Justin’s Annulus
Justin’s Annulus builds upon the concepts of Wesley’s & Ellie’s, and retains all the same abilities to show Time of Day, Month, and Year through the Big 3. But the features expand to include the orbits of these planets:
· Mercury, fastest, and closest to the Sun
· Venus, next out, and brightest in the sky
· Mars, distinctly red, and first outside Earth’s orbit
· Jupiter, by far the largest planet in the solar system
· Saturn, furthest we see consistently, with its iconic rings
These additions allow for the exploration of aspects / geometric angles, synodic cycles (including retrograde vs direct motion), and more clearly displays specific moments in time than the smaller Annuli.
Moments that matter
This Annulus is displayed with the alignments on the day I met my partner TJ in April 2015, photographed on our 7th Anniversary in 2022 at Pomona Beach.
Justin’s Annulus is perfect for commemorating special events, honoring moments in the past that hold significance for you, holding moments in the future while you plan and work toward accomplishing something big in your life, or meditating on the always precious present.
The Annulus functions as a beautiful piece of art and conversation-starter at a birthday party, a wedding reception, or business launch event
Who is Justin?
Justin is my younger brother! When I was younger, I never thought I would have a brother. But surprise! Justin was born when I was 15 years old.
Like myself, he was born just before an Annular Solar Eclipse, in January 2010, with Sun, North Node, and Lilith in Capricorn (Moon approaching from Scorpio). So our births are tied together through the Annular phenomenon. We were also both born by c-section (with him, my mom had placenta-previa, so it was known of beforehand)
Justin sings with the Phoenix children’s choir, and plays the drums. He loves science (that’s actually his telescope behind us) and has a pet ball snake named Disco. And he was the first to own and paint a copy of this Annulus.I found this picture of him hilariously similar to the crying school girl meme haha!
The development and design of the Annulus occurred while we were in quarantine, and I was imagining Justin, Ellie (my youngest sister) and youth of the world trying to learn virtually from home. Imagining their situation was a large factor in making the Annulus tangible, interactive, and rooted in observable scientific astronomy.
The Night Side
The night-side of Justin’s Annulus includes 46 constellations, more than half of the 88 NASA uses to organize the stars into groups. Like Wesley’s, it denotes the Ecliptic path the Sun and planets travel on through the sky, allowing one to follow each wandering light through stellar space.
The amount of content shown on these two sides provides enough information to keep a student engaged and learning about space through middle- and into high-school.
It usually takes multiple sessions to paint Justin’s night. While he used a brush, we’ve found it’s much easier and more efficient to do so with paint-pens. This allows those with more dexterity and muscle control to go faster, but also enables younger folks to still accomplish it, if over some sittings. When I rhinestoned mine, it took about 9 hours over the course of a day, but what can I say. I love sparkly things!
Specifications
· Ages 7+
· 18” Diameter, eye-catching home decor, more like a board-game than Wesley’s
· Displays the Visible 7: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Moon
· 46 Constellations, 490 Stars
· Made out of luxurious, durable Maple Wood, sanded to a buttery softness, and finished with varnish to bring out the natural grains and shine
· Handcrafted by 2nd generation carpenter Judd Bateman of Bateman Restoration, in Salt Lake City, USA.