moments of destiny in an unfolding
life. The return of the lunar nodes occurs just before the ages of 19, 38,
56, and 75, and certain destiny-making events are supposed to transpire in
one's life at these times.
Weather: coming
In the last issue I stated "we can confidently predict a fairly dry
rest-of-month". That has indeed been the case in Auckland. The rest of the
week sees cool weather with southerlies, as the Moon starts its northerly
climb bringing cold southern airstreams up from the SW. Things will remain
cool and mainly dry until next Sunday, when a front will proceed across
the north.
Snow in France, misery in UK.
Uncannily cold weather hit France last week, causing snow to fall in the
middle of summer. So much dreary unsummery weather has befallen England
since the beginning of the month that a radio station in East Anglia rang
to ask me live on their breakfast show when the rain was going to stop.
The trouble has been that the massive lunar perigee on July 1st was even
more devastating than down here in the Pacific, because perigees until
2003 are occurring in the northern hemisphere.
Q:Ý What caused the strong the strong wind that has been in Auckland for a
few days?
A: On the 13th was the apogee of the Moon, which is the situation when the
Moon is on its closest/furtherest line away from the Earth. The Moon
causes virtually a corridor of opportunity for wind during this time. Add
to that that the Moon was at its southernmost point for July on 15th,
which means squarely over the southern hemisphere, and you have a virtual
close-to-us Moon. If you were into astrology, you would point to Mercury,
the planet that the ancients say causes wind, which has been in exact
opposition to the Moon since last Thursday. You will have noticed that my
freemonth forecast column forecast gale-force winds on 13th. And I think
that's when they did start.
Q: Can you tell me when it will go away?
A: Tomorrow
Q: Why has there been no rain with the strongwinds?
A: Because we had all of July's rain at the beginning of the month. The
average for Auckland is around 150mm for July. We had more than that from
1st-7th. So hardly any now, just wind. The monthly average generally stays
the same. The month is the cycle of the Moon. This fact alone proves the
Moon brings the rain.
(all above questions submitted by Jesse Greenslade)
Q: I know of no met office that uses the term "caused by the moon" when
referring to average monthly rainfall. An average is only a number
obtained by adding several quantities together and dividing the total by
the number of quantities. If you follow the ancient practice of
astro-meteorology of course you include Neptune and Venus in assessing the
wetness or dryness of a particular ingress or lunar phase. It is a
different approach, that's all. What is your answer to that?
(Erin)
A: If you wait for a metservice to mention the moon you'll be waiting a
million years. But, tee-hee, they DO whenever they say MONTH. Even you, as
have most, seem to have failed to see this. Average monthly rainfall means
average rain caused by the Moon. Nothing else. No mention of Neptune or
Venus. Otherwise it would variously be called venusthly or neptunethly
average. We are following the Moon's cycle here, and no culture I know
follows the regular calendar for the Venus or Neptune month.(oops..venusth
or neptuneth) Please accept the logic of this - a five year old would. So
if you find that in your or any other area the recorded monthly average
rainfall stays consistent, I believe logically one MUST ACCEPT it is
controlled by the Moon. By definition, surely there is no other
possibility.
Q: When I look at a local weather chart I couldn't care less if we are
going to get 2 inches or 5 inches of rain. I use the chart to see if it's
going to be a wet spell or a dry spell.
A: Can you explain to me the difference here. I am slow.
Q: Why knock other methods just because they aren't the same as yours?
A: I agree. So why ARE you knocking mine?
Comment and reply re monthly averages
Hi Ken
I think you might find this interesting. Here in the UK I find the highest
yearly total 1067mm in 1967 follows the second highest 1016 in 1985
exactly 18years. Also: highest maximum temperature distribution in January
shows: 15.0c in 1971 also 15.0c in 1989 (18yrs) plus 9yrs (semi)=1998
15.4c (3 highest on books).
Carl(Cumbria)
Hi Carl
Thanks for that. These are the NZ (thanks to metservice) recorded data.
Total rainfall for the three months from March to May 2000, compared well
with rainfalls for the same period since 1972. March to May, what actually
happened: Near average rainfall over most of New Zealand, above average in
eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and parts of Canterbury, Otago, and the
West Coast; below average in southern New Zealand and in some North Island
districts.
>From Keera in Norway
Via the Norwegian Meteorological institute's website, I came across this
WMO statement on the status of the global climate in 1999. It's long, lots
of graphs and stuff, and contains a lot of stats about global warming in
the 1990's.
http://www.wmo.ch/web/wcp/wcdmp/statement/html/913-1999.html
(The Norw. Met. Institute also has an article about the "huts" that the measuring instruments are typically kept in. Turns out nobody thought to consider if the huts themselves would affect readings when they did a massive upgrade 40 years ago. They are currently running a test, comparing different types of "huts" (sizes, materials) and it *may* mean a (wee) adjustment in the mean temperatures for certain decades! The institute's URL is http://www.dnmi.no and has pages in English.)
Current developments at Stonehenge
http://www.rescue-archaeology.freeserve.co.uk/rescuenews/rn79/shengmtg.htm
Indigenous person claims to make weather occur
http://twm.co.nz/
NASA pics of all Earth from space
http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/
Astrology in NZ
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~lianne9/
World's newspapers
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/
Contact
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