Sunday 21 December 2008

Heavens above


Today is my birthday (21st December).

It is the traditional date of the winter solstice, the day when the sun reaches it's lowest point in the sky as the Earth reaches the extreme limit of its axial inclination. It is also the last day of Saggitarius in the zodiac.

While the constellation Saggitarius is known as 'the archer', the asterism is commonly described as 'the teapot' (with the trace of the Milky Way itself emanating from its supposed spout, it being densest closest to the galactic centre).

Interestingly it is reported that this is the most likely location for the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy where the relativistic plasma jet known as Saggitarius A* is found (that's the big yellow one in the middle).

Is there a relationship between the location of the centre of the galaxy and the timing of the solstice, or is it mere coincidence?

It's an interesting one to ponder and the implications for astrologic geometry would be profound if a tenable connection between the two could be established. I'm not convinced however that Mystic Meg is capable of doing the sums, let alone anyone in the Labour party.

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