332: FALL EQUINOX, VENUS and DAY OF ATONEMENT 2015

Three big events all occurring within a 24 hour period.

 In a few hours it will be the Fall Equinox marking the time when the balance of light and darkness now begins to favor darkness. Our days are shorter and nights will be longer. Darkness begins to overtake Light. The fall equinox is one of only two days each year when all points on Earth outside the polar regions see the sun rise and set at  due East and due West along the horizon.  Below are few photos from a hike that I took early this morning to see the last sunrise before Fall begins.

I also took photo in the dark morning hours of the planet Venus. You can see this symbolic planet between the two trees. Last night it was at its closest location to the earth. Venus is also called the Morning Star which is symbol for Christ.   After Tuesday, Venus will begin to dim as well as our nights will be longer and we lose about one minute of sunlight each day until the darkest and longest night of the Winter Solstice.

 

Also: At sunset today began the observance of Yom Kippur also known as Day of Atonement for those of the Jewish faith. It is the holiest day of the year in Judaism.  Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with an approximate 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer.