Astrological Astronomy: NASA News

A classic NASA photo of planet Jupiter 

Largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter is sometimes referred to as a 'vacuum cleaner' simply because its enormous mass tends to attract and 'sweep up' stray cosmic pebbles - wandering asteroids of varying sizes.

So yesterday (Thursday), NASA sent out one of its Science News circulars to everyone signed up on their email feed. As usual, the text was friendly and concise...

NASA Science News for Sept. 9, 2010

In a paper published today in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, a group of professional and amateur astronomers announced that Jupiter is being hit by small asteroids, lighting up the giant planet's atmosphere with frequent fireballs.

With this (as always) came a link to the appropriate Science News webpage.

On said page, NASA talks about various amateur and professional astronomers recording instances of asteroids hitting Jupiter, and how these seem to be getting more frequent (maybe) ...and how all this is well worth continuing to investigate.

Obviously the astronomical question is whether this is really an uptick in asteroids hitting our giant red neighbor...or whether it's merely part of a continuous celestial drama which has been going on for millions of years with Jupiter cast in the part of a planetary Hoover vacuum.

But metaphysically...? In the metaphysics of astrology, we humans learn things when we're supposed to learn them. So if we're now learning that Jupiter is being peppered with asteroids which explode into fireballs upon hitting Jupiter's atmosphere, on the metaphysical level that would be knowledge and the instinct to expand one's knowledge (Jupiter) having rocks thrown at it. The rocks aren't big enough to disrupt knowledge (or the pursuit of same) but they are enough to attract attention. They're enough to create a stir. They're gaining attention...which maybe is justified and maybe merely represents our getting distraction from something far more worthwhile.

That, we don't know. But if you think about it, what's going on with Jupiter sounds a whole lot like what's going on in general here on Earth. There are many 'bodies of knowledge' held in esteem by various quadrants of society, and they all seem to be getting challenged periodically by someone. 

And that's interesting. It's interesting as a reflection of what we are now learning is going on in our solar system. It's also interesting in the sense that through such discoveries we are actually 'doing the Jupiterian thing' by learning that such ideas are worth knowing and thinking about - even growing into. After all, in the end, it's lasting knowledge which like Jupiter, looms large. And as the planet is, sometimes our ideas, theories and convictions may get peppered with challenges, yes. And as with the asteroids, periodically some ideas will arouse flares and flame ups of disruption.

But real knowledge, that which in time is tempered by knowing experienced and thus transmuted into wisdom...that, like the enormity which is planet Jupiter apparently is pretty much impervious to actual destruction.