Chips on a Sandwich | no. 23 | CELESTIAL STUFF
THE GREAT CONJUNCTION: Winter solstice-- the shortest day of the year-- is December 21st. This year it coincides with an event that only happens every 20 years: The Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. It's also the closest the two planets have been to each other in a very, very long time (like since 1623!). On the 21st they will appear to almost touch each other-- like a giant single star-- with the naked eye. Shall we call it Supiter or Jaturn?
GEMINIDS METEOR SHOWER: We're in luck again. The Geminids meteor shower is one of the universe's most vibrant shows with about 120 meteors per hour. This year the peak is from mid-evening on December 13th to dawn on December 14th. It just so happens to occur during a new moon phase so that means an extra dark backdrop to showcase Geminids' brilliance. Bundle up, get in a sleeping bag and gaze in wonder up at a celestial symphony.
THE DOG STAR: The brightest star in the sky is Sirius A aka the Dog Star. (Now we know why Sirius Black's Animagus was a dog-- apologies if you're not a Harry Potter dork.) To find Sirius locate Orion's belt, the three belted stars point downward towards it on the left. The Greeks and Romans referred to late July as the "dog days" when Sirius appeared to rise just before the sun and the days were the hottest of the year.
YOUR MOON PHASE: Do you believe the moon's phase on your birthday has significance? OK, do you like jewelry? Well, if you answered yes to the latter then take a visit to Your Moon Phase, type in your birthday and read about your moon and what it could potentially mean about your personality. According to her moon Oprah Winfrey is a mystic, LeBron James is a "natural at managerial skills, which often puts [him] in a position of leadership," and here's what Dolly Parton's moon says about her: "you feel compelled to share your thoughts with others... a natural communicator."
POLL: Last week I asked what's that teeny tiny pocket in jeans for. Here are some of your answers: soda money, lip gloss, dime bags, pocket watch, lighter, folded $20 bill for emergencies and miniature chocolates. It was originally intended for pocket watches.