#astronomical phenomena

[lionofchaeronea]

Woodcut depicting the Great Comet of 1744, aka Chéseaux's Comet or Comet Klinkenberg-Chéseaux, as seen from Lausanne, Switzerland. Illustration by an unknown artist for The World of Comets, by Amédée Guillemin (author) and James Glaisher (translator), published in London in 1877.

[archivist-crow]

On this day:

MOON COLLISION: THE CANTERBURY EVENT

On the night of June 18, 1178, in Canterbury, England, five monks witnessed an astronomical marvel. It was the Sunday before the feast of St. John the Baptist when the small group, sitting outside watching the skies, saw the upper horn of an east-facing crescent moon seem to split in two. From the split erupted a blaze, which shot out sparks, hot coals, and fire into the atmosphere around the heavenly body. The eyewitnesses saw the moon begin to "throb like a wounded snake" before resuming its normal appearance. The throbbing and shaking of the moon in its orbit happened over a dozen times, the flames "assuming various twisting shapes at random and then returning to normal. Then after these transformations the moon, from horn to horn, that is along its whole length, took on a blackish appearance."

The men reported the event, giving oaths on their honor, of its truth, to Gervase of Canterbury, the famous medieval chronicler. Gervase recorded the collision in his famous illuminated manuscript the Chronicle of Gervase, which documented astronomical phenomena, as well as the ongoing affairs of state and church.

Eight hundred years later, space scientist Dr. Jack Hartung, of the State University of New York, was also impressed with the monks' testimony. Chancing upon a scientific book that referenced Gervase's report of the event, Hartung worked out the impact point and approximate size of a crater created by such a collision. Giordano Bruno, a fifteen-kilometer (9.3-mile) crater on the moon, fits his calculations.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[stone-cold-groove]

Our moon’s violent past.

[thewitfire]

The Dance of Celestial Lights: Astronomical Phenomena

The Dance of Celestial Lights: Astronomical Phenomena. #CelestialLights #AstronomicalPhenomena #spacenews #news #sciencenews

The Northern Lights: A Symphony of Natural Brilliance The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are a celestial ballet of light dancing across the night sky, primarily seen in the high latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic. This spectacular natural phenomenon is a result of collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the Earth’s atmosphere. These…

[conjcosby]

Stardate: 2024.4.8 ▫ Happy Eclipse Day everyone, I personally won't be seeing it but my spirit is there. ☀🌙 #Sun #TheSun #Moon #TheMoon #Eclipse #SolarEclipse #SolarEclipse2024 #HappySolarEclipse #HappyEclipseDay #EclipseDay #AstronomicalEvent #AstronomicalPhenoma #Sky #Sunset #Dawn #Nature #Tranquility #Reflection #PicOfTheDay #PictureOfTheDay #PhotoOfTheDay #PostOfTheDay #POTD

[drifting-knightjar]

Cannot BELIEVE I got to see the Northern Lights!!! In Missouri!!!! Insane!

I've never ever seen it before, it was INCREDIBLE, it covered the whole sky with pink and green, it was so bright at the height of it looked like twilight!

[lionofchaeronea]

Moon halo seen over Argentan, France, on 3 May 1886. Illustration by an unknown artist from an 1888 reprinting of L'atmosphère, description des grands phénomènes de la nature by Camille Flammarion, originally published in Paris in 1873.

[tophatandboots]

Pretty sure if I'd stayed up all night I wouldn't have noticed a glass of essentially wine across an hour

But apparently waking up at 4am makes it land like a sledgehammer

Have fun everyone, I'm going to eat some cheese and then go back to bed.

[theplotmage]

Principles and Laws of Magic for Fantasy Writers

Fundamental Laws

1. Law of Conservation of Magic- Magic cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

3. Law of Equivalent Exchange- To gain something, an equal value must be given.

5. Law of Magical Exhaustion- Using magic drains the user’s energy or life force.

Interaction and Interference

4. Law of Magical Interference- Magic can interfere with other magical effects.

6. Law of Magical Contamination- Magic can have unintended side effects.

8. Law of Magical Inertia- Magical effects continue until stopped by an equal or greater force.

Resonance and Conditions

7. Law of Magical Resonance- Magic resonates with certain materials, places, or times.

9. Law of Magical Secrecy- Magic must be kept secret from the non-magical world.

11. Law of Magical Hierarchy- Different types of magic have different levels of power and difficulty.

Balance and Consequences

10. Law of Magical Balance- Every positive magical effect has a negative consequence.

12. Law of Magical Limitation- Magic has limits and cannot solve every problem.

14. Law of Magical Rebound- Misused magic can backfire on the user.

Special Conditions

13. Law of Magical Conduits- Certain objects or beings can channel magic more effectively.

15. Law of Magical Cycles- Magic may be stronger or weaker depending on cycles (e.g., lunar phases).

17. Law of Magical Awareness- Some beings are more attuned to magic and can sense its presence.

Ethical and Moral Laws

16. Law of Magical Ethics- Magic should be used responsibly and ethically.

18. Law of Magical Consent- Magic should not be used on others without their consent.

20. Law of Magical Oaths- Magical promises or oaths are binding and have severe consequences if broken.

Advanced and Rare Laws

19. Law of Magical Evolution- Magic can evolve and change over time.

20. Law of Magical Singularities- Unique, one-of-a-kind magical phenomena exist and are unpredictable.

Unique and Imaginative Magical Laws

- Law of Temporal Magic- Magic can manipulate time, but with severe consequences. Altering the past can create paradoxes, and using time magic ages the caster rapidly.

- Law of Emotional Resonance- Magic is amplified or diminished by the caster’s emotions. Strong emotions like love or anger can make spells more powerful but harder to control.

- Law of Elemental Harmony- Magic is tied to natural elements (fire, water, earth, air). Using one element excessively can disrupt the balance and cause natural disasters.

- Law of Dream Magic- Magic can be accessed through dreams. Dreamwalkers can enter others’ dreams, but they risk getting trapped in the dream world.

- Law of Ancestral Magic- Magic is inherited through bloodlines. The strength and type of magic depend on the caster’s ancestry, and ancient family feuds can influence magical abilities.

- Law of Symbiotic Magic- Magic requires a symbiotic relationship with magical creatures. The caster and creature share power, but harming one affects the other.

- Law of Forgotten Magic- Ancient spells and rituals are lost to time. Discovering and using forgotten magic can yield great power but also unknown dangers.

- Law of Magical Echoes- Spells leave behind echoes that can be sensed or traced. Powerful spells create stronger echoes that linger longer.

- Law of Arcane Geometry- Magic follows geometric patterns. Spells must be cast within specific shapes or alignments to work correctly.

- Law of Celestial Magic- Magic is influenced by celestial bodies. Spells are stronger during certain astronomical events like eclipses or planetary alignments.

- Law of Sentient Magic- Magic has a will of its own. It can choose to aid or hinder the caster based on its own mysterious motives.

- Law of Shadow Magic- Magic can manipulate shadows and darkness. Shadowcasters can travel through shadows but are vulnerable to light.

- Law of Sympathetic Magic- Magic works through connections. A spell cast on a representation of a person (like a doll or portrait) affects the actual person.

- Law of Magical Artifacts- Certain objects hold immense magical power. These artifacts can only be used by those deemed worthy or who possess specific traits.

- Law of Arcane Paradoxes- Some spells create paradoxes that defy logic. These paradoxes can have unpredictable and often dangerous outcomes.

- Law of Elemental Fusion- Combining different elemental magics creates new, hybrid spells with unique properties and effects.

- Law of Ethereal Magic- Magic can interact with the spirit world. Ethereal mages can communicate with spirits, but prolonged contact can blur the line between life and death.

- Law of Arcane Symbiosis- Magic can bond with technology, creating magical machines or enchanted devices with extraordinary capabilities.

- Law of Dimensional Magic- Magic can open portals to other dimensions. Dimensional travelers can explore alternate realities but risk getting lost or encountering hostile beings.

- Law of Arcane Sacrifice- Powerful spells require a sacrifice, such as a cherished memory, a personal item, or even a part of the caster’s soul.

[cosmicoryx]

if betelgeuse goes supernova during my lifetime ill never ask for anything again

[nasa]

A simulated image of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s future observations toward the center of our galaxy, spanning less than 1 percent of the total area of Roman’s Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey. The simulated stars were drawn from the Besançon Galactic Model.

Exploring the Changing Universe with the Roman Space Telescope

The view from your backyard might paint the universe as an unchanging realm, where only twinkling stars and nearby objects, like satellites and meteors, stray from the apparent constancy. But stargazing through NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will offer a front row seat to a dazzling display of cosmic fireworks sparkling across the sky.

Roman will view extremely faint infrared light, which has longer wavelengths than our eyes can see. Two of the mission’s core observing programs will monitor specific patches of the sky. Stitching the results together like stop-motion animation will create movies that reveal changing objects and fleeting events that would otherwise be hidden from our view.

Watch this video to learn about time-domain astronomy and how time will be a key element in NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s galactic bulge survey. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

This type of science, called time-domain astronomy, is difficult for telescopes that have smaller views of space. Roman’s large field of view will help us see huge swaths of the universe. Instead of always looking at specific things and events astronomers have already identified, Roman will be able to repeatedly observe large areas of the sky to catch phenomena scientists can't predict. Then astronomers can find things no one knew were there!

One of Roman’s main surveys, the Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey, will monitor hundreds of millions of stars toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers will see many of the stars appear to flash or flicker over time.

This animation illustrates the concept of gravitational microlensing. When one star in the sky appears to pass nearly in front of another, the light rays of the background source star are bent due to the warped space-time around the foreground star. The closer star is then a virtual magnifying glass, amplifying the brightness of the background source star, so we refer to the foreground star as the lens star. If the lens star harbors a planetary system, then those planets can also act as lenses, each one producing a short change in the brightness of the source. Thus, we discover the presence of each exoplanet, and measure its mass and how far it is from its star. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab 

That can happen when something like a star or planet moves in front of a background star from our point of view. Because anything with mass warps the fabric of space-time, light from the distant star bends around the nearer object as it passes by. That makes the nearer object act as a natural magnifying glass, creating a temporary spike in the brightness of the background star’s light. That signal lets astronomers know there’s an intervening object, even if they can’t see it directly.

This artist’s concept shows the region of the Milky Way NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey will cover – relatively uncharted territory when it comes to planet-finding. That’s important because the way planets form and evolve may be different depending on where in the galaxy they’re located. Our solar system is situated near the outskirts of the Milky Way, about halfway out on one of the galaxy’s spiral arms. A recent Kepler Space Telescope study showed that stars on the fringes of the Milky Way possess fewer of the most common planet types that have been detected so far. Roman will search in the opposite direction, toward the center of the galaxy, and could find differences in that galactic neighborhood, too.

Using this method, called microlensing, Roman will likely set a new record for the farthest-known exoplanet. That would offer a glimpse of a different galactic neighborhood that could be home to worlds quite unlike the more than 5,500 that are currently known. Roman’s microlensing observations will also find starless planets, black holes, neutron stars, and more!

This animation shows a planet crossing in front of, or transiting, its host star and the corresponding light curve astronomers would see. Using this technique, scientists anticipate NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could find 100,000 new worlds. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA/GESTAR)

Stars Roman sees may also appear to flicker when a planet crosses in front of, or transits, its host star as it orbits. Roman could find 100,000 planets this way! Small icy objects that haunt the outskirts of our own solar system, known as Kuiper belt objects, may occasionally pass in front of faraway stars Roman sees, too. Astronomers will be able to see how much water the Kuiper belt objects have because the ice absorbs specific wavelengths of infrared light, providing a “fingerprint” of its presence. This will give us a window into our solar system’s early days.

This animation visualizes a type Ia supernova.

Roman’s High Latitude Time-Domain Survey will look beyond our galaxy to hunt for type Ia supernovas. These exploding stars originate from some binary star systems that contain at least one white dwarf – the small, hot core remnant of a Sun-like star. In some cases, the dwarf may siphon material from its companion. This triggers a runaway reaction that ultimately detonates the thief once it reaches a specific point where it has gained so much mass that it becomes unstable.

NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see thousands of exploding stars called supernovae across vast stretches of time and space. Using these observations, astronomers aim to shine a light on several cosmic mysteries, providing a window onto the universe’s distant past. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Since these rare explosions each peak at a similar, known intrinsic brightness, astronomers can use them to determine how far away they are by simply measuring how bright they appear. Astronomers will use Roman to study the light of these supernovas to find out how quickly they appear to be moving away from us.

By comparing how fast they’re receding at different distances, scientists can trace cosmic expansion over time. This will help us understand whether and how dark energy – the unexplained pressure thought to speed up the universe’s expansion – has changed throughout the history of the universe.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will survey the same areas of the sky every few days. Researchers will mine this data to identify kilonovas – explosions that happen when two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole collide and merge. When these collisions happen, a fraction of the resulting debris is ejected as jets, which move near the speed of light. The remaining debris produces hot, glowing, neutron-rich clouds that forge heavy elements, like gold and platinum. Roman’s extensive data will help astronomers better identify how often these events occur, how much energy they give off, and how near or far they are.

And since this survey will repeatedly observe the same large vista of space, scientists will also see sporadic events like neutron stars colliding and stars being swept into black holes. Roman could even find new types of objects and events that astronomers have never seen before!

Learn more about the exciting science Roman will investigate on X and Facebook.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[ad-caelestia]

grimoire organization ideas 🔮

what is a grimoire?

a grimoire can be defined as a book of magical spells and invocations; sometimes used interchangeably with "book of shadows" but you can call it whatever you want.

what should i write my grimoire in / on?

a grimoire can be handwritten or typed, there is no wrong way to construct your grimoire. (for example, my grimoire is typed in a one note document but also stretched across many, many different notebooks and composition books)

what can i put in my grimoire?

about the author

favorites: color, magical tools, herbs, crystals

tarot birth card, astrology birth chart, personal beliefs, relationship with deities or other spiritual beings

basics 

intent

visualization

meditation

terminology

protection, cleansing, & banishing using various energies: shields & wards, circle casting / take down, protective amulets

enchanting items 

clockwise vs. counterclockwise 

other how-to’s, such as anointing items and dressing a candle

general correspondences

days of the week, lunar phases, colors, incense, essential oils, elements

correspondences based on intent 

protection, healing, cleansing, banishing, luck, wealth, love, emotions, mental clarity, psychic awareness, cursing, etc.

altar ideas

crystals

crystal grid designs, crystal correspondences & folklore, gem water / crystal elixir recipes, crystal care 

herbs, spices, plants, flowers, & trees

correspondences, edible vs. non-edible, botanicals with medicinal value, folklore, gardening 

divination

tarot, runes, pendulum, scrying, etc.

spreads

interpretations 

astrology

birth chart + traits, planetary correspondences, planetary hours, zodiac correspondences, moon / star / sun water

sigils & symbols

how to create, personal sigils, other symbols & talismans 

psychic abilities 

identification of personal abilities (clairvoyance, claircognizance, clairaudience, clairsentience, clairambience, etc.)

meditation techniques to strengthen abilities 

personal experiences

important dates

sabbats, wheel of the year, magical anniversaries, astronomical & astrological phenomena (meteor showers, planetary alignments, etc.)

recipes

food

potions (potions are edible and consumable liquids!!!)

beauty products: salt scrubs, sugar scrubs, lotions, lip balm

natural remedies: salves, ointments, balms, poultices 

cleaning products: floor washes, window cleaner, wood cleaner, etc.

powders

witchy crafts

glitter jars, witch ladders, wand-making, crystal jewelry, etc. 

spells & enchantments

sachets, spell jars / bottles, knot magic, candle spells, powder spells, curses, protective magic, etc.

magical goals

∘₊✧─────────────────────✧₊∘

good luck! ✨

© 2025 ad-caelestia

[an4th3ma]

When your love language is astronomical phenomena and chill.

[aerostaticsurrender]

The Satellite Rank in a World With No Space Travel

I’ve wondered for a while about the reason the word “satellite” is used in the RCM to describe a rank when, apparently, space exploration or travel is impossible in Elysium due to the pale. I love the meta’s, fics, art, that uses a space motif for Jean as much as the next guy, but, canonically, there are no space stations, no satellite tvs. It’s unclear even how much awareness Elysium’s population has of other planets, of the motion of moons… they talk sometimes about stars or naval navigation… (I could write a whole post just about how the lack of modern astronomy knowledge would affect language, metaphors, art in the world of Elysium… the implications are fascinating.)

Where, then, is the term satellite coming from? Even if in 52’ they are starting to work on sending high altitude balloons or prototype satellites up, the RCM has apparently been using the term “Satellite” for a long while.

Maybe everyone else already knew this, but I’d never known that the word satellite had an established definition in english well before it was used to describe celestial phenomena.

The term originally comes from the latin “satellit, satelles” meaning “escort or attendent”. Webster gives us the definition, “one who escorts or follows after an important person.” From the Lewis and Charles latin dictionary we get “A lifeguard,” “an accomplice.” My french is rusty, but from the Dictionnaire illustré latin-français we are given “les courtisans,” “compagnon ou compagne,” “serviteur.” A courtisan, a wife or girlfriend, a servant or domestic respectively.

To double down etymologically, the word satellus (simply another form of the word satellit) is literally the diminutive of the word satḗr, meaning “the possessor”. I.e. satellus would mean “the possessed.”

In latin the word satellit was often used to name the followers or worshipers of a deity. If we dig back a bit further, we come to the Proto-Indo-European “Tek-” meaning, “to take by the hand” or “to receive.” The greek words stemming from this same root include the word for “possession,” “property,” “a domestic animal,” “live stock,” “taking, holding, keeping something as one’s own.”

Our astronomical use of the word satellite is actually a metaphor based on the earlier definition—ie the moon “escorts” and “attends” to the earth. The earth owns and possesses the moon. I’d always assumed the metaphor ran the other way, so to speak.

So in Elysium, a world in which the astronomical definition of the word satellite has not eclipsed the original connotation of the word, the rank of Satellite Officer might carry far heavier implications and associations than we’d at first assume.