Lilith (hypothetical moon):

Lilith is a hypothetical natural satellite of Earth whose existence is not supported by any scientific evidence. In 1918 an astrologer Sepharial named the hypothetical moon Lilith and opined that it was dark enough to have escaped detection.^[1]^[2] The name Lilith is of near-eastern mythology, and (according to post-Biblical Jewish lore) was the first wife to Adam.^[3] The moon Lilith is sometimes referred to as the "Dark Moon,"^[1] "Black Moon,"^[4] or "Ghost Moon".^[5] Lilith was incorporated into horoscopes and some astrologers use it in their calculations to this day.^[1]

History

In 1846, French astronomer Frédéric Petit, director of the observatory at Toulouse, announced that he had discovered a second moon in an elliptical orbit around the Earth. This claim was, apart from three reported eyewitnesses,^[5] dismissed by his peers. However, writer Jules Verne learned of it and became intrigued by the idea. In 1865, he made use of it in his novel, From the Earth to the Moon.

The explosive popularity of the book triggered a push by amateur astronomers all over the world to confirm Petit's claimed discovery. In 1898, Hamburg scientist Dr. Georg Waltemath announced he had located a second moon^[6] inside a whole system of tiny moons orbiting the Earth.^[7] However, after the failure of a corroborating observation of this invisible moon by the scientific community, the idea of a second moon was discredited.

In 1926, the science journal Die Sterne published the findings of an amateur German astronomer named W. Spill, who claimed to have successfully viewed a second moon orbiting the earth.^[1]

In astronomy

Astronomically, Dark Moon Lilith is supposed to have a geocentric period of 119 days and to orbit at three times the distance of the Moon.^[8] Its diameter is said to be about one quarter that of the Moon.^[8] Despite many criticisms as bad science, proponents of the idea maintain it follows an orbit stationary to the opposing side of the Moon, rendering it invisible except when crossing the sun.^{[citation needed]} This conception of one orbiting object being hidden by its position behind another is often likened to the Counter-Earth of Pythagorean philosophy, which would be at the (unstable) Lagrange Point, L3.^{[citation needed]}

Some early secondary moon theories explained its hidden nature simply through the dark coloring of its surface.

The majority of scientists object to all of these theories, pointing to the fact that any second moon of the Earth would have been seen by now.^[9] Due to the many readily apparent holes in Lilith's supportive argument (not least of which is her general defiance of the laws of gravity) the actual physical existence of this astronomical object is believed only by fringe groups comparable to the Flat Earth Society.

The asteroid 1181 Lilith, discovered in 1927 by astronomer Benjamin Jekhowsky, is not the same body, but is only similar in name.

In astrology

In 1918, astrologer Walter Gornold, also known as "Sepharial," claimed to have confirmed the existence of a second moon. He named it Lilith and believed it to be the same moon Waltemath claimed to have observed. Sepharial affirmed that Lilith was indeed invisible for most of the time but claimed to have viewed it as it crossed the sun.^[8] In modern Western astrology, "Dark Moon" Lilith is not an actual moon, but is a blank focus of the ellipse described by the moon's orbit (the other focus occupied by the Earth). Dark Moon Lilith is often employed in astrological chart readings. "The Dark Moon describes our relationship to the absolute, to sacrifice as such, and shows how we let go.”^[10]

The moon's hypothetical apogee point (the point at which it is furthest in its orbit from the Earth), is known as "Black Moon" Lilith. It is said to signify instinctive and emotional intelligence in astrological charts.^[11]

Earth's "dark moon" in literature

Lilith (hypothetical moon)

Contents

History

In astronomy

In astrology

Earth's "dark moon" in literature

See also

References

External links