One Aching Tempel


In between Canada Day (July 1) and Independence Day (July 4) in the United States, NASA implements the first known attack by humanity upon a celestial entity - cosmic fireworks results. Granted, landing on planets likely appears invasive to the residents of those planets. But this time, a severe next step is taken. Has anyone yet noticed that the event is just days after the wide release of the new, reissued film, War of the Worlds? And it also follows the persistent retransmission of the e-mail regarding the closest approach of Mars for 60,000 years; this was two years ago and none of this is presently true. War of the Worlds is about an alien invasion and assault on Earth. In 1938, the radio version led by Orson Welles (who I still believe was the reincarnation of Nostradamus - am I kidding? - not really both made several efforts to scare the crap out of people), the invaders were from Mars.


Now the invaders are from Earth. The Deep Impact Spacecraft, launched on 12 January 2005, takes on amoeba qualities and soon splits in two. One portion carries the charge of holding back a bit and watching the show. The impact portion intends to slam into the head of comet Tempel 1. Roughly half the size of the island of Manhattan, this comet’s coma takes the head on collision from Deep Impact, which alleges to want to discover what stuff makes up a comet.


An amazing irony exists in this effort of discovery. Theory suggests that comets probably contain amino acids and other stuff, which when impacting the primaeval bouillabaisse of a bubbling Earth so many years ago, caused the formation of life. Given the strong push for Creationism by the current administration in the U.S., has no one thought this through to completion? Should this theory be confirmed in this cometary destruction, it would undo the entire foundation of the biblical story of creation. Hmm.


Personally, I think there’s another unstated agenda. Anyone who studies inner solar system astronomy (would know Mars will not appear to the size of the Moon in the perihelion transit in passage) knows that the Earth will eventually be struck by an asteroid (nope, not Planet X). The collision could range from downright inconvenient, to out and out obliterating to all life on Earth - until the next comet showers us with amino acids and that other stuff. Asteroids with a hard core composition can be deflected with a missile or some manifestation of Star Wars Defense Systems or whatever they put up in space in the secret launches of the mid-1980 Space Shuttle missions while Pluto crossed its perihelion (no paranoia there, just work out the details). Soft core asteroids pose the potential ability to absorb an impact intending to deflect its track and carry on its natural, God-given course. A comet’s core is likely softer than hard rock. So, it makes sense that this experiment allows for some testing of such concepts without actually taking on an asteroid.


In reality, we now mess with Mother Nature’s Celestial Canopy in a big way. While math can be argued that the gravitational and systemic influences of the destruction of Tempel 1 appear minimal, it has a strange feel to it. So strange is the feel that Russian astrologer, Marina Bai, attempts to launch a lawsuit against NASA citing that the act, “infringes upon her spiritual and life values as well as the natural balance of forces in the universe.” She might have a point, math calculations not withstanding. According the story, Bai’s grandfather pointed out this very comet to her grandmother adding to its sentimental value.


Imagine hanging out with the observant part of Deep Impact, having an alien brew with some of our space neighbors. What would they think of our ways? Near as I know there have been no weapons of mass destruction rumored to exist on Comet Tempel 1, nor any threat. Can’t we find out what we need to know in more subtle ways? Evidently not.


Next January another such cometary result returns to Earth. That’s right. We’ve already passed through the tail of a comet and a probe heads back to us with the borrowed contents. That should tell us what we want. No need to explode a comet, for goodness sakes. Problem is that the last time NASA tried to bring back space samples - in this instance solar particles - the probe, supposed to be captured by Hollywood helicopter pilots missed the mark and augured in. The next probe is scheduled to land in Utah, next January, coming down softly with the cushioning of a parachute. All of that is entirely true! In fact, I wrote a story in my book, Glimpses, about what could go wrong with the landing (you haven’t ordered your copy yet?) .


Not only has humanity extended itself well into space to find out the Mind and Heart of God, now intentional destruction of God’s Creation is at hand. Somewhere in me that arouses an unwelcome feeling of “uh-oh.” We shall survive our attack in space. In fact, with a reasonable telescope you can watch the fireworks as we’ve become accustomed to watching on the 4th of July in NASA’s homeland.


You know, maybe the release of War of the Worlds is perfectly timed. We, as humanity, would go so defensive and certainly ballistic against any alien arrival if we had half a chance. What’s the answer? I don’t know. But should Tempel 1's destruction also throw Mars off course and should it appear as large as the Moon, I’m heading out the Superstition Mountains to hide out in the tunnels dug by alien space ships out there years ago and now used for strategic defense purposes.


Within two weeks in a Galactic times, you’ll receive the real story on the impending attack of Mars to perihelion proximity. Until then, go see the dang movie, but first read the back story of the 1938 debacle and check out the Gene Barry version. And also until then, anyone re-transmitting the “Mars is closer than ever” e-mail owes it to the rest of humanity to buy my Astronomy for Astrologers book available on CD. Hey, the stuff I wrote above is even weirder and more accurate that this anachronistic e-mail. Think how much fun cosmic truth is as opposed to cosmic fiction (Planet X will not kill us, the Pleiades is not the center of the Universe despite how cool that sounds to those channeling the spirits from there). Have an iced tea with comet dust as sweetener. Sit back to collect your thoughts, rubbing your temples contemplatively as Deep Impact does something similar right above your backyard.