Happy Anniversary to the discovery of Pluto! This post is entering cyberspace at the precise local Arizona time that Clyde Tombaugh announced to the head of Lowell Observatory that he had indeed found Planet X, a.k.a. Pluto. From our outer solar system to our inner solar system...
Turns out things shift and change toward the more intriguing and highly complex in our inner solar system as well as our outer solar system. On the 4th of January astronomers discovered the asteroid 2019 AQ3 - an asteroid that is a “very rare species.”
This “oddball asteroid” orbits the Sun once every 165 days within an elliptical orbit that takes it closer to the Sun than Mercury and when at its most-distant point from the Sun it ranges slightly beyond Venus. This brief saunter about the Sun grants this asteroid the shortest period orbit of all the known asteroids.
Expect the discovery of this body to reignite speculations of Vulcan, previously theorized to be a planet closer to the Sun than Mercury. Or perhaps a subclass of asteroids that will be dubbed Vulcanoids. Spock, if you can hear us, please render solid logic for us to follow in the philosophical thought frenzy likely to follow.
Being a relative newcomer to our awareness, many orbital elements remain unrefined. Where it comes closest to the Sun for instance. Subject to change, this point is now figured to be 17 Scorpio 39 (heliocentric).
Current positional data is a bit difficult to locate for this asteroid critter, however, on the 5th of February it transited 22 Aquarius 37 and was very close to the Sun when it became widely released into the public domain. The day after its discovery (5 Jan), the asteroid retrograded through 28 Aquarius 06.
A bit of firm data for 2019 AQ3 consists in the fact that it traverses the solar equator at 4 Gemini 29 (heliocentric), positing the north node in the duplicitous sign.
What Geminian themes might appear that we can process?
> When taking in the input of others, despite what they declare as their truth, consider the fact they likely believe what they espouse.
> You can’t have it both ways.
> Try to grasp thought forms different from your own and consider the merit of differing thoughts not to undermine the validity of yours.
What is the message of this inner asteroid’s travel between the communicator, Mercury, and the planet of values and want, Venus? The articulation of needs, wants and desires seems to be its thing.
There’s an additional weave with Mercury and Venus at this time. Both planets now approach conjunctions with gaseous giants. With Mercury conjunct Neptune in Pisces and Venus conjunct Saturn in Capricorn, what a perfect time to become aware of this interplanetary wanderer. Perhaps this asteroid pinballs between the inner planets to ensure that those of this solar system constantly keep in mind those elements of life they hold near and dear, and to inspire clear and abundant communication about anything that matters.
So with Mercury and Neptune together in Pisces, dream big, let your imagination wander far and wide, beyond known, discovered dimensions. With Venus and Saturn in Capricorn, take those wanderings and ground them in practical reality. Turn them into something useful and inspirational such that at the end of the day things feel better and worth it. Give the gift of arousing the human spirit. Use your thoughts, dreams and visions for the good of all things. You never know what might result.
From his current position in Taurus, Mars more distantly observes the tapestry created with this new asteroid’s integration with the orbits of Mercury and Venus. Within the next weeks, if Mars looked to higher elevations above the zodiacal plane in which he travels, he might note that he inches below the constellation Perseus - the constellation of the mythic hero.
Hero is an abundantly applied term in today’s society. But given the requirements of daily life, perhaps tweets and posts (Mercury) can express the good results (Venus) of noble actions (Mars) taken by folks without thinking (Mercury-Neptune) that offer grace and salvation (Venus-Saturn in Capricorn) while preserving our most precious resources and invigorating the human spirit.