The History and Philosophy of Astronomy Lecture 5: Alternative Views: China, Mayan Astronomy. Presentation

Astronomy 350L (Fall 2006)

The History and Philosophy of Astronomy (Lecture 5: Alternative Views: China, Mayan Astronomy)

Instructor: Volker Bromm TA: Jarrett Johnson The University of Texas at Austin

Different Traditions of Astronomy “ Western ”

Inca 2. Ancient Maya Aztecs

Scientific Revolution: Galileo, Newton, Kepler Renaissance: Copernicus

Indian/Vedic 1. Chinese

Medieval Islam Greece/Rome

… Babylon

Japanese/  Korean

Chinese Astronomy: Very Brief Introduction

Chinese astronomy

vital importance to the State!

Chinese Astronomy: Very Brief Introduction

Armillary Sphere

Chinese astronomy

very sophisticated!

Earth-Sun motion on Celestial Sphere:

Sun moves along ecliptic once a year!

Two branches of Astronomy Calend Cal endric rical al met methods hods (“lifa (“lifa”) ”)

regularity/cycles

Celestial Occurrences (“tianwen”)

unusual phenomena (Novae, supernovae, comets,…)

(e.g., comets)

Yang Yan g Wei-Te Wei-Te’s ’s `Gues `Guestt Star’ Star’ of AD AD 1054 1054

Guest Star = Supernova Explosion - un unob obser serve ved d in Medie Medieval val Euro Europe pe

Chinese Model of the Universe

Axis of rotation

Inhabited world is at center of universe - flat Ea Earth

The Ancient Maya Classic Cla ssical al Per Perio iod: d: ~ 200 200 – 900 AD

Yucatan

Tikal

Maya

obsessed with time and astronomy!

Maya Hieroglyphic Writing Carved Limestone Stelae

• Maya writing deciphe deciphered red only only quite quite recently recently (> 1970s) 1970s) • Dec Decoded oded firs first: t: numbe numberr system system and and calenda calendarr

Maya Number System

• ba base se 20 20 (vig (viges esim imal al)) • pla place-v ce-valu alue e system, system, inc include ludes s “zero” “zero”

Maya Calendar

• hi high ghly ly co comp mple lex x • cyc cyclic lical al (recur (recurring ring)) and linear linear elem elements ents

Maya Calendar • 1st cycle: Sacred Round (Tzolkin )

• 20 name name glyph glyphs s + 13 numb numbers ers = 260 days • no direct direct ast astron ronomic omical al signif significa icance nce

Maya Calendar • 2nd cycle: Vague Year (Haab )

• 18 “mo “month nths” s” of 20 da days ys + 1 mon month th of of 5 da days ys = 365 365 day days s • bas based ed on sol solar ar (sea (season sonal) al) yea yearr

Maya Calendar cycl clic ic vs li lin nea ear: r: • cy • Same combination of tzolkin and ha haab date (e.g (e .g., ., 1 Im Imix ix 4 Mac) Mac) recurs every 52 years! • Ho How w to to meas measure ure lon longe gerr time periods? Long Count!

Maya Calendar • Linear series: Long Count

• gen general eral form format: at: xx. xx.xx. xx.xx. xx.xx xx.xx .xx • fir first st day = origi origin n of time time (univers (universe)=0 e)=0.0. .0.0.0 0.0.0 .0 Aug. 13, 3114 BC (Gregorian) • las lastt day day (= end end of of time?) time?) = 13.0.0 13.0.0.0.0 .0.0 2012 AD

Maya Astronomy Obsession with Venus

= Kukulcan

Venus Astronomy: The Basics

Venus appears as evening star

Venus appears as morning star

Venus invisible in glare of Sun

• invisib iblle --- morn rniing star – in inv visible – even eniing star 8 days + 263 days + 50 days + 263 days = 584 584 days days (s (syn ynodi odic c per perio iod) d)

Venus Astronomy: The Basics

Celestial Sphere

Ecliptic

Horizon

• Ven Venus us appea appears rs alway always s close close to Sun! Sun!

Venus Astronomy: The Basics

Venus Astronomy: The Basics • Morning star: Charac Characteristi teristic c pattern pattern of heliac heliacal al rising rising

Venus Astronomy: The Basics • Morning star: Charac Characteristi teristic c pattern pattern of heliac heliacal al rising rising • 5-f 5-fol old d symm symmet etry ry (f (fiv ive e repeating patterns) • Q: Wh Why y is is tha that? t? • A: 58 584 4 x 5 = 36 365 5x8

Book of Mayan Astronomy: The Dresden Codex

• One of only only 4 survi surviving ving May Maya a codice codices s • Con Contain tains s Eclips Eclipse e Tables Tables and Venus Venus Tabl Tables es

Dresden Codex: Venus Tables

236 + 90 + 250 + 8 = 584 (morn. star- …- even. star -- ..)

Maya Venus Worship and Warfare • Ma Maya yan n rule rulers rs ti time med d their attacks according to the motion of Venus • Ce Cele lest stia iall eve event nts s were were of the utmost importance • as astro tronom nomy y = re reliligi gion on

(Mural at Bonampak)

Astronomy and Maya Architecture Alignment astronomy again!

(Ca (C ara rac col at Chi Chitz tze en It Itza za))

Astronomy: Alternative Views

• Tra Tradit ditions ions,, independen independentt from Western Western astronom astronomy: y: - E.g E.g., ., Ancie Ancient nt China, China, Anci Ancient ent Maya Maya - fund fundamen amentally tally diffe different rent views views of of the cosmo cosmos s

• An Anc cie ient nt Ch Chin ina: a: - ast astronom ronomy y integral integral part part of state state burea bureaucrac ucracy y - sear search ch for for unusual unusual celest celestial ial occurren occurrences ces (comets, novae…)

• An Anc cie ient nt Ma Maya ya:: - obse obsesse ssed d with astro astronomy nomy and and timekeep timekeeping ing - cruci crucial al role of Venu Venus’s s’s mot motions ions governs Maya warfare - Dr Dres esde den n Co Code dex x = The  book of Mayan astronomy