Axis
After several decades of getting out of my vehicle in the same spot at home, n looking up at the stars after dark, this winter I've noticed a big difference in the small section of sky I'd had memorized for seasons n times of night.
Now I most often get home under Draco instead of Bootes, n the Corona Borealis which was so easy to find is way over, hard to see. For weeks I'd wondered why I wasn't recognizing the formations but thought it must be my tired state n really didn't have time to dwell on it.
Last summer the night sky hadn't seemed so drastically different, but since last May I've noticed different sunrise/sunset location n angle ascention/descention of the Sun from the usual previously noted places for many years from my windows.
When I earlier stated "Perhaps the Earth's axis has shifted" I wasn't pretending. I was surmising it had happened, due to the stars change of location I've noticed. Then it would explain all the strange nature happenings of weather n animals out of whack too.Then just this week I finally did a quick search to see what popped up. I'd truelly forgotten the part in the news about the big Japan Earthquake changing the planet's axis last March, but remember the tectonic plate shifting the Island of Japan 8 feet over...
Perhaps the stars were just more noticable to me with the season change due to the small section I always see in the early am between the house n the car. I'm still wondering why more folks haven't been mentioning it.
Perhaps dolphins navigate by the stars. I wonder if whales, geese, fish, n other migrations will get off course without the Sun n Moon's normal position relative to land. Also I wonder what lasting effects this will have on climate n weather conditions.
Had you noticed the changed night sky?
posted by Snaggle Tooth @ 5:34 AM
15 comments
15 Comments:
I have not noticed this, but you are certainly more discerning than I am! Good observation skills and I do wonder if eventually an earthquake will pull us far enough off our axes that we will not be able to survive!
I'm so impressed that you study the sky like that. I cannot always see star patterns clearly where I live - I guess because of the pollution haze. So interesting that everything has shifted.
Tabor, it seems few have- I tend to do things the same alot so notice the difference. We'll never know what'll happen next!
Lynn, I'm lucky the town cut back on street lighting, n to be away from city lights here. It really had me going nuts for a bit here-
Of course I aced Astronomy in college, along with Earth n Ocean sciences, so I'm pretty interested in it.
That's really something, Snaggle. It could definitely explain animal behavior like the dolphins being affected by such a shift. It's hard here in the city to get a good consistent view of the stars.
Ialon, I'd thought you might notice the moved constellations with frequent dog walking n your observation skills- city lights sure dampen the less bright stars tho. We are currently in never seen before territory until March 11, The Earthquake anniversary.
Note: I just saw another search mention the Chilean quake was March 1 2010 which also shifted the axis- All these shifts are adding up! Wonder if we'll get another large March quake again this year?
About the only thing that I've noticed about the night sky is that it's a bit more melancholy this year than in previous years.
G, I spend most of my awake hours at night, n definately I'm not cheery in the winter, but the constellations are definately in a different place now than last winter!
Part of Japan may have moved, but the actually Earth Axis has only changed by a few millimeters.
But I agree, I look up a lot. Something does seem different upstairs. Venus seems to be hanging around a lot longer than I remember in the west after sunset.
Neo, The position of the Earth's Siderial time orbit only changed millimeters, BUT the Mass axis around which the Earth rotates has changed Hundreds of meters more than that! Magnetic North-South pole has shifted- More than ever since it has been kept track of- n had shifted almost a degree back in March 2010. I did my research.
Plus the Orion constellation is smaller in the sky than previously... on n on the noticable differences-
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There was a docu I watched awhile ago about how they were able to find ancient pottery and rocks from volcano's, and because of the way they settled, they were able to tell the direction of the Earth's magnetic North at the time. These experiments were done through various points in our history. You'd be quite surprised at how far the M North has moved over the Earth's history.
The M North is always on the move. So much so Tampa had to redo one of its runways last year to reflect the change. Somehow I think you or I mentioned that in a previous ep of ESR in the comments?
Based on my crude method over the summer I compared photos I'd taken during the sunsets, and came to the conclusion the sun was off by about 4 degrees from previous years.
Plenty of other really cool stuff I could add on, but this is one of those rare conversations that are easier to talk about than to type. :)
PS... due to my retarded typos in my previous comment, I had to delete and fix some... ;O
Neo, you are talking to the queen of terribly ripe typos! (Rypos)!
My eyes aren't what they used to be reading on this contraption...
I confirmed my guess on different sites including NASA.
But yes, I'm waiting to see if there's another March large quake shift this year-
*pops out one of your eyes and inspects it returning it to its socket*
Yes, you are quite right...
Neo, I just love the "Ploowp" noise when it goes back in...
Neo, Beware *Poofing* in the Ides of March!
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