Libra node - The Evening Star Café

Screenshot of Thereus' orbit and position at the time of discovery, courtesy of JPL. Thereus' orbit is just outside that of Saturn, and is slightly inclined.

Focus On: (32532) Thereus

Theano / January 23, 2024 / Ceres resonance, Libra node, Neptune resonance, Saturn resonance, Uranus resonance

Name origin: Greek; one of the Centaurs. Thereus was killed at the Lapith wedding by Theseus; he was a bear hunter “who used to take bears on the mountain slopes of Thessaly, and carry them home angry and alive.”

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Othello and Desdemona (c. 1780), from William Blake's Illustrations to Shakespeare. A typical Blake painting in sepia, browns and greys. Othello (left), a young Black man dressed in armour and a cloak with uncovered head, holds Desdemona's hand and one arm surrounds her waist. He gazes at her with a loving expression. Desdemona's other hand rests across her chest, and she returns his gaze with some demureness. She is a young white woman in a simple, pale dress with a loose headdress partially covering golden hair.

Aquarius discovery, Asteroids, Focus On, Main belt objects

Focus On: (666) Desdemona

Theano / January 1, 2024 / Ceres resonance, Jupiter resonance, Libra node, Saturn resonance, Uranus resonance

Name origin: Desdemona, character in Shakespeare’s Othello. The name may have been inspired by the asteroid’s provisional designation, containing the letters “DM”. Desdemona is the faithful wife of Othello whose reputation is muddied by the villain Iago.

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Filippino Lippi (1457-1504): Five Sibyls Seated in Niches: the Samian, Cumean, Hellespontic, Phrygian and Tiburtine, c. 1465-1470.

Aries discovery, Asteroids, Cybele group objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Outer main belt objects

Focus On: (168) Sibylla

Theano / January 1, 2024 / Ceres resonance, Jupiter resonance, Libra node, Saturn resonance, Venus resonance

Named after the Sibyls, oracles in ancient Greece. Originally there may have been just one Sibyl at a time, but the number eventually increased to nine or ten. Bases included Delphi, Samos, Delos and Clarus. The etymology of the term’s source is unknown.

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Mosaic of Polyphemos and Galatea, Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos.

Aries discovery, Asteroids, Focus On, Main belt objects

Focus On: (74) Galatea

Theano / January 1, 2024 / Ceres resonance, Chiron resonance, Earth resonance, Jupiter resonance, Libra node, Mars resonance, Saturn resonance, Uranus resonance, Venus resonance

Name origin: Greek – either a Nereid, or a mortal formed from a statue. Galateia was one of the fifty Nereides and the goddess of calm seas, wooed by Polyphemos with music, milk and cheese.

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Asteroids, Focus On, Main belt objects, Pisces discovery

Focus On: (60) Echo

Theano / January 1, 2024 / Ceres resonance, Earth resonance, Jupiter resonance, Libra node, Mars resonance, Saturn resonance, Venus resonance

Zeus ordered Ekho to protect him when he was dallying with her fellow nymphs. She did this by engaging his wife Hera in chat when about to discover her husband’s infidelity. As punishment, Hera cursed Ekho by only allowing her to repeat another’s words. Afterwards, Ekho fell in love with the mortal Narcissus, who spurned her. He wasted away pining for his own reflection, and she eventually did the same in mourning for him.

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Floor mosaic at the House of Mnemosyne in Antioch, dated 2nd-3rd century CE. The goddess places her hand on the back of a man's head, symbolically aiding his memory.

Aries discovery, Asteroids, Focus On, Main belt objects

Focus On: (57) Mnemosyne

Theano / January 1, 2024 / Ceres resonance, Chiron resonance, Jupiter resonance, Libra node, Mars resonance, Uranus resonance

Name origin: Greek Goddess of memory. In the Greek tradition, Mnemosyne is one of the Titans, the twelve divine children of the earth-goddess Gaia and the sky-god Uranus. She is also the mother of the nine Muses by her nephew Zeus.

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Skyline of the Euroméditerranée in Marseille from the Mediterranean Sea.

Aries discovery, Asteroids, Focus On, Inner main belt objects, Main belt objects, Massalia family

Focus On: (20) Massalia

Theano / January 1, 2024 / Ceres resonance, Earth resonance, Jupiter resonance, Libra node, Mars resonance

Name origin: Latin name for the French city of Marseille, from which the independent discover Jean Chacornac sighted it the night following de Gasparis’ discovery.

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