ANNOUNCEMENTS

MIDTERM EXAMS WILL BE HANDED BACK AT END OF CLASS*** DECISIONS ON MIDTERM/FINAL/RESEARCH PAPER: WHICH TWO OF THREE DO YOU WISH TO COUNT? ***

REGULAR WEEKLY HOMEWORKS WILL COMMENCE THIS WEEK

OBSERVING PROJECTS: FIRST TWO DUE THURSDAY OCTOBER 29th…. DUE DATE DELAYED ONE WEEK.

NEXT TWO WEEKS:

PLANETS AND THEIR MOTIONS

MAYA CALENDARS AND THE VENUS CONNECTION

FOLLOWED BY:

PRECESSION OF THE EQUINOXES AND ASTROLOGY

WHAT THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE NEW !

QUESTIONS ?

The Wandering “Planets”

ENGLISH NAME LATIN NAME

• SUN SOLIS

• MOON LUNAE

• MARS MARTIS

• MERCURY MERCURII

• JUPITER JOVIS

• VENUS VENERIS

• SATURN SATURNI

DAY OF THE WEEK (ITALIAN)

• SUNDAY (Domenica)

• MONDAY (Lunedi)

• TUESDAY (Martedi)

• WEDNESDAY (Mercoledi)

• THURSDAY (Giovedi)

• FRIDAY (Venerdi)

• SATURDAY (Sabato)

BUT… ALL WHO WANDER ARE NOT LOST… PLANETS WANDER ONLY THROUGH

THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS AND ALMOST ALWAYS WEST--TO--EAST

IDENTIFYING PLANETS IN

THE SKY

AMONG THE BRIGHTER

OBJECTS IN THE SKY

(BUT NOT ALL ARE

BRIGHTER THAN THE

BRIGHTEST STARS)

DO NOT TWINKLE !

OFTEN SEEN “LINING UP”

BECAUSE PLANETS ARE

FOUND CLOSE TO THE

ECLIPTIC PLANE….AND

IN ZODIAC

CONSTELLATIONS

Venus

Star

Regulus

Saturn

Jupiter

IDENTIFYING PLANETS IN

THE SKY

AMONG THE BRIGHTER

OBJECTS IN THE SKY

(BUT NOT ALL ARE

BRIGHTER THAN

BRIGHTER STARS)

DO NOT TWINKLE !

OFTEN SEEN “LINING UP”

BECAUSE PLANETS ARE

FOUND CLOSE TO THE

ECLIPTIC PLANE….AND IN

ZODIAC

CONSTELLATIONS

TEMPLE OF DENDERA

ZODIAC…UPPER EGYPT, NOW IN

LOUVRE (PARIS) c. 50 BCE

UNLIKE PLANETS STARS ARE TOO

FAR AWAY TO APPEAR TO MOVE

RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER

CONSTELLATIONS ARE “FIXED”

THROUGHOUT ALL OF HUMAN

CIVILIZATION !!

THE ZODIAC = “CIRCLE OF ANIMALS”

IS BABYLONIAN/GREEK TRADITION:

GREEK BABYLONIAN

c. 500 BCE c. 2000 BCEARIES

TAURUS MARDUK =

GEMINI BULL-MAN

CANCER

LEO FLYING LION =

VIRGO TIAMAT

LIBRA

SCORPIO SCORPION-MAN

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS EA = GOD OF

PISCES WATER & LIFE

CONSTELLATION DEPICTIONS, INCLUDING MOST OF THE MODERN ZODIAC, “CIRCLE OF ANIMALS”

CEILING OF TEMPLE OF DENDERA IN UPPER EGYPT… yes, it’s gold, so it’s now in the Louvre in Paris

TAURUS

TEMPLE OF DENDERA

ZODIAC…UPPER EGYPT, NOW IN

LOUVRE (PARIS) c. 50 BCE

UNLIKE PLANETS STARS ARE TOO

FAR AWAY TO APPEAR TO MOVE

RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER

CONSTELLATIONS ARE “FIXED”

THROUGHOUT ALL OF HUMAN

CIVILIZATION !!

THE ZODIAC = “CIRCLE OF ANIMALS”

IS BABYLONIAN/GREEK TRADITION:

GREEK BABYLONIAN

c. 500 BCE c. 2000 BCEARIES

TAURUS MARDUK =

GEMINI BULL-MAN

CANCER

LEO FLYING LION

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO SCORPION-MAN

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS EA = GOD OF

PISCES WATER & LIFE

SOLAR ECLIPSE 7

MARCH 51 BCE ???

Typical rural Hindu

Temple in South

India

Big or small, all Hindu Temples have

an altar to the Nine Planets

Vedic Astrology has 27 “Nakshatras”

(Lunar Mansions) through which 9

planets move.

“Though they are included in planets, Rahu and Ketu are not real

luminaries and are regarded as shadow planets. They do not

have ability to cast aspects, as other planets do, they do not rule

any zodiacal signs and are not characterized as male or female.”

VEDIC ASTROLOGY HAS NINE

PLANETS: The familiar 7 plus Rahu &

Ketu

Above is Rahu = ascending

node of lunar orbit

**** WHERE WERE RAHU AND KETU ON 7 MARCH 51 BCE ?

****

VEDIC ASTROLOGY HAS NINE

PLANETS: The familiar 7 plus Rahu &

Ketu

Above is Rahu = ascending

node of lunar orbit

TEMPLE OF DENDERA

ZODIAC…UPPER EGYPT, NOW IN

LOUVRE (PARIS) c. 50 BCE

UNLIKE PLANETS STARS ARE TOO

FAR AWAY TO APPEAR TO MOVE

RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER

CONSTELLATIONS ARE “FIXED”

THROUGHOUT ALL OF HUMAN

CIVILIZATION !!

THE ZODIAC = “CIRCLE OF ANIMALS”

IS BABYLONIAN/GREEK TRADITION:

GREEK BABYLONIAN

c. 500 BCE c. 2000 BCEARIES

TAURUS ( MARDUK =

GEMINI BULL-MAN)

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO ( SCORPION-MAN)

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS (EA = GOD OF

PISCES WATER & LIFE)

SOLAR ECLIPSE 7

MARCH 51 BCE (???)

SOME DEFINITIONS

• INTERIOR PLANET: BETWEEN EARTH AND SUN; ALWAYS SEEN ‘CLOSE’ TO SUN IN SKY (MERUCRY & VENUS)

•EXTERIOR PLANET: FURTHER FROM SUN THAN THE EARTH; VISIBLE IN SKY ANY TIME OF NIGHT (MARS, JUPITER & SATURN)

•SIDEREAL PERIOD: MOTION RELATIVE TO STARS; TIME IT TAKES FOR PLANET TO MOVE THROUGH ONE WHOLE SET OF ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS.

•SYNODIC PERIOD: MOTION RELATIVE TO THE SUN. TIME BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE HELIACAL RISINGS

In China JUPITER is called the “Year Star” Why ?

Sidereal Period means Jupiter spends how many years in each zodiac constellation?

Each Chinese year is one of a cycle of 12 which correspond to the 12 zodiac constellations (imported from Babylonia c. 200 BCE, Han Dynasty).

Earlier Chinese astronomy/astrology used 28 “Lunar Mansions” instead of 12 Zodiac Constellations.

THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STARS

MERCURY RARELY SEEN.

GREATEST ELONGATION MEANS THE FURTHEST THE PLANET EVER GETS FROM THE SUN, EITHER IN MORNING OR EVENING SKY.

VENUS BRIGHTEST WHEN ABOUT ¼ OF WAY BETWEEN SUN AND GREATEST ELONGATION.

VENUS SYNODIC PERIOD: 584 DAYS 5 VENUS CYCLES ≈ 8 YEARS.

NOH EK: GREAT STAR TO MAYA

DIRECTLY RELATED TO :KUKULKAN & QUETZALCOATL

“AT THE TIME NOH EK WAS VISIBLE IN THE EVENING SKY, QUETZALCOATL DIED. HE WAS NOT SEEN FOR 4 DAYSWHEN HE WAS IN THE UNDERWORLD AND FOR 4 MORE DAYS HE WAS EMACIATED AND WEAK.

“NOT UNTIL 8 DAYS PASS DID THE GREAT STAR APPEAR AS THE MORNING STAR. THEY SAID THAT THEN QUETZALCOATL ASCENDED THE THRONE AS A GOD.”

CORRESPONDS TO 8 DAYS OF INVISIBILITY OF VENUS BETWEEN EARTH AND SUN

COMPARING MAYA VENUS ASTRONOMY TO MODERN VALUES: WHY SO DIFFERENT IN PARTS

WHEN TOTALS MATCH VERY WELL??

MODERN COUNT • 263 DAYS MORNING STAR

• 50 DAYS INVISIBLE BEHIND

SUN

• 263 DAYS EVENING STAR

• 8 DAYS INVISIBLE

BETWEEN US

AND SUN

• 583.92 DAYS TOTAL

MAYA COUNT• 236 DAYS = 8 MOONS

• 90 DAYS = 3 MOONS

• 250 DAYS = 8 ½ MOONS

• “DEATH AND EMACIATION OF QUETZACOATL”

• 584 DAYS TOTAL

VENUS REAPPEARANCE CYCLES

• AFTER 5 SYNODIC CYCLES, VENUS APPEARANCES REPEAT

• 5 X 584 DAYS = 2920 DAYS

• VENUS CYCLES REPEAT AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME OF YEAR EVERY EIGHT YEAR…

• ACTUALLY VENUS CYCLES REPEAT EVERY 8 HAABs, MAYA SEASONAL CALENDAR OF 365 DAYS

• 8 X 365 DAYS = 2920 DAYS

• Also 99 lunations !

TRIPLE COINCIDENCE OF VENUS REAPPEARING AT OR NEAR WINTER

SOLSTICE WITH CRESCENT MOON IN SKY IS:

1. RARE…ONCE IN A LIFETIME

2. HAPPENS EVERY YEAR, WE JUST DON’T NOTICE

3. HAPPENS ROUGHLY ONCE PER DECADE

4. NEVER WILL HAPPEN AGAIN

TRIPLE COINCIDENCE OF VENUS REAPPEARING AT OR NEAR WINTER

SOLSTICE WITH CRESCENT MOON IN SKY IS:

1. RARE…ONCE IN A LIFETIME

2. HAPPENS EVERY YEAR, WE JUST DON’T NOTICE

3. HAPPENS ROUGHLY ONCE PER DECADE: ONCE EVERY 8 YEARS

**** ANCIENT MAYA KNEW !!! AND WATCHED FOR IT !

1. NEVER WILL HAPPEN AGAIN

THE FIVE PAGES OF VENUS CYCLES FROM THE DRESDEN CODEX

MAYA ASTRONOMERS KNEW BASICS AND DETAILS OF VENUS’ SYNODIC APPEARANCES: VENUS HAS 5 DIFFERENT APPEARANCE PATTERNS IN THE SKY, EACH LASTING FOR ONE SYNODIC PERIOD OF 584 DAYS. THESE APPEARANCE PATTERNS REPEAT AFTER AN 8 YEAR TIME PERIOD, AND THEN REPEAT ON THE SAME DAY OF THE MAYA CALENDAR ROUND AFTER A FULL 104 YEARS PERIOD.

MIDTERM EXAMS

WHEN ROME BECAME

THE POLITICAL AND

MILITARY POWER IN

EUROPE THE LUNAR

CYCLE WAS

ABANDONED IN FAVOR

OF THE EGYPTIAN

SOLAR CALENDAR.

JULIAN CALENDAR started

in March. Thus, e.g., October is

8th month (not 10th as currently)

and February was the last month

of the year. Originally months

alternated 30 and 31 days but

Julius & Augustus “stole” days

from Feb. for their months,.

THE JULIAN CALENDAR

THE EGYPTIAN SOLUTION (c.

300 BCE) WAS TO ABANDON

THE LUNAR CYCLE AND

CREATE A PURE SOLAR

CALENDAR OF 12 X 30 DAY

MONTHS + 5 “FEAST DAYS”.

ADOPTED BY ROME IN 45 BCE

AFTER THE “YEAR OF

CONFUSION” (46 BCE WHICH HAD

465 DAYS TO CORRECT FOR PAST

MISTAKES).

LEAP YEARS WERE ADDED AT THAT

TIME. EVERY YEAR WHOSE

NUMBER IS EVENLY DIVISIBLE BY 4

HAS 366 DAYS….EXTRA DAY ADDED

TO February, the last month of the year

BY 1600s THE CLERGY

NOTICED THAT EASTER

WAS SLOWLY BECOMING

A WARM-WEATHER

SUMMERTIME FESTIVAL,

NOT THE SPRING

REBIRTH SYMBOLICALLY

REQUIRED…POPE

GREGORY WAS

CONVINCED TO CHANGE

THE CALENDAR AND HE

GOT CATHOLIC

COUNTRIES TO CHANGE

BUT NOT THE

PROTESTANT

ONES…e.g., BRITAIN DID

NOT CHANGE UNTIL

1700s.; Russia in 1900s.

GREGORIAN CALENDAR(c. 1600 TO PRESENT)

THE YEAR IS ACTUALLY ~ 11

MINUTES SHY OF 365 ¼ DAYS

LONG.

OVER NEARLY 1600 YEARS THIS

DISCREPANCY CAUSED THE JULIAN

CALENDAR TO BE OFF BY 10 DAYS.

EASTER WAS HAPPENING IN

WARMER AND WARMER WEATHER

POPE GREGORY COMMISIONED A

STUDY TO CHANGE THE CALENDAR

SOLUTION OF ALYOSIUS LILIO

ADOPTED…CENTURY YEARS NOT

DIVISIBLE BY 4 ARE NO LONGER

LEAP YEARS.

Gregorian Calendar Reform (1582)

36

POPE GREGORY USED THE “TOWER OF THE WINDS” IN THE VATICAN TO GREET EUROPEAN HEADS OF STATE …

And THE MERIDIAN LINE HELPED HIM CONVINCE THESE HEADS TO CONVERT THEIR COUNTRY TO THE NEW CALENDAR.

37

Tower of the Winds South Wall

MIDTERM/FINAL/RESEARCH PAPER DECISION

• CHOOSE 2 OF THESE 3 TO COUNT FOR YOUR GRADE:

• INTENT IS TO LIGHTEN BURDEN, NOT CREATE ADDITIONAL

BURDEN FOR ALL TO OBTAIN A HIGHER GRADE

• FOR EXAMPLE:

1. IF YOU OBTAINED A MIDTERM EXAM GRADE THAT YOU

ARE OK WITH, THEN YOU MAY CHOOSE TO COUNT THE

MIDTERM AND THEN CHOOSE TO EITHER TAKE FINAL

OR WRITE RESEARCH PAPER.

2. IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR MIDTERM EXAM

GRADE THEN YOU CAN CHOOSE TO TAKE BOTH THE

FINAL EXAM AND WRITE THE PAPER.

MIDTERM EXAMINATION SCORES

LETTER GRADES ARE INDICATIVE… BOUNDARIES

BETWEEN LETTER GRADES WILL BE DETERMINED ONLY

AT THE END OF THE TERM ONCE ALL GRADES ARE IN