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--- akkadian_astronomy [2010/03/22 18:23] – ong
+++ akkadian_astronomy [2010/03/28 22:41] (current) – ong
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+===== Babylonian Astronomy =====
+==== Introduction ====
+Within the Babylonian tradition of astronomy there have been two genres of texts: There are mathematical astronomy texts, which mostly consist of tables recording or calculating various statistics about the behavior of heavenly bodies. These texts themselves do not deal with the interpretation or prognostication of the events they record. The second type of document is the 'non-mathematical' astronomy text, which are mostly omens? involving astronomical events.
+List of topics:
+  - Basic terms and concepts
+  - Mathematical Astronomy
+       * [[Lunar Ephemerides]]
+       * [[Plantary Ephemerides]]
+       * [[Applications to Chronology]]
+  - Non-mathematical Astronomy
+==== Basic terms and concepts ====
 ==== Metrological Units ====
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-== Lunal ephemerides ==
-The most commonly recorded observations of the Seleucid Period were the appearances of the new moon and full moon (during which we say the moon and sun are in conjunction and opposition, respectively). These sightings determined the lengths of the months. In addition, several other statistics were measured such as the velocity, longitude, and latitude of the moon at time of syzygy, and the length of daylight on that day. Such data was used to predict solar and lunar eclipses whose occurrence held deep significance in ancient Mesopotamian cultures.
-In Neugebauer's system of classification, there are two methods of computing ephemerides, which he names System A and System B.
-System A
-In this scheme the sun is presumed to move at one of two constant speeds on different arcs of the ecliptic. From 13 degrees Virgo to 27 degrees Pisces the sun is presumed to move one whole zodiac sign (30 degrees) in a month. For the rest of the year it moves slightly slower, namely 28;7,30 degrees per month.
-== Layout of a tablet ==
-By way of illustration, the contents of ACT 5 will be explained column by column. The labels of the columns follow Neugebauer's notation.
-{{:neugebauer_example_no_5.jpg?625|}}
-== Column 1 (T) ==
-The first column on the left side of the obverse gives the year and the months within, each one of which records a syzygy. Neugebauer calls this Column T. Here the records begin with year 146 of the Seleucid period, which began in 311 BC. Thus the year is 166 BC. The first month is Nisan, or April. Note the addition of an intercalary month at the end of 164 BC, in Rev. 19.
-== Column 2 ==
-== Column 3 (B) ==
-This column records the longitude of the moon at the time of the new moon, measured relative to the ecliptic. These values are calculated sequentially based on the measurement of an initial value. The numbers on the left hand side are the degrees within the zodiac sign on the right.
-Neugebauer has drawn up the table so that the two periods of the year with different velocities of the sun are separated by dashed lines. At a new moon the longitude of the moon at syzygy equals the longitude of the sun when it sets on the horizon. Thus the values of column III, which record the progress of the moon through the zodiac, also measure the movement of the sun. For example in obv. 6-12 the difference in successive entries is one whole zodiac sign, i.e. 30 degrees. In the next interval obv. 13-18 the differences of successive entries is 28;7,30 degrees. The change between the two months at the boundaries is an interpolated value between the two velocities.
-== Column 4 (C) ==
-This column provides the length of daylight on the day of the given observation. In Neugebauer's rendering of the tablet the units are expressed as large-hours (that is, the largest number on the left denotes integral multiples of a large hour, the next to the right represents 1/60's of a large hour, then 1/3600's of a large hour, etc). Thus e.g. in obv. 13 the length of daylight was (3 + 4x1/60 + 32x1/3600 + 30x1/216000)x4 = 12.3016664 hours, or approximately 12 hours 18 minutes and 6 seconds. On the tablet, the quantities are expressed as usz, or degrees.
-The entries for this column were calculated