We are at the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Depending on the location, you may see 60 meteors per hour as we pass through the comet. The meteors will appear to descend straight down from the constellation Perseus, so named after the hero of Greek mythology who rescued Andromeda. This is a precious place where I sometimes travel out of body to visit, often passing by the constellations where we will be seeing the action in the night sky.
Like many legends, the Perseus story is a compelling combination of prophecy, drama, and suspense. Technically, Perseus was a demigod, the son of the immortal Zeus and Princess Danae whose father, the king of Argos, had been told that his daughter’s son would slay him. Legend says that Princess Danae was locked in a bronze dungeon that opened to the sky. Zeus managed to slip through, and when King Acrisius realized that his daughter had given birth to a son, he locked both mother and son in a wooden chest and threw the chest in the ocean. Zeus had a word with Poseidon to protect his son. The sea was calmed and Danae and Perseus washed up on the island of Seriphos where they stayed for many years.
Perseus matured into a strong man who boasted that he could kill the dreaded Medusa, one of the Gorgon sisters whose hair was made of venomous snakes. Making a long story short, he does slay Medusa and later a sea monster for which he was promised the hand in marriage of Andromeda. The betrothal was contested and Perseus turned his rival to stone.
The prophecy of the Delphi Oracle was fulfilled during an athletic event in which Perseus threw a discus that went off course and killed his grandfather. He was ashamed and did not take the throne but rather offered it to his uncle. He left Argos and became king of Mycenae. When he died of old age, he was lifted into the sky to join Andromeda and her mother Cassiopeia. There he has remained for eternity.
Here is the story in a nutshell:
What we can expect with this influence is an intense effort to destroy the monsters in our psyches and the perpetrators of sorrow on our Planet. Of course, one can also look upwards to see glowing rocks that will burn out before impacting Earth. Today and tomorrow are the optimal times for viewing.
This music is interesting and original . . . and perhaps a little encouraging to those who aspire to compose something with immortal characteristics.
Copyright by Dr. Ingrid Naiman 2023 || All Rights Reserved
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https://www.schoolsobservatory.org/news/2020/perseids
Really enjoyed this and the videos. Thank you, Ingrid for providing us with such variety, timely and interesting posts.