By Alexus McLeod
Alexus McLeod explores each element of the lesser-known heritage of astronomy within the Americas (Mesoamerica and North America), China and India, each one in the course of the body of a selected astronomical phenomena. half One considers the improvement of astronomy within the Americas as a reaction, partly, to the Supernova of 1054, which could have resulted in a cultural renaissance in astronomy. He then is going directly to discover the modern realizing of supernovae, contrasting it with that of the traditional Americas. half is framed in the course of the appearances of serious comets, which had significant divinatory importance in early China. the writer discusses the development of observational astronomy in China, its effect on politics and its position within the survival or failure of empires. moreover, the modern realizing of comets is usually mentioned for comparability. half 3, on India, considers the marvelous observatories of the Rajput king Jai Singh II, and the query in their function. The origins of Indian astronomy are tested in Vedic concept and its improvement is throughout the interval of Jai Singh, together with the function performed by means of sun eclipses. the writer additionally encompasses a smooth rationalization of our knowing of eclipses so far. within the ultimate part of the booklet, McLeod discusses how historic traditions can assist glossy civilization greater comprehend Earth’s position within the cosmos.
Read or Download Astronomy in the Ancient World: Early and Modern Views on Celestial Events PDF
Best astronomy & astrophysics books
Variations on a Theme by Kepler (Colloquium Publications)
This e-book is predicated at the Colloquium Lectures provided by means of Shlomo Sternberg in 1990. The authors delve into the mysterious position that teams, particularly Lie teams, play in revealing the legislation of nature via targeting the widespread instance of Kepler movement: the movement of a planet lower than the appeal of the sunlight in line with Kepler's legislation.
Fundamentals of Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere
This ebook takes an introductory examine the physics and chemistry of the ambience and the weather dynamics. It presents the fundamentals in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, radiation and chemistry and explains the main fascinating difficulties present within the learn of the ambience of the Earth and planets. This e-book additionally bargains the pc courses to resolve those difficulties.
Telescopes and strategies has proved itself in its first versions, having turn into most likely some of the most commonly used astronomy texts, either for beginner astronomers and astronomy and astrophysics undergraduates. either past variations of the booklet have been well-known for introductory sensible astronomy classes in lots of universities.
The night sky, updated and expanded edition : soul and cosmos
Ever due to the fact that Homo sapiens first regarded up on the stars, we as a species were trying to find that means within the mysteries of the evening sky. Over the millennia, as our wisdom, technology, and know-how built, the tales we informed ourselves in regards to the universe and our position in it built besides. within the evening Sky, Richard Grossinger strains these advancements, masking a number of facets of humanity's advanced dating to the cosmos.
- Cambridge Illustrated Dictionary of Astronomy
- Reviews in Modern Astronomy: From Cosmological Structures to the Milky Way, Volume 18
- Observing the Solar System: The Modern Astronomer's Guide
- Jupiter and How to Observe It
- History of Astronomy: An Encyclopedia
Additional info for Astronomy in the Ancient World: Early and Modern Views on Celestial Events
Sample text
Neither planet will ever appear in the sky very far from the sun—although of course Venus can appear further from it than Mercury— and thus Venus only appears in the early evening or the early morning. It is from this that Venus gets its identity as both the “morning star” and the “evening star”. The movement of Venus through its orbit causes this effect. When it appears on one side of the sun from us in its orbit, Venus appears in our night sky as an star, coming into view just after the setting of the sun in the west, as the glow of the sun fades.
30 2 The Americas Maya Cosmology 31 J Fig. 8 The Maya associated the view of the Milky Way galactic plane across the night sky with both Xibalba, the realm of the dead, and also the World Tree, representing the cosmos as a whole. The first illustration is from the tomb of the ruler Janaab Pakal in Palenque, depicting the king’s descent into Xibalba, from which the World Tree grows. The Milky Way was a familiar nighttime sight in the pre-Columbian world, just as were Venus and the Moon, but today there are few heavily inhabited places from which the band of the Milky Way is visible, due to rampant light pollution drowning it out (Photo credit: NASA) us as closely linked to the sun.
The living heart was particularly pleasing to the sun, and it was for this reason that the victim’s heart would be removed while alive, rather than killing the victim first and then removing the heart. Human sacrifice is by far the most controversial and startling aspect of the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica. Some have tried to soften the horror of human sacrifice by pointing out that victims often saw sacrifice as a great honor, their deaths ensuring them the enjoyment of some sense of immortality.