Expert: Tom Whiting - 1/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: on 11/17/08 12:13 am central time southern tennessee the stars appeared to shift in the sky was this a axis shift or was i mistaken close on the time

ANSWER: Hi Joe,
The stars are always "shifting" in the sky...read that 'apparently moving', because the Earth rotates Eastward 15 degrees per hour, or 1 degree every 4 minutes. But usually the average person doesn't notice it unless you stand motionless for a while, and watch a star go behind a tree limb or corner of a building.

There has been no pole or axis shift,.... and their never can be, as
we are like a spinning gyroscope. (Unless we take a major asteroid
impact like 100 miles in diameter or more, then axial shift would
be the least of our problems)!

{There is currently a rapid magnetic pole shift going on with our
magnetic pole axis, but that is invisible and has nothing to do with
the real geographic pole, so that's another story.}

Our axis precesses over a 25000 year period (like a little circle) but this is not noticeable for centuries.  For instance, the North Star is currently 3/4 of a degree from the pole axis, but this will close to 1/2 degree in 2105, our closest approach to Polaris in this current 25000 year orbit period.

Soooo, ease off on the Moonshine there....;-)
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie, PA


FOLLOW UP:
We can even predict when a lowly 30 mile diameter asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter,  is going to occult (pass in front of and hide for a few seconds)a telescopic star, to a very high degree of accuracy....where and when it can be seen!
See
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/resources/proamcollab/astroalert/37276994.html

This could not be done at all, if the Earth had even the slightest change of polar axis or even rotation rate!  (Just as a...for instance).
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie, PA


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: this was a north to south shift

Answer
Hi Joe,
Sorry, it didn't happen.  Something like that would make National
News and be in all the astronomical publications, as it would
affect all the future eclipse predictions which are accurate to
the nearest 0.1 second and geographically to 0.01 mile.
Those numbers for future eclipses still hold.
Quit reading all those metaphysics sites, the National Enquirer,
and start reading the real thing on astronomy...at
http://skyandtelescope.com
and
http://www.spaceweather.com
and
http://www.spaceflightnow.com
Clear Skies,
Tom