Tech Tip of the Month - Adding Sedna to Solar Fire 5.1 by Cindy Sullivan and Ray White
Astronomers from Caltech, Gemini Observatory and Yale University set the solar system in a tailspin on March 15, 2004 by announcing the discovery of the coldest, most distant object known to orbit the Sun. The object, originally discovered on the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the Palomar Observatory on November 14, 2003, was found at a distance 90 times greater than that from the Sun to the Earth -- about 3 times further than Pluto, the most distant known planet. Of special note is the extreme elliptical orbit of the object which takes a whopping 10,500 years to circle the Sun.
Because of its frigid temperatures, the team has proposed that the object be named in honor of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea from whom all sea creatures were created. The story of Sedna is one of rebellion, rage, betrayal, and transformation.What Sedna may mean in an astrological chart is still an area for research. Its eccentric orbit may symbolize the extremes that human beings will go to in order to protect themselves. If we look at the myth, then certainly Sedna would have something to do with family betrayal. When Sedna entered Aries in 1865, the US Civil War, in which brothers sometimes fought each other, was just coming to a close, and President Lincoln was assassinated. Though it would take many years, the country began the long road back to being one nation. In fact, it would take until after Sedna entered Taurus before a candidate from one of the rebellious Southern states (Jimmy Carter) would be elected President. (Though Woodrow Wilson was born in Virginia, he rose to political power in New Jersey.)
NOTE: Ephemeris data for Sedna is preliminary and subject to change with orbit refinement. Adding asteroid ephemerides from the astro.com website is only recommended for customers using Solar Fire 5.1. If you need to update to Solar Fire 5.1, click here.
Here's how to add Sedna and other asteroid ephemerides available for download at www.astro.com to your Solar Fire 5.1 program:
1. Follow the link to the Sedna ephemeris....
Link: ftp://ftp.astro.com/pub/swisseph/ephemeris_files/ast99/se99990s.se1
(If you have trouble accessing this link, right click on the link and choose save link).
2. Save the ephemeris file to disk in C:\SOLFIRE5\SWISSEPH
(or, if you've upgraded from an earlier version of Solar Fire, save it to C:\SOLFIRE\SWISSEPH)
3. Then go into Solar Fire. Click on Chart Options>Files>Asteroids
4. Click "Create". Type "Sedna". OK.
5. Under Location at top choose "Swiss Ephemeris". "Refresh List"
Sedna is displayed as "2003 VB12".
6. Double click to put under "selected asteroids"
Click Save
Next window, Select.
7. To view Sedna in a chart, you'll need to change the wheel style to one that has an Extra Points ring. To do this, Select:
Chart Options>Wheel Style>Uniwheel>UNIEXTRA4.WH1
Click Select.
8. Then, you'll need to specify Sedna as an extra ring point. To do this, select
Chart Options>Extra Ring Points.
Click Create. Type "Sedna"
Click Edit (make sure Sedna.pte is selected)
Choose "Asteroid" under Point Type.
Make sure under "Select File", Sedna is chosen. If not, click Select File button and choose Sedna.AST file.
ADD Sedna under Selected Points. Click Save. Next window Select.
10. Put up a chart wheel to View. Click Redraw on the right to plug in the new wheel & Sedna.
You can add other asteroid ephemerides as well by following a similar procedure.
Pass it on.....
Copyright 2004, Astrolabe, Inc.