Astronomy and the Heavens – Short stories
Photographs, words and illustrations Nick Sidle
Photograph
Northern Lights
Photograph – Aurora Borealis, Glen Convinth, Inverness-shire, Highland Scotland
5th January 2025 A subtle but beautiful display of the Aurora Borealis above Highland Scotland last night and for the technical the disturbance level was reported at 135nT. For the rest of us there was about twenty minutes when there was a shifting pattern of green light on and above the Northern horizon.
Solar Eclipse
Photograph – Solar Eclipse, Glen Convinth, Inverness-shire, Highland Scotland
Celtic view – the alignment of the sun and moon bridges the spiritual realm and the earthly, opening a door into the spirit world and comes from a dance of the celestial deities. The Celts believed that eclipses were a warning of major events and affected animals and people as well as fate. Eclipses were a major role for druid priests and prompted rituals believed to be ‘a festival of light’. Eclipses are depicted in etchings on megalithic monuments in Ireland.
Batammaliba Peoples (Benin and Togo) view – The sun and moon are fighting and will only truly stop if people on earth settle their differences, sadly resonant with current events.
Badger view – never seen one, if the gods had meant us to watch solar eclipses they would have given us alarm clocks, they didn’t and the day is for sleeping.
Venus
Illustration
3rd January 2025 A special event for lovers of the night in the last few days, Venus was especially bright in the sky and close to the new moon.
Photographs, text and illustrations ©Nick Sidle, all rights reserved