From: David Rudiak <DRudiak@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:16:01 -0500 (EST)
Fwd Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:27:58 -0500
Subject: Re: The Photon-Belt Encounter


 >From: Ed Gehrman <egehrman@psln.com>
 >Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 10:37:24 -0800
 >Fwd Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:40:17 -0500
 >Subject: Re: The Photon-Belt Encounter


 >Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:45:44 +1100
 >From: Bill Alford <googong@interact.net.au>
 >Subject: Re: The Photon-Belt Encounter
 >To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <updates@sympatico.ca>

 >>Pleiades as 375 light-years away, some 15% closer than
 >>previously estimated. This result is still being pondered,
 >>questioned and debated as the Pleiades no longer easily fits
 >>into the existing astronomers thoughts on star formation or
 >>evolution.

 >I also find it difficult to understand why this unremarkable
 >star cluster is known to all cultures, religions, and earthly
 >locations.  Not only known but, in large part, the most
 >important star cluster.

 >"The most solemn and impressive religious ceremony of the Aztecs
 >was timed to coincide with the moment when the Pleiades were in
 >the middle of the sky precisely at midnight.  The cermony
 >occurred at the end of the so-called 'great period' of fifty two
 >years.  The expectation of the Aztects was that at  this point
 >the stars could cease to revolve and the world come to an end"
 >Stan Gooch  *Cities of Dreams*


Ed,

I wouldn't make too much of this.  The Pleiades is the _only_
star cluster where individual stars are resolvable with the
naked eye (hence the Pleides also being called "The Seven
Sisters" for the 7 visible, resolvable stars in the cluster).
All other star clusters look like fuzzy patches without the aid
of a telescope or binoculars.  This sets the Pleiades apart from
the other star clusters from a human perspective, even if it is
merely another unremarkable star cluster.

David Rudiak