Posted on 06/17/2015 11:11:55 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster? Even if you have, you probably have never seen it as dusty as this. Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiades can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident. The featured exposure took over 12 hours and covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. Also known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the Pleiades lies about 400 light years away toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus). A common legend with a modern twist is that one of the brighter stars faded since the cluster was named, leaving only six stars visible to the unaided eye. The actual number of Pleiades stars visible, however, may be more or less than seven, depending on the darkness of the surrounding sky and the clarity of the observer's eyesight.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit and Copyright: Marco Lorenzi (Glittering Lights)]
Since I’ve never been to the Southern Hemisphere, no.
The Pleiades are in the Northern Hemisphere. They appear above the tree line in the Fall.
M45 is in the Northern Hemisphere. Next to Orion and Taurus. Called the 7 Sisters.
Thanks for the correction.
Very cool!
The Pleiades cluster is mentioned in the book of Job.
And in the book of Amos:
“Seek him that maketh the seven stars (the Pleiades) and Orion,” 5:8.
Some believe the seven stars in Jesus’ hand Rev. one, has its basis in the Pleiades.
What if you don’t have trees?
Then your first sign of Fall will be a week early. But no matter, the Seven Sisters will be visible almost directly overhead during late evenings throughout most of the Fall. It is when you see Orion come up on whatever your Northern Hemisphere horizon is that tells you Old Man Winter is knockin’ on the door.
What’s the orange star in the center?
Look at Orion constellation then to the upper right a bit above the star and you can see the Pleiades.
Fall is a week early for people without trees? I like Fall, so I should cut down all of my trees?
“Sign”. First sign of Fall.
Correct. Orion “follows” the Seven Indian Maidens.
"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion?" Job 38:31
The context is God "taunting" Job by pointing out an enormous list of things He has done that Job cannot. Here, God claims to have bound the Pleiades and the cord--that is, the stars comprising the belt--of Orion. He is stating they are gravitationally bound to one another, not merely appearing to be close together, as when a brighter star that is farther away appears near a star that is intrinsically dimmer, but are actually close enough to be grabbed by one another.
That is a claim that could not be tested until the 20th Century, when telescopes finally became powerful enough to determine the truth of that claim. They verified it. As such, it stands as a powerful proof, though far, far from unique, of the Bible's thorough accuracy.
True, about the scientific side of this, but I rather doubt, to an ancient like Job, this is what it meant to him. Nor to God either, who, in scripture, defers to the times people live.
To the ancients, the “girding” of the loins meant, in our modern lingo, “lock and load.” Orion the warrior with his loins girded for battle. His cords, or belt, conveyed that thought to the ancients. God who formed the constellations, has Orion pictured thusly, the question is put to Job, can he change this? can he loose those cords?
Likewise, the Pleiades.
> The three stars in the belt are Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak. According to an astronomer with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Ronald Maddlaena, these are the meanings of the three stars: Mintaka (on the west) means “belt”, Alnilam (in center) means “belt of pearls” and Altnitak (right) means “girdle.” The three range between 800 and 1,000 light-years from Earth.
http://www.universetoday.com/85736/orions-belt-stars/
IOW, there is no actual connection, as the three stars of Orion’s belt are 100s of light years apart; furthermore, until telescopic astronomy came along and developed, the companions to each star were unknown.
I am familiar with this passage. Thank you for again stating this powerful argument for the authority of the Bible.
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