[time-nuts] Solstice question, about 5000 years ago

Lux, James P james.p.lux at jpl.nasa.gov
Sun Dec 21 22:39:49 UTC 2008




On 12/21/08 1:11 PM, "Bill Hawkins" <bill at iaxs.net> wrote:

> The passage grave at New Grange, Ireland, is one of those astronomical
> wonders where the rising sun at winter solstice shines down a relatively
> long tunnel to shine on carved stone at the far wall of a chamber.
>
> We know that solstice has the shortest day and the longest night.
>
> How'd they know that?
>
> Bill

By observation?
One thing to remember is that things that are tough to do in 10 minutes
might be easy to do in 10 years, and astronomical alignments are one of
those.

There's a Anasazi site in New Mexico where on some particular day (solstice
or equinox.. I can't remember) a "dagger of light"  pierces a petroglyph.
Folks are always amazed at this until reminded that if you just wait long
enough, then do the petroglyphy afterwards, it's pretty straight forward to
get it in the right place.

To return to shortest days..

It's pretty easy to observe the rise and set points of the sun (assuming
it's clear.. Not guaranteed in Ireland in winter, I suspect) and to note
when it's most southern. Even if one thinks geocentrically, that would be
consistent with shortest day (suns path through sky being shortest),
especially if there's particular significance (like all days getting longer
afterwards, and returning from the days of mostly dark to the days of mostly
light).  One doesn't actually have to "measure time" to make the reasonable
assertion that southernmost rise and set, or lowest elevation meridian
crossing of sun, is shortest day.






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