Solar Empire --Heavens Above I

　　Richard Noone is moving his family from the Florida coast to a new home in the mountains of Georgia. He pro bably won't tell the buyers of his old house his reason s for leaving.

　　"On May 5th of the year 2000, a major surge of the Antarctic ice sheet triggered by a unique planetary ali gnment will produce tidal waves that will destroy these buildings behind me."

　　"From … the earliest time it was believed the heave ns above influenced life here below. On the fifth day, of the fifth month, in the year 2000, the five planets known to ancient man move into a rare formation thought to have dire consequences. None is convinced a disaster of Biblical proportions is at hand."

　　He believes the cosmic alignment on the 5th of May, 2000, will throw the Earth so far off its axis the froz en waters of the Antarctic will melt, flooding all low lying coastal regions around the world.

　　"I think based on … an old saying, the wise man bui lds his house upon the rock, and the fool upon the sand , because of a possible major surge of the entire Antar ctic ice sheet, I would prefer not to be near an ocean. "

　　「"Well, thanks for a good move."」

　　"Therefore, I'm moving to the mountains of North Ge orgia to be away from a very real, ah, upcoming disaste r, perhaps the ultimate disaster."

　　With the tools of modern science, astronomy can exp lain the workings of our solar system and the movement of the planets around the sun. And, yet, through the ag es, many have chosen to explain heavenly events through astrology, the belief that the heavens exercise a super natural influence over life here on Earth.

　　"I think from time immemorial, ancient man has obse rved the stars and the stars have always been a symbol of time and season, plant and harvest."

　　From the dawn of history, man has stood on Earth ga zing into the heavens, trying to make sense of it all. Staring into the vastness of space and twilight, what c ould have been more baffling to early man? The setting sun disappearing with the light and its warmth. The ris ing moon ushering in the cold, dark night, and a light show of distant stars slowly materializing before their eyes.