Focus On: (20000) Varuna

Basics

Class: IR-type cubewano, probably a dwarf planet
Location: Kuiper belt
Orbit length (approx): 280.76 years
Discovered: 28th November 2000 at 09:51 UTC, from Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona by Spacewatch (Robert McMillan)
Events at time of discovery:

• November 20 – Alberto Fujimori, President of Peru, faxes his resignation from a hotel room in Japan, having fled Peru after facing corruption charges. Fujimori would be officially removed from office by Congress on the 22nd.
• November 28 – Death of Gregg Barton, 88, American actor
• – Death of Robert Bentley, 93, American animator
• – Death of Liane Haid, 105, Austrian actress

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Naming information

Name origin: Hindu god of water and the celestial ocean.
Mythology: Varuna was also the god of law in the underwater world, and may have been replaced eventually by Indra. He is said to have unlimited knowledge.

Illustration of Varuna created in 1820, depicting him riding his mount (makara); currently in exile at the British Museum.

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Astrological data

Discovery degree: 10+ Cancer
Discovery Sabian: A Clown Caricaturing Well-Known Personalities
Discovery nodal signature: Cancer-Capricorn
Estimated orbital resonances: Saturn 2:19, Chiron 2:11, Uranus 3:10, Neptune 7:12, Pluto 8:9, Eris 2:1
Discovery chart details: New lunar phase. Varuna was discovered fairly close to the North Node; Mars was rising. The Sun was opposite Jupiter and semi-sextile Nessus. Pholus (with Pallas conjunct) was very tightly sextile Chariklo. Venus was square Eris.

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Summary and references

May represent law and order, the sea, lasting legacies^[1]; judgment or judgmentalism, inquisition, moralising, vastness, global reach^[2]; matters of truth, lies and keeping agreements^[3]; the all-seeing eye^[4]; previously unnoticed wrongs becoming apparent^[5]; upholding cosmic law and divine order^[6]; sovereignty, competency or lack thereof, elected or appointed offices or delegation of authority, promotion or demotion^[7]; "larger than life" quality, personal legacy and impact, honouring individual expression and purpose^[8].

References:
1) Alex Miller: Varuna 20000
2) Mark Andrew Holmes: Varuna
3) Kirsti Melto: New Moon in Leo – July 8, 2022
4) Neptune's Aura Astrology: Full Moon in Aquarius
5) Amable: (20000) Varuna
6) Zane Stein: Varuna
7) Philip Sedgwick: New Dwarf Planets, Eris, Sedna, Centaurs & More
8) Linda Lee Berry: Varuna

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Discovery chart for (20000) Varuna: 28th November 2000, 09:51 UTC, Kitt Peak Observatory, Arizona.