Why Does The Earth Spin?

Zones of the Solar System

Today let's take a look at how our Solar System is arranged We have divided our Solar System into zones. First is the Inner Zone, which comprises of the Sun and the rocky, terrestrial (earth-like) planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

There is an asteroid belt that surrounds the Inner Zone, with rocky, metallic bodies. Asteroid means 'star-like'. But there is nothing star-like about them. Stars generate their own light and heat while asteroids reflect the light of the Sun.Stars are massive, and are found throughout the galaxy. Asteroids are mainly found in this belt between Mars and Jupiter. In Sanskrit asteroids are called 'Laghu Grahas', celestial bodies that grasp you lightly. Ancient Indian astronomy did not know of the presence of the asteroids, because most of the observations were made with the naked eye.

'Astronomical Unit' is the distance between the Earth and the Sun. The Earth is 1 AU from the Sun. Mars is 1.52 AU from the Sun, the asteroid belt is at 2.2 AU and then we make a giant leap to reach the next zone: The Outer Zone...with Jupiter at 5.2 AU from the Sun. The Outer Solar System consists of the gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

After Neptune at approx 30 AU from the Sun, we have a donut shaped belt called the Kuiper belt strecthing from 30-50 AU from the Sun. The eponymous Kupier belt is a cold, dark, vast area with millions of icy objects. Frozen water, gases and dwarf planets. It is this icy region that hosts Pluto.

Far beyond the Kuiper Belt is the eponymous Oort Cloud, a spherical shell of icy objects that form the farthest reach of the Solar System.

Comets

Comets are usually said to be of two main categories, the ones that originate in the Kuiper Belt, and those that come from the Oort Cloud. The Kuiper Belt comets are Short-Period Comets- they have orbital periods of less than 200 years. The Long-Period Comets originating in the Oort Cloud have orbital periods greater than 200 years.

The word comet comes from the Greek word meaning 'wearing long hair'. In Sanskrit we call them 'Dhumaketu', 'Smoke- Tailed'. Comets have a gas covering called 'coma' when they near the Sun, they warm up and form a tail of gas.

A Once In A Time Occurence

Comets throughout history have stood as heralds of change. They have been signs and omens of great disruptions, either for good or evil. In India Kalki Avatara, the Messiah is said to appear as a comet.

It is surreal that we are living bang in the middle of the most interesting times of mankind's history. 2025, especially July-December we will witness an occurrence that has never happened before, 7 comets approach our Inner Solar System. Earlier records have a maximum of 4 comets approaching. And this time around, these comets will be accompanied by the Interstellar 3I ATLAS, something that has never happened before.

How Are You Feeling?

How do you deal with this much energy? It may lead to a sense of anxiety about the future. Frustration and helplessness can be felt.

Or just a heavy feeling of numbness. A feeling of fatigue, perhaps.

Even if the world hasn't seen such events before, even if we have never seen these extraordinary events in the sky earlier, the human being is pretty much the same she or he has ever been for many thousands of years. We are possibly only capable of feeling that much, processing this much, and then our coping mechanisms lead to a certain dulling of our senses.

So no matter what changes now, we know that we have seen through several cycles of change.

In the 8th century AD, Shankaracharya sings "As water drops on a lotus leaf are unsteady and trembling, in the same way life in this world is exceedingly unsteady and restless. Know that the whole world is full of miseries, afflicted by unhappiness and grief."

Seems like things weren't so certain or easy then as we may imagine them to have been.

Also what's worth noting is in this age of advanced science and technology, they are not easy or certain still.

Coming Full Circle

Sure we are amazing and full of knowledge, we have had and will have several information explosions, and we have come a vast distance. But still there are many fundamental things that we don't know.

Where do we come from? Where do we go?

We have settled for far too many convenient answers.

So ....why does the earth spin? People will tell you it is because of inertia. An object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force.

The more honest answer is that we don't know. It continues to spin because of inertia. But why did it spin in the first place? The Big Bang Theory is just one theory based on an assumption.

Maybe someday we will answer the fundamental questions.

Until then we will keep moving ahead rapidly, and still remain uncertain.

Darkness Deepening

We just passed the Autumnal Equinox, this is when the Sun that is moving southwards, comes directly atop the equator. The day of the equinox has the day and night divided in equal lengths.

From here onward the Sun will move towards the Tropic of Capricorn. We are entering the cold months. And this time around India will experience one of her harshest winters with the effect of La Nina.

And we will probably see events that are dark.

Some people dislike this kind of talk. They call it negative. And would rather focus on the positive sides of the world alone.

But at some point of time, you will face the shadow. You will look into the darkness.

For those who see both sides, who have been numbed by the several contradicting opinions of the world, there is a chance to step back.

And if what we imagine is true- that our minds are indeed connected. Then adding a drop of peace into your own mind, will spread it to me. And when I add one in my mind, it will spread to you.

And you and I are connected to the minds of so many.

Imagine how peaceful it can be.

See you next week...take care