Tag: science

The lunar eclipse

image by Martin Adams
Image by Martin Adams

On the night of September 7, 2025, Earth’s only satellite, our moon, will glide into alignment with the Sun and our planet, entering a grand total lunar eclipse. As Earth casts its darkest shadow – the umbra – fully across the lunar surface, the full September Moon will take on a haunting, coppery-red glow, the phenomenon is commonly known as a “Blood Moon.” Unlike a solar eclipse that flashes by in minutes, this lunar event will unfold with dignified duration and atmospheric depth, inviting quiet contemplation rather than breathless exclamation.

The eclipse will commence with the penumbral phase as Earth’s faint outer shadow begins to dim the Moon, starting around 15:28 UTC. Gradually moving deeper, the Moon enters partial eclipse a little before 16:27 UTC, until at roughly 17:30 UTC, totality begins. At this moment, the Moon will be fully immersed in Earth’s umbra and its glowing face transformed by sunlight filtered through our atmosphere. This total phase will reach its apex at approximately 18:11 UTC and will linger for about eighty-three minutes, finally ending near 18:52 UTC, as the Moon emerges and begins the reverse shadow dance—partial eclipse until about 19:56 UTC and penumbral retreat completed by 20:55 UTC.

This eclipse is striking not only for its beauty but also for its astronomical rhythm. It belongs to the venerable Saros series 128, being the 41st of seventy-one eclipses, each spaced by approximately 18 years. It occurs when the full Moon lies near the ascending node of its orbit, slightly southward, with a gamma value of about –0.275, denoting the Moon passing somewhat south of the central line of Earth’s shadow. Its umbral magnitude, roughly 1.36, indicates that the Moon delves well into the shadow’s core.

In practical terms, this eclipse will be observed fully across vast expanses of our planet. Viewers in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia will witness the entire spectacle, while those in the Americas will unfortunately miss it altogether – this is an Eclipse of the Eastern Hemisphere. Astronomical visibility is generous: around 85 percent of the global population will see at least part of the total phase, with roughly 76 percent able to catch the entirety of totality, and about 60 percent afforded the full run of every phase from beginning to end.

For observers, the sight will be marvelously safe and accessible – no special eyewear is needed, unlike solar eclipses. With clear Eastern horizons, one might witness the waning silver face of the Moon darken gently and then deepen into burnished red as if glowing from within, before slowly emerging again into ordinary twilight.

And as an astronomical encore, this cosmic choreography is framed by an eclipse season: two weeks later, on September 21, 2025, Earth will experience a partial solar eclipse, neatly bookending the lunar event

Dwarf planets

The ever expanding list of dwarf planets are clustered in four major zones – the kuiper belt, the scattered disk, the Sedna belt and the asteroid belt – gone are the days when the asteroid belt was a big deal in Sci-Fi. Today we can track these celestial bodies and see how their mythological characteristics influence the earth together with the planets. This is a new and fascinating area of astronomical and astrological research. Let’s take a look at some of the data we have. Not all of them have been named, many carry numbers – these of course are not used in astrology as the name gives the resonance we need for interpretation.

1. The Pluto Zone – Inner Kuiper Belt and Plutinos

  • Orbital range: ~30–50 AU from the Sun
  • Defining feature: Locked in a 2:3 orbital resonance with Neptune, like Pluto itself.
  • Key named bodies: Pluto, Orcus, Ixion, Huya, Rhadamanthus, Typhon, Thereus.
  • Role: Shadow processors, karmic underworld archetypes, exposing hidden power structures.

2. The Scattered Disc (Detached or High-Eccentricity Trans-Neptunian Objects)

  • Orbital range: ~30–100+ AU, highly eccentric, often with extreme inclinations.
  • Defining feature: Perturbed by Neptune’s past gravitational interactions; not resonant but still influenced by giant planets.
  • Key named bodies: Eris, Gonggong, Quaoar, Varuna, Salacia, Chaos, Ammonite (newly named).
  • Role: Outer trauma codex, chaotic rebalancing forces, creators and truth-bringers, restoring cosmic order.

3. The Sedna Belt – Detached or Inner Oort Cloud Objects

  • Orbital range: Hundreds to thousands of AU, well beyond Neptune’s influence.
  • Defining feature: Ultra-long orbital periods (thousands of years), possibly shaped by an unknown massive planet or galactic tides.
  • Key named bodies: Sedna, Leleākūhonua, 2012 VP113 (“Biden”), 2004 VN112.
  • Role: Galactic messengers, threshold guardians, awakening forgotten epochs of deep time and ancestral trauma.

4. The Asteroid Belt – Between Mars and Jupiter

  • Orbital range: 2–3.5 AU from the Sun.
  • Defining feature: Inner solar system remnants, many mythic goddess names, some promoted to dwarf planet status (e.g., Ceres).
  • Key named bodies: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, Juno, Hekate, Isis, Lilith (asteroid form).
  • Role: Feminine principle, sacred law, devotion, soul contracts, balance of human and divine order.

We are still learning the significance of these bodies – but here is a ‘snapshot’ of how they are influencing us today. This snapshot for late July 2025 shows strong concentrations near the southern cone of South America, East Africa, and parts of the Middle East, many dwarf planets and archetypal bodies are currently influencing these geo-zenith points. Many are clustered around Sagittarius-Capricorn and Aries-Pisces zodiac sectors, highlighting themes of transformation, ancestral reckoning, and deep trauma transmutation globally. Of course we still see Pluto as a planet – and the most well known dwarf planets are Sedna, Chiron, Ceres and Eris.

Meteor showers

Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the orbital debris trails left behind by comets or, less commonly, asteroids. These orbits are vast, elliptical paths around the Sun, some spanning hundreds of millions of kilometres and taking decades, centuries, or even millennia to complete.

In August we get three major meteor showers.
The Perseids from the Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the Sun every 133 years on a long elliptical path stretching from just outside Earth’s orbit to well beyond Pluto.

The Delta Aquariids, believed to come from Comet 96P/Machholz, which has a much shorter orbital period of about 5.2 years, but it is an extreme orbit that brings it very close to the Sun (0.12 AU) and far into the outer solar system (5.9 AU).

The Alpha Capricornids, associated with the inactive comet 169P/NEAT, have a more moderate orbit with a period of about 4.2 years, but their debris has spread widely over time, making for a broader and longer-lasting shower.

These orbits intersect Earth’s path because the comets shed dust and rock as they near the Sun, creating debris trails that linger in space. When Earth moves through these trails, we get meteor showers. The orbits themselves form part of the larger architecture of the solar system, ancient relics of its formation and evolution.

Let’s have a look at them through the Astrology crucible lens

The Southern Delta Aquariids — July 29–30 Peak

Astronomy:
Peaking overnight on 29–30 July, the Southern Delta Aquariids bring up to 20 meteors per hour—swift, silent, and low-radiant streaks. Best seen pre-dawn, especially from the Southern Hemisphere: northern Australia, southern Africa, South America.

Astrology & Geo-Zenith Lens:
This shower beams through the Aquarius-Sagittarius sky path, with zenith influence over the Amazon basin, Southern Africa, and parts of Indonesia—regions currently under strain from fire, water crises, and mining geopolitics. The Aquarian tone pushes for collective solutions, but Pluto’s shadow over these lands intensifies the clash between old systems and emergent voices. Expect whistleblowing, infrastructure cracks, and civil defiance.

Alpha Capricornids — July 30–31 Peak

Astronomy:
This minor shower peaks 30–31 July, sending bright fireballs across southern skies. Only about 5 meteors per hour, but slow and dramatic. Visible globally, best seen from South America, southern Europe, North Africa, and Indonesia.

Astrology & Geo-Zenith Lens:
Capricornid meteors cut through the Capricorn sky dome, lighting up zenith lines across southern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. These fireballs arrive amid authoritarian crackdowns and economic tension. Astrologically, this is a Saturn-ruled omen: karma made visible. Fireballs over Greece, Turkey, and Iran suggest judgement day energies for leaders refusing reform. These meteors don’t ask for permission, they declare the end of denial.

The Perseids — August 12–13 Peak

Astronomy:
The Perseids are the main event of the season they are active now through 24 August, peaking early 12–13 August. The brighter ones can be seen even with some moonlight. Visible, especially in Europe, Central Asia, North America, and Japan.

Astrology & Geo-Zenith Lens:
These meteors radiate from Perseus, beneath the Capricorn-Aquarius-Taurus arc, linking global breadbaskets, financial hubs, and ‘war corridors’. The dwarf planets Sedna and Eris are active in Taurus—signalling famine, resource hoarding, and moral testing. This aligns directly with Palestine, Sudan, and parts of Eastern Europe, where the spark of truth or defiance may catch fire. The Moon’s interference mirrors misinformation: bright little and big lies drowning out the quiet, dark truth. But those awake at night will see what others don’t.