Ancient Astronomers • First preserved written documents about ancient astronomy are from ancient Greek philosophy. • Greeks tried to understand the motions of the sky and describe them in terms of mathematical (not physical!) models. Other astronomy • Maori astronomy – Active research group in NZ: Society of Maori Astronomy Research and Traditions www.maoriastronomy.co.nz • Arabic Astronomy – . Al-Battani (CE 850-929, Baghdad/ Cordoba) made 4% error in measuring orbit of Earth around the Sun. Also made very accurate measurement of circumference of Earth. • Indian Astronomy – considerable expertise in observational astronomy. Most records lost in regligious wars. • Chinese Astronomy – very useful catalog of supernovae. • Polynesia – navigation by stars well known. Māori astronomy • There is clear evidence that the Māori had extensive knowledge of the night sky. Well before the arrival of the Pākehā. Including details of the seasons and using the stars for naviagtion. • A lot of this knowledge and understanding has been mixed with colonial knowledge and was lost over the past two centuries but is now being rediscovered. • Time keeping based on lunar calendar and which stars rise before the Sun through the year. • Towards the late 2000's, the Society for Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions (SMART) was formed, and dedicated itself to the preservation and revitalization of Māori astronomical knowledge. Harris et al. (2013) http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2013JAHHvol16/2013JAHH...16..325H.pdf https://theconversation.com/how-far-theyll-go-moana-shows-the-power-of-polynesian-celestial-navigation-72375 Australian Aboriginal astronomy
Norris (2016) https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.02215
Chinese astronomy SN1006 Part of a page from the Songshi Astronomical Treatise containing the record of SN 1006. This text is taken from a 19th-century block print of theSongshi. “Kanko reign period of Emperor Ichijo In, third year, fourth lunar month, second day, guiyou [1 May 1006]. After night had fallen, there was a large guest star in Qiguan. It was like Mars, and it was bright and scintillating. For successive nights it was seen clearly at the southern direction. Some (people) suggested that it was a change in Qichen Jiangjun (κ Lup) itself” (Meigetsuki, volume 12).
Part of a page from the Xu Zizhi Tongjian
Changbian containing the latest known record of SN 1006: 9 October 1009. “Dazhong Xiangfu reign period, second year, ninth lunar month, (day) gengwu [9 October 1009]. (The Emperor) issued a command that from this day the ‘Suburban Sacrifice’ should be offered to both the Zhoubo star at Dilunar lodge and Shouxing (Canopus), and that this arrangement should be maintained for ever. This met with the approval of the Hanlin academicians and the astronomers” (Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian, chapter 72).
Stephenson (2010) Astronomy & Geophysics,
Vol 51, Issue 5, page 27 Neuhauser et al. (2016) Astronomical Notes, in press An Arabic report about supernova SN 1006 by Ibn Sına (Avicenna) Constellations
In ancient times, constellations only referred to
the brightest stars that appeared to form groups, representing mythological figures. Stars are named by a Greek letter () α according to their relative brightness within a given γ constellation + the possessive form of the name of the constellation: δ
ζ ε
M42 Betelgeuse = Orionis
Rigel = Orionis
κ β
From wikipedia 427 l.y. The stars of a constellation only 243 l.y. appear to be close to one another Usually, this is only a projection effect. 2000 l.y. The stars of a 1300 l.y. constellation may be 820 l.y. located at very different distances 1500 l.y. (20 l.y. across) from us.
722 l.y. 773 l.y.
From wikipedia The Magnitude Scale Putara (Betelgeuse) (Example) m = 0.0-1.3 mag Magn. Intensity Ratio Diff. 1.6 1 2.512
2 2.512×2.512 = (2.512)2 = 6.31
2.2 3 (2.512)3 = 15.85
1.7 4 (2.512)4 = 39.82
1.7 5 (2.512)5 = 100 4
Puanga(Rigel) 2.1 m = 0.2 mag The Sky and its Motion Motion of Sky • During day/night on pole & equator? • Over a year, where is the Sun? • How does Sun rise vary over the year? • What are the phases of the Moon about? • Solar & lunar eclipses? • How do the planets move on the sky? How do stars move on the sky?
In the Northern Hemisphere?
STELLARIUM DEMO
From astronomynotes.com Due to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, the Sun appears to move through the zodiacal constellations. The Sun’s apparent path on the sky is called the ecliptic. Equivalent: The ecliptic is the projection of Earth’s orbit onto the celestial sphere.
STELLARIUM DEMO From astronomynotes.com STELLARIUM DEMO From astronomynotes.com Motion of Sky • During day/night on pole & equator? • Over a year, where is the Sun? • How does Sun rise vary over the year? • What are the phases of the Moon about? • Solar & lunar eclipses? • How do the planets move on the sky? From astronomynotes.com Motion of Sky • During day/night on pole & equator? • Over a year, where is the Sun? • How does Sun rise vary over the year? • What are the phases of the Moon about? • Solar & lunar eclipses? • How do the planets move on the sky? From wikipedia A Total Lunar Eclipse
From astronomynotes.com Summary • All cultures understood how to use the stars for time keeping and navigation. • Written records useful for transient events. • Constellations are just chance alignments, stars are not physically related. • Motion of stars and Sun, where they rise and set allows you to tell the time of year and location on the Earth. • Sun, Earth and Moon can lead to eclipses. • Planets are wanders on the sky.
