Biblical Astronomy

November/December 2012

Editor – Robert Scott Wadsworth <> P.O. Box 2272, Oregon City, OR 97045

Phone (503) 655-7430 <> e-mail – starguy1@comcast.net <> Website – www.biblicalastronomy.com

NEW MOON REPORT

Nehemia Gordon from Jerusalem, Israel compiled the following New Moon Reports for the months of October, November and December 2012 and the beginnings of the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Months on the Biblical Calendar.

October 16 – “The observers from Israel have reported that they were unable to sight the moon on October 16, 2012. This was one of those extreme borderline sightings, which might not have been visible under perfect weather conditions. There was a 1.89% illumination but only 36 minutes lagtime. If the moon had been visible it would have set a record from Israel. Pending further reports, new moon will be tomorrow night (October 17) by default (a lunar month can only be 29 or 30 days).”

October 17 (Eighth Month) – “On October 17, 2012 the new moon was sighted from Israel. Yoel Halevi's photo of the new moon sighted from Kefar Eldad is posted at:”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=420028011386040&set=a.291190204269822.77635.277694812286028&type=1&theater

November 15 (Ninth Month) – “On November 15, 2012 the new moon was sighted from Jerusalem by Deb Burnet at 4:46pm; from Kefar Eldad by Yoel Halevi at 4:47pm; from Givat Hamoreh by Dina Marcus at 4:49pm followed by Avi Ben Mordechai at 4:50pm.

A photo of the new moon from Israel is posted at:”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151241071103629&set=a.385587188628.164146.371892568628&type=1&theater

December 14, 2012 (Tenth Month) – “On December 14, 2012 the new moon was sighted from Israel: from Kefar Eldad by Yoel Halevi at 4:54pm;
from Poriya Illit by Randy Boer, Arena Boer, and Jacob Boer at 5:05pm.”

The next New Moon is expected to be visible from Jerusalem, Israel near sunset on January 12, 2012 when the moon will be 0.94% illuminated and 9.61⁰ above the horizon at five minutes past sunset (or possibly January 13, when the moon will be 4.43% illuminated and 22.16⁰ above the horizon at five minutes past sunset).

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

There was a total solar eclipse that was visible from parts of northern Australia and the South `Pacific on November 14, 2012. This eclipse was not visible from either Israel or the United States. The total eclipse occurred along a narrow path that cut across parts of northern Australia and the South Pacific.

Chart 598 shows the positions of the moon and the sun in the constellation Libra at the peak of the total eclipse as seen from Cooktown in Queensland, Australia. The sun was completely covered by the moon at that time.

Chart 598 – Total eclipse of the sun in Libra as seen from Cooktown, Queensland, Australia on Nov. 14, 2012.

The main theme of the constellation Libra is The Redeemer’s atoning work, or the price deficient balanced by the price which covers. In ancient zodiacs this constellation was shown as a circle, which represented the sacred alter of sacrifice. The ancient Akkadian name for the seventh month, which was the month the sun was in the Sign now called Libra was Tul-ku, which means the sacred mound, or alter. The Akkadian name for this Sign was Bir, which means the Light, hence, the Lamp with its light, or the Alter with its fire. In the same ancient zodiacs the scorpion is seen stretching out its claws in order to seize the lamp or alter.

It is on the tenth day of the seventh month that the Day of Atonement is observed.

NOGAH AND TSEMECH IN CONJUNCTION

On November 14, the planet Nogah (Venus) passed 4⁰ north of the star Tsemech (Spica) in the constellation Bethulah (Virgo).

Chart 599 shows the position of Venus in Virgo at the time of the conjunction as seen from Jerusalem, Israel. The two celestial bodies were in the same equatorial longitude at that time, which defines the astronomical term conjunction.

The Hebrew name for Venus, Nogah, means bright. Its other Hebrew name Hillel, means very bright. Its Arabic name Al Zoharah, also means bright. Its Coptic name Surath means morning twilight. Its Sanskrit name Sikra, means dawn or twilight, while its other Sanskrit name Sivah means bright. It is from these ancient languages and the Scriptures we get the identity of Nogah (Venus) as the Bright and Morning Star.

In Revelation 22:16 Yahshuah identifies himself when he says, “I am the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

The Hebrew name for the star Spica is Tsemech, which means the branch. Tsemech is used exclusively of the Messiah in all 5 usages as “Branch” in the Bible. Isa. 4:2, Jer. 23:5 and 33:15, Zech. 3:8 and 6:12.

Zechariah 6:12-13 –

And speak unto him saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the temple of the LORD; Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; And he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Nogah and Tsemech come into conjunction about once per year and sometimes three times when Nogah goes into retrograde motion and performs a triple conjunction with Tsemech. Such is not the case for this year.

Nogah (Venus) was in Bethulah when Messiah (the BRANCH) was born. It came into conjunction with Tsemech about 17 days after the birth. If this conjunction this year means anything particular at this time, I do not know. As I stated above, this conjunction occurs every year.

THE LEONIDS METEOR SHOWER

The Leonid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn on November 17. The Leonids is one of the more popular meteor showers each year. It peaks most of the time on November 17, in the early morning hours between 1 A.M. and dawn.

This year there was no competition from moonlight, so if you had good weather, you should have been able to see about 20 meteors per hour. Some years produce hundreds of meteors per hour from the Leonids. This was not one of those years.

The radiant of the Leonid shower is in the head of Leo (Arieh) the lion. Sometimes the lion roars and sometimes it purrs. This year it was in between a purr and a roar. I had cloudy weather in my area, so I did not see a thing.

The chart below shows where the radiant of the shower is in the lion’s head.

The main theme for the Sign and constellation Arieh (Leo) is Messiah’s consummated triumph. In certain years, the lion gives a triumphant roar. We are looking forward to the day this occurs on Earth as it is shown in the heavens. The main emphasis in the signs in the heavens is Messiah triumphing over the serpent, or dragon. The war is shown as won by Messiah in heaven, with him reigning in the Millennial Kingdom. As the prayer goes, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

In all the thirty-six plus years that I have studied Biblical Astronomy, this is the first time that I have seen this scripture in this light. Heaven (the constellations, stars, planets, etc.) shows the defeat of the Devil, and Messiah ruling in the Millennial Kingdom. It is definitely our Father’s will that this comes to pass on Earth. This has been portrayed in heaven since the very beginning.

Chart 599 – Venus and Spica in conjunction as seen from Jerusalem on November 15, 2012.

We long for the day when the prayer of Matthew 6:10 is fully answered. When Yahshuah reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords on planet Earth.

NOGAH AND SATURN IN CONJUNCTION

On November 26, 2012 the planet Nogah (Venus) passed 0.9⁰ south of the planet Saturn for a very close conjunction. Chart 600 shows the positions of the two planets in the Sign and constellation Bethulah (Virgo) as seen in the early morning sky from Jerusalem. Here they almost appear as one planet.

Chart 600 – Venus and Saturn in close conjunction as seen from Jerusalem at 6:00 A.M. on Nov. 27, 2012.

The simulation of the conjunction below is from Astronomy.com.

The main theme of the Sign and constellation Bethulah (Virgo) is The Promised Seed of the Woman. Its main portrayal is on the birth of Messiah, but the Sign as a whole also portrays the crucifixion in its decan constellation Centaurus and also the second appearing of Messiah when he comes to judge the world in its decan constellation Bootes.

This Sign also represents the 144,000 virgins of Revelation; the faithful of Israel. Here we have the Bright and Morning Star having words with Satan who is accuser of the faithful of Israel.

PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

On November 28, 2012 there was a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, which was visible in the Far East and Australia. This eclipse was not visible from Israel or the United States.

Chart 601 shows the position of the moon in the Sign and constellation Taurus as viewed at 9:46 A.M. from Cooktown in Queensland, Australia. From the land-down-under, the constellations appear upside down.

Chart 601 – Penumbral lunar eclipse as seen from Cooktown, Australia at 11:39 P.M. on November 28, 2012.

A penumbral eclipse only shows the light shadow of the earth on the moon, which is barely visible. Most of the time I cannot distinguish the light shadow of the earth on the moon. Actually, I have never been able to spot it.

The main theme of the Sign and constellation Taurus is Messiah, the coming Judge of all the earth. For more on the Sign Taurus see the last three pages in the November 2009 issue of Biblical Astronomy.

JUPITER AT OPPOSITION

Jupiter reached opposition (its closest approach to the earth and shining at its brightest for the year) on December 2, 2012. The chart below shows the planet Zedek (Jupiter) in the Sign and constellation Taurus as seen from Jerusalem at the time of its opposition on December 2nd.

At that time it was shining very brightly at magnitude –2.8 and appearing 48.5” across through a telescope. The (“) here represents arc seconds, not inches. There are 3,600 arc seconds in one degree. Jupiter is still shining nearly as bright.

I received an e-mail from a Biblical Astronomy subscriber which had a link to a website that stated that Jupiter was at its closest approach to the earth than it will be until 2021, or the next 8 years. I have not had the time to confirm this but there is no reason to say that the statement is incorrect. This occurs in the normal cycle of Jupiter where it is closer at opposition in some years and farther from us at opposition in other years. Jupiter has a 12-year cycle, so in some of those years in the cycle it will be closer and other years it will be farther away.

UNIQUE LINEUP AND MASSING

On December 11, 2012 there was a neat massing of Venus, Mercury and the moon and a lineup of Mercury, Venus, the moon, Saturn and the start Spica (Tsemech) in the Sign and constellation Libra and stretching from Scorpius to Virgo.

The chart below shows the close massing of Venus, Mercury (Catab) and the bright sliver of the crescent moon and also the lineup of the planets, the moon and Spica in the early morning sky as seen from the eastern United States on December 11.

The moon then disappeared from the morning sky and was not seen again until the early evening of December 14th (New Moon Day).

GEMINID METEOR SHOWER

The peak of the Geminid Meteor Shower occurred on the evening/morning on December 13/14. It should have produced 80 to 120 meteors per hour under optimal conditions. Where conditions were optimal, it should have put on a great show. It had no competition from the light of the moon. Where I am however, it has been very cloudy and rainy for weeks now.

The Geminid shower ranks among the year’s finest. The radiant of the shower is near the star Castor in the head of the figure on the right side in the constellation Gemini. It is this figure that represents Messiah coming to destroy the enemy. The chart on the top of the right side of this page from Astronomy.com shows where the radiant is.

The main theme for the Sign and constellation Gemini is Messiah’s reign as Prince of Peace.

THE QUADRANTID METEOR SHOWER

The radiant of the Quadrantid Meteor Shower is in a constellation that is not of the original 48. It is in northern Bootes and should belong to that constellation.

Under prime conditions, this shower can produce up to 200 meteors per hour. In a typical year it produces 60 to 200 meteors. This year it has some competition from the light of a waning gibbous moon. However, the Quantrantids generate a high percentage of bright meteors, so the shower should still rank among the year’s best.

The main theme for the constellation Bootes is He cometh or the Coming One.

There will be an update on Comet ISON in the January 2013 issue of Biblical Astronomy.

YehoVAH bless you abundantly in His grace, mercy and love!!!