Signs of the Times

Signs In The Heavens



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Current Events

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Fearful Events
Creation

Take a moment to see The Astronomy Picture of The Day
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him...? Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)

Hubble telescope's top ten greatest space photographs

"Blood Red" Total Eclipse of the Moon Tomorrow Night

Feb. 19, 2008 - A partial eclipse of the moon begins at 8:43 pm (Eastern Time), and a full eclipse begins at 10:01 pm (Eastern Time).
Source:NASA
Get ready for the eclipse that saved Columbus -


Moon to turn red on Aug. 28 in first total lunar eclipse since 2000

Aug. 27, 2007 -
The moon will turn blood red this Tuesday when it aligns with the Earth and the sun in the first central total eclipse in seven years, according to Discovery Channel.
Source: CBN

Astronomers find a hole in the universe

Aug. 24, 2007 - Researchers do not know what it means, but they have discovered a cosmic blank spot that has no stray stars, no galaxies, no sucking black holes, not even mysterious dark matter. emptiness
It is 1 billion light years across of nothing. That's an expanse of nearly 6 billion trillion miles of
Source:Yahoo (Story no longer online)

Earth-Like Planet Discovered Orbiting Nearby Star

Apr. 25, 2007 - A team of European scientists have discovered planet outside our solar system that could conceiveably host life as we know it.
The planet is just the right size, might have water in liquid form and in galactic terms is relatively nearby at 120 trillion miles away. But the star it closely orbits, known as a "red dwarf," is much smaller, dimmer and cooler than our sun.
Much more needs to be discovered to determine that the planet could sustain human life.
Source: Fox

Huge 'hurricane' rages on Saturn

Nov. 10, 2006 - The first hurricane-like storm ever detected on a planet other than Earth has been detected at Saturn's south pole. Images from Nasa's Cassini space probe show details of the 5,000 mile-wide storm.
Source: BBC

Scientists Observe Brightest Cosmic Explosion Ever Recorded

Feb. 18, 2005 - A neutron star exploded, possibly 50,000 light years away, producing the brightest flash ever recorded. The event was witnessed on Earth late last December.
Astrophysicist David Palmer of the U.S. government's Los Alamos National Laboratory says the amount of energy equaled 100,000 years worth of sunlight. "In other words, this was as much energy during that tenth of a second as all the other stars in the galaxy at that time, times over 1,000," he said.
Source:Voice of America
Huge 'star-quake' rocks Milky Way - BBC

Pysicist Rethinks Theory on Black Holes

July 22, 2004- Stephen Hawking, the renowned Cambridge University physicist, says that, 29 years of thinking about it, he was wrong about black holes. He says they do exist, but matter swallowed by them is eventually released through the same pathway.
There is no baby universe branching off (inside a black hole), as I once thought. The information remains firmly in our universe... I'm sorry to disappoint science fiction fans... there is no possibility of using black holes to travel to other universes.
Source:NY Times (Story no longer online)

City-Sized Asteroid to Pass Earth This Fall

May 5, 2004 - Toutatis, an asteroid approximately 2.9 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, will pass Earth on Sept. 29, 2004 within a million miles from the Earth (about four times the distance to the Moon). Other smaller asteroids have come closer in recent years, but this will be the closest of such a large object in the past century.
That's close by cosmic standards for an object that could cause global devastation. Toutatis hasn't been so near since the year 1353 and won't be that close again until 2562, NASA scientists have calculated.
Experts are not concerned that it will collide with Earth on this cycle. It will be visible to the naked eye when it passes.
Source:Space.com

Recent Interesting Headlines

April, 2004 - Here are some interesting recent headlines about discoveries in the heavens:
Weird Object Beyond Pluto Gets Stranger
Biggest, Brightest Star Puzzles Astronomers
NASA Releases 3-D Images of Mars Surface

Sun produces monster solar flare

Nov. 5, 2003 - After 10 days of unprecedented solar activity, the Sun has released the largest solar flare ever recorded. It was rated at X20, but was greater than earlier X20 occurances since it's power exceeded the range of the measuring devices. Solar flares cause geomagnetic storms on Earth, and can produce fascinating lights in the skies.
The blast sent billions of tons of superhot gas into space - some of it directed towards our planet.
Recent major flares have come from sunspot region 486, now officially the most active solar region.
Source:BBC

Sun Hurls Another Solar Flare at Earth

Oct. 29, 2003 - A huge cloud of charged particles is hurtling toward the Earth at over a million miles per hour. The radiation, 13 times the size of Earth, is the result of a solar flare. It may be ranked as the third largest event of its kind in recorded history, and could cause disruption of communications and other problems.
The greatest solar storm on record occurred in 1859, shorting out telegraph wires and starting fires in the United States and Europe. ... if it hooks up with Earth in just the right way, [it] would be about one-third as strong as the 1859 tempest.
Source:MSNBC and NewsMax

Hubble snaps best pics ever of Mars

July 28, 2003 - Outstanding pictures from the Hubble telescope on the day Mars was closest to Earth in the last 59,619 years. There is also a link from this page to a slide show of pictures of Mars during the past 20 years.
Source:MSNBC

Magnificent Mars - Closer today than man has ever seen!
Aug. 27, 2003 - Mars is closer to Earth today than it has been for nearly 60,000 years. It is normally visible in our night sky, but at this time it is the brightest object in the eastern sky just after sunset. This NASA site shows an image of Mars taken just last night from the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit around the Earth. It is the most detailed view of Mars ever taken from Earth.
Source:NASA
Mars Information 		mars030827nasa.jpg - 7118 Bytes

Giant sunspot erupts
Mar. 30, 2001 - Noaa 9393, the largest group of sun flares for more than a decade, are errupting now and may cause a 'geomagnetic storm' on Earth within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Source:BBC
See: NASA's Solar Max site
Also: Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Mutant fungus from space
Mar. 8, 2001 - When Russia's Mir Space Station return to Earth in late March, it will be bringing with it mutated forms of fungus which have developed in the unique environment of the space station for some 15 years. It will splash down in the ocean near New Zealand. Scientists are concerned about the possible effects of the new strains here on Earth.
Source: BBC

Pictures of the Blood-Red Moon
Jan. 10, 2001 - Visit these sites where there are details of yesterday's spectacular lunar eclipse.
CNN
BBC

Eclipse will paint the moon red
Jan. 9, 2001 - Tonight's total eclipse of the Moon, to be visible in the Eastern Hemisphere, and on the Internet, will not block it out altogether, but will cause it to look red.
The article gives links to Internet sites where you may observe the phenomenon.
Source: MSNBC (Story no longer online)

Huge galaxy grouping spied
Jan. 9 - 2001 - A supercluster of galaxies has been discovered in the constellation of Leo that could be the biggest structure anywhere in the observable Universe.
The grouping is thought to be about 500 million light-years across and about 6.5 billion light-years from Earth.
If the concentration of galaxies was caused by a larger than usual amount of matter in the area, traditional theories of the evolution of the Universe would have difficulty explaining how gravity could pull extremely massive structures together over such a large distance, in such a relatively short time...
Source: BBC

Asteroid estimates too low
Oct. 25, 2000 - Nine objects have come close to the Earth since 1951. Scott Stuart, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) believes there are more than 1,100 objects within our Solar System that could come close to Earth. This revises the number upward by 20% over previous estimates.
Source: BBC

A Christmas Star for SOHO
May 17, 2000 - The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, will pass less than 42 arcseconds apart on May 17. Unfortunately, it will not be visible to the naked eye because of its proximity to the Sun, but it can still be observed using the Internet facility of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).
This close conjunction has already been compared to the 2 B.C. conjunction of the same planets that is often identified as the "Christmas Star" reported in the book of Matthew.
Source:NASA
Real time images from SOHO

Hubble image sheds light on darkness within galaxies
May 11, 2000 - The allignment of two spiral galaxies, as seen from the Hubble space telescope, reveals that the dust clouds within a galaxy are great enough to hide some of its stars, thus reducing the theoretical amount of "dark matter" which astronomers have thought was necessary to hold the galaxies together.
Source: CNN
See also: NASA photo

Scientists: No doomsday in store when planets align Friday
May 2, 2000 - An unusual alignment of eight bodies in our solar system will occur on Friday, providing a spectacular view in the sky, but without causing any great effect on the Earth.
But the configuration of these eight bodies is more of a rarity. They lined up in a somewhat similar fashion in 1962 and won't do so again until 2675, according to Don Yeomans and Steve Edberg of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
CNN

Astronomers see further than ever
Apr. 15, 2000 - If scientists views about distance in space, and their ability to measure the "red shift" of receding objects is correct, they have discovered a quasar that is 12 billion light years away. (One light-year is 6 million, million miles).
The quasar is "a compact yet highly luminous object thought to be powered by the gravitational energy of a supermassive black hole as massive as a billion of our suns."
Source: BBC
Further still? - See BBC article on the same day about a Hubble discovery that may be much more distant! Hubble could smash distance record

Planets put on a show
Apr. 7, 2000 - For the next few days Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn all appear in the vicinity of the moon, making a delightful combination for star-watchers.
They are on their way to an even bigger gathering of planets in early May, when Mercury and Venus will join them in the same general area of the sky. Unfortunately much of this grand grouping will be obscured by the Sun.
Predictions are being made by some that the combined gravitational pull of the planets will cause earthquakes and tidal waves, but similar alignments in our generation have not had that effect.
Source: BBC

Experts rule out asteroid threat
Feb. 9, 2000
Yesterday, some news sources reported that a 1km asteroid, which has been named 2000 BF19, could hit the Earth in 2022, wiping out a city or causing a tidal wave.
Further analysis shows that this asteroid is not a threat after all. This is the second false alarm of this kind in two years. (Story no longer online)

Major flare erupts on Sun
Feb. 7, 2000 - On Feb. 5 the Goes 8 satellite detected one of the biggest Sun flares in years. It emitted ten million times more energy than a volcanic explosion. The flare was pointed away from Earth, but if it had been pointing toward Earth it could have caused damage to satellites.
BBC

Red Moon - Total lunar eclipse
Jan. 21, 2000 - Pictures of a the first total eclipse of the Moon in the new millennium, seen in the Americas, Europe and Africa.
"The moon gradually darkened as it entered the Earth's shadow until it transformed into a bright coppery brown red disc. "
Source: BBC News

Contingency Planners Warned About Effects Of Powerful Sun Storms
Dec. 23, 1999 - The Sun is expected to reach the peak in its cycle of activity next month. For the next three months there is the possibility of disruption of satellites and electrical power supplies on earth.
Ed. note: Bible codes are mentioned in the article as well. A passage from Numbers supposedly refers to the event, but recent studies have cast doubt on the reliability of Bible Codes as a predictor of current events.
Source: Internet Wire (Story no longer online)

Brightest Moon for 133 years
Dec. 21, 1999 - Tonight, on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon will be the brightest it has been in 133 years. This is because the Moon will be at it's closest point to Earth in it's orbit at the same time that it will be about as close as it gets to the Sun. The sunlight reflected by the moon will be 7% stronger than in the summer, and 20% stronger than normal for this time.
Dec. 22, 1999 - NASA Picture
Dec. 23, 1999 - Pictures from BBC

Europe, Asia prepare for solar eclipse
Aug. 10, 1999 - The last total eclipse of the Sun this millennium will take place tomorrow (tonight by US time) , Wednesday, Aug. 11, and will be seen by millions in Europe and Asia. The Moon will cut off at least part of the Sun's light for approximately 1 1/2 hours, and will block it totally for about 2 minutes.
The shadow projected by the moon, moving at about 2,000 mph (3,218 kilometers per hour), will make landfall in Cornwall, England, shortly before 10 a.m. local time. It will continue over central Europe, the Middle East and, after crossing India, will end over the Bay of Bengal.
Source: Virtual News (Story no longer online)
See also: BBC Eclipse Total Coverage
Eclipse- Signs and Wonders - BBC

Comet Lee visible in July
NASA picture and explanation of April 27:
Another large snowball is falling toward the Sun. Comet Lee was discovered two weeks ago by Steve Lee (AAO) in Australia, and is expected to brighten as it approaches the inner Solar System. Comet Lee is not expected to become a naked-eye object, though, with recent projections guessing it will peak at magnitude 7 in July.
NASA does not expect this comet to come close to Earth's orbit, but The Millennium Group presents a controversial view that it's course is unpredictable and may affect the Earth.

Giant meteor explodes over New Zealand
July 8, 1999 - A meteor, possibly the size of a locomotive exploded over New Zealand. Eyewitnesses said it was as bright as the sun, with a long tail. It left a plume of bluish smoke which covered hundreds of square miles. Falling debris from the meteor started a forest fire near Napier, on the east coast. Source:Electronic Telegraph (Story no longer online)

Astronomers perplexed by star's weird behavior
June 3, 1999 -Eta Carinae, once one of the brightest stars in the Southern night sky was the object of attention about 150 years ago (1840's) when it was observed to erupt with a massive outflow of energy, dust and gas. It then dimmed for decades, but now astronomers say they have detected a doubling and tripling of energy, mostly in invisible light. There is no scientific explanation for why this is happening. Kris Davidson, a University of Minnesota astrophysicist, commented, "Occasionally something happens in astronomy that is so bewildering that it makes astronomers nervous, This is weird. We don't understand."
(Story no longer online)

Solar System Discovered With More Than One Planet
April 15 - The first system of planets around a normal star other than our Sun has been discovered. Source:NASA- Astronomy Picture Of The Day

Iridium Reflections Give Surprise Light Show
Feb. 16, 1999 - An unexpected source of "light pollution" is caused by Motorolla's Iridium low-orbit satellite system. The 66 satelites effectively link the entire earth for communications. Periodically a brilliant flare is reflected to various parts of the earth as each satellite reaches the point where its main solar panel acts like a perfect mirror.
Source: Chicago Tribune http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990416.html

Once-In-A-Millennium Event In The Sky
May 14, 1998 - An extremely rare passing of the Moon in front of both Venus and Jupiter has been recorded. Such an event has not been visible since 567 A.D., and it is not known whether it was witnessed by anyone at that time.

Greatest Explosion Ever Observed In The Universe
May 7, 1998 - Information has been released about a cosmic explosion detected by Gamma Ray measurements last December. The article states, "Some estimates suggest that in a few seconds the burster released the equivalent energy of several hundred supernovae (exploding stars)." This explosion is so extreme that it challenges conventional theories.

Scientists stunned to learn universe may be accelerating
Feb. 27, 1998 - Astronomers are discovering that the Universe seems to be expanding faster than it used to. This would contradict the accepted view that it is slowing down after a "Big Bang." They may have to postulate a fifth force to explain the phenomenon. Einstein had once thought there was such a force, but retracted it as his "greatest blunder."

Composite Picture of Solar Eclipse
Feb. 27, 1998 - Fascinating pictures from yesterday's eclipse.

Planets Line Up Like String Of Pearls
Dec. 4, 1997 - See the diagram of a most unusual configuration of the planets which can be seen in the Southwestern sky at dusk. Five planets which may be seen with the naked eye, and three others which may be seen with telescopes are all lined up like a string of pearls.

Largest Known Star - 10 million times brighter than our Sun!
10/7/97 - Latest Hubble Telescope pictures of the Pistol Nebula reveal the massive star. In an official press release, they say it is big enough to fill the diameter of Earth's orbit, and that it unleashes as much energy in six seconds as our Sun does in one year!

Solar Flare Could Cause Disruption
April 9, 1997 - In reports from Reuters and Associated Press, a "moderate" solar flare sent billions of tons of charged helium and hydrogen toward the Earth at nearly 2 million miles per hour. No serious problems are expected, but this flare is the first one photographed by the SOHO sattelite which shows the giant tidal wave on the Sun caused by a solar flare.
The sun has an 11 year cycle of activity which will reach it's maximum in four years. The AP article cited David Speich (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), who said that when it reaches this "solar max" there are several flares each day that are ten times as big as this one, and once every 2 to 4 days there will be one 100 times as big!
The Earth is shielded by our magnetic field from most of the damage from these Sun storms cause. Severe storms can destroy sattelites, disrupt radio/television communications, and overload power distribution systems. A solar storm did cause major disturbances on the North American power system on March 13, 1989. Power was knocked out across Quebec, and the power grid serving the U.S. Northwest was nearly brought down.
More information about Solar Flares:
NASA - Current Solar Images

Hale-Bopp Comet - 1997

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