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March 12, 2011

That's A Real Bad Moon Rising

I see a Supermoon Rising?

Will the March 19 'Supermoon' Trigger Natural Disasters?
On March 19, the moon will swing around Earth more closely than it has in the past 18years, lighting up the night sky from just 221,567 miles (356,577 kilometers) away. On top of that, it will be full. And one astrologer believes it could inflict massive damage on the planet.

That's not an astronomist, that's an astrologist speaking here - one of the horoscope guys who writes lame prognostications in such general terms that even inanimate objects base their non-lives upon them. Like this one:

“Communicate your feelings to friends today, especially if you're disappointed in the way they're treating you. The void moon gives you a chance to tie up loose ends, either in a social situation like this or with a team you belong to. Saturn allows you to put your thoughts together, but don't be too inhibited to let the truth come out.”

Now, what does that mean? Whatever you want.
Back to Supermoon.

Richard Nolle, a noted astrologer who runs the website astropro.com, has famously termed the upcoming full moon at lunar perigee (the closest approach during its orbit) an "extreme supermoon." When the moon goes super-extreme, Nolle says, chaos will ensue: Huge storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters can be expected to wreak havoc on Earth. (It should be noted that astrology is not a real science, but merely makes connections between astronomical and mystical events.)

In light of the horrific events in Japan, there are perhaps some effects of an extreme perigee that do not relate to Saturn's void fourth house. From the Daily Mail:

The powerful tsunami that today slammed into Japan's eastern coast comes just two days after warnings that the movement of the moon could trigger unpredictable events on Earth.

Astrologers predicted that on March 19 - a week tomorrow - the so-called 'supermoon' will be closer to Earth than at any time since 1992, just 221,567 miles away, and that its gravitational pull will bring chaos to Earth.

Others on the Internet have predicted it will cause further catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Coming just three weeks after the quake which devastated Christchurch in New Zealand killing hundreds, this latest disaster will only add fuel to their fire.

[...]However, scientists dismiss this as utter nonsense and that although it makes a good photo opportunity for astronomers it has no impact on Earth.

Dr David Harland, space historian and author, said: 'It's possible that the moon may be a kilometre or two closer to Earth than normal at a perigee, but it's an utterly insignificant event.'

Professor George Helffrich, a seismologist at the University of Bristol was equally dismissive.

'Complete nonsense. The moon has no significant effect on earthquake triggering.

'If the moon triggers "big" earthquakes, it would trigger the many of millions of times more "small" earthquakes that happen daily. There is no time dependence of those; hence no moon effect.'

In any event, it gives me an opportunity to slide a great song into the post.
Right about here.

Enjoy this in the comfort and safety of your backyard reinforced-concrete supermoon shelter.

23 comments:

Teresa said...

Astrology is a dangerous belief system. It is hogwash based on no facts.

Awesome song!

Randy-g said...

I told the wife we should have built that damn supermoon shelter months ago! Now I guess its the tree house with the grand kid and a cd player to listen to the Fogerty's....

Rhod said...

Little-known fact.

The refrain is "there's a bathroom on the right", not "there's a bad moon on the rise".

sig94 said...

Teresa - true dat. But we can thank ancient astrologers for precise measurements of the planets which helped develop modern astronomy. All the other crap is exactly that, crap, and it entraps millions of people who accept it as a means to prepare their lives.

Prayer works much, much better.

sig94 said...

Randy - get it up there high enough to ride through the tsunami! And plenty of batteries for the CD player.

Now the questions is, do you allow your neighbors into the tree house when the floods come?

sig94 said...

Rhod - I understand the lead singer in CCR had a bladder the size of a thimble. He was always looking for the loo between sets.

banned said...

Great and very apt tune, one that saved my early teendom which was otherwise spent arguing the rights and wrongs of of T-Rex and Slade.

Christopher - Conservative Perspective said...

Sig, It would seem we are of similar thought's today,,,

sig94 said...

banned - glad you liked it. My teen years were spent arguing whether or not the Dave Clark Five were all gay.

sig94 said...

Chris - this is not the first time...

Anonymous said...

When I hear Bad Moon Rising I thunk of the movie American Werewolf in London

Gorges Smythe said...

Guess we'll know the day after.

Kid said...

There is No CCR tune I don't like. I guess that puts CCR at the top of the stack because there is no other band that I could say that about.

I saw a PBS thing once where John Fogerty took callers requesting tunes and I swear he played every CCR tune ever done by himself and they all sounded great.

As far as the moon causing problems, I will suggest it is possible because a large enough group of people believe it can. Similar to how voodoo works. And voodoo does work where people believe it.
In fact, this is how I explain most supernatural events - ghosts etc. People make them occur through their own power of belief and tele-kenetics

Kid said...

Rhod, Yes, I heard CCR actually sang 'bathroom on the right' just for fun once or twice on the road.

sig94 said...

FuzzyD - same here; great snout work in that flick, no?

sig94 said...

Kid - the human mind is a funny thing. I've got several in my study and those rascals are an endless source of amusement.

Bob said...

Sig, Cats are even more fun.

sig94 said...

Gorges - DC used to tell me stories of how he would frequently wake up naked and bruised, bound in restraints within a locked cell, but it had nothing to do with the moon.

sig94 said...

Bob - we have one at home; but it refuses to remain in the jar.

Woodsterman (Odie) said...

What makes this worse is it's a weekend and all of the Bay Area idiot drivers will be invading us to go skiing. I'm locking myself in!

WomanHonorThyself said...

oish and what about the nuclear meltdown?..sigh...Have a great Sunday my friend..:)

sig94 said...

Odie - look at the bright side. Monday morning will reveal a cocaphony of broken liberal legs and twisted ankles.

sig94 said...

WHT - Between the WWII drubbing and Godzilla, Japan has plenty of experience digging itself out of a hole. Besides, this is Heaven's judgement for having sex with robots.