Happy Dark Rift Day!!!

Happy Dark Rift Day everyone!!!

OK, so here we are, on the morning of December 21st, 2012, and nothing happened (other than the fact that I got the flu three days ago and still recovering from it…not to mention the serious headaches, body aches, and the strange hallucinogenic feel of my recent dreams, most probably induced by my fevers).

Nothing untoward happened.  We got rain in our part of the world.  Three days of rain—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Otherwise, nada.

So this is a non-event.  Of course, I could have posted something like this before the event, thereby proclaiming myself a wise old owl and an all-knowing science geek.  But I’m not a science geek.  That title belongs to others of the more science-persuasion.  I just didn’t think it was anything seriously worth mentioning other than the fact that the Mayan calendar is seriously cool in its amazingly accurate time-keeping ability.  So here we are, entering the part of the sky occupied by the Dark Rift, as we do every year at the same time, and same as always, nothing much happens because the gravitational effects from the black hole at the center of the galaxy isn’t strong enough to affect us.  According to NASA:

“…gravitational effects decrease as the square of the distance from it. Earth is 93 million miles from the sun and 165 quadrillion miles from the Milky Way’s black hole. The sun and the moon (a smaller mass, but much closer) are by far the most dominant gravitational forces on Earth. Throughout the course of the year, our distance from the Milky Way’s black hole changes by about one part in 900 million – not nearly enough to cause a real change in gravity’s pull. Moreover, we’re actually nearest to the galactic center in the summer, not at the winter solstice.” ~ NASA

We do have something to look forward to though.  Christmas!!!

Have a great holiday season everyone!  Go cuddle up to someone special.  Hug your children.  Hug your pets.  Hug your spouse.  Enjoy our wondrous winter solstice, and remember, the winter solstice is not all about Jesus.  He wasn’t even born in December.  His actual birth day is in April (his parents were going off to pay their taxes when he was delivered en route—and when do we all pay our taxes people?  Correct.  April 15).

So keep a cheerful light in your heart and a happy tune in your mind’s ear, and as for today, Happy Dark Rift Day!