The Longest Lunar Eclipse of the Century is This Week
The longest partial lunar eclipse is this week. What can we learn from the ancients about this celestial transitional event?
In the early morning hours of November 19, the moon will be in partial eclipse. NASA says the moon will slip behind the Earth’s shadow for about two and a half hours, and weather permitting, a huge swatch of the planet will be able to see at least some of the eclipse. The moon, as well as other celestial bodies, have played a big role in the lives of ancient peoples, mystics, and shamans.
Jack Cary, researcher and author of “Paranormal Planet,” said about the history and significance of the eclipse, “In ancient times, eclipses were always seen as an omen, whether it be good or bad. As the sun or the moon becomes shaded over, you’re seeing a connection both of the feminine and the masculine qualities of existence, and because of that it was seen as a holy union.”
What is the connection between the moon and divine feminine energy throughout history?
“The moon itself has always been seen as the goddess of the sky, and because of that all goddesses that were worshipped around the world in ancient civilizations all had this symbolism of the moon itself,” Cary said.
What did the ancient people know about the planets that we should remember now?
“In ancient times, Pythagoras, who was the inventor of a cult that worshipped numbers, came up with the idea of the ‘music of the spheres,’ this idea that each planet had its own frequency kind of like a musical scale. And these eclipses, when they line up with one another, have an effect, a vibrational effect, that then encompasses the entire magnetic field of the Earth and actually affects biology on this planet,” Cary said.
For many cultures, the eclipse is a symbol of change, a time for rejuvenation and renewal. How do we honor the planets and ourselves during this time of change?
“There are many mysteries of the moon. The ancients, as they saw these omens, didn’t realize that every ancient civilization saw that as an omen. I think what we can learn is that these are moments when we can both stand in respect and awe of the celestial movements of the planets, just even in our solar system, and just how sacred that is. The most important part I think is looking inward and then making that cosmic connection that is representative of an eclipse,” Cary said.
To best see this eclipse, NASA says it will begin at about 2:00 am on the East Coast of the United States and 11:00 pm on the West Coast.
Decades After Landing on Mars, We May Find Proof of Past Life
After 25 years of rovers landing on Mars, many are looking forward to the next chapter of Mars exploration, which may include excavating deep into the red planet. In July 1997, NASA’s Pathfinder landed on Mars and began its mission to demonstrate how a robotic rover would land on the red planet.Â
Using an innovative design, the rover landed on Mars with a parachute and a series of giant airbags to cushion its blow. The Carl Sagan memorial station and the Sojourner Rover outlived their projected lifespan, and in the years following sent magnificent images back to Earth.
The lander returned more than 16,500 images and the rover sent back 550 more, in addition to chemical analyses of rocks, soil, and data on wind and weather. The final transmission from the Mars Pathfinder was on September 27, 1997, but the data it provided helped scientists to conclude Mars was once wet and warm, and rounded rocks on the surface indicate they may have been worn down by running water, and if there was water, there could have been life.
Flash forward to today, NASA’s Perseverance Rover, on the red planet since February of 2021, is tasked with finding past or present life and seeing if humans could one day explore or colonize Mars.
