Commentary On Graham

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-73
Author(s):  
Alexander P. D. Mourelatos
Keyword(s):  
Fifth Century ◽  
Sixth Century ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lunar Phases ◽  
Planar Model ◽  
Solar Eclipses ◽  
Two Stages

The comment endorses and reinforces Daniel W. Graham’s highly original and attractive proposal that early Greek cosmology develops in two stages. In what Graham calls the “meteorological stage” of the sixth century BCE, celestial objects are explained as formations either from fire or from watery exhalations in a roughly planar model of the cosmos. In the “lithic stage” of the mid- and late fifth century introduced by Anaxagoras, the model is that of a central earth around which solid stone-like celestial objects revolve held aloft in a vortex. The change to the lithic stage comes about, according to Graham, as the implications of Parmenides’ epoch-making discovery that the moon is illuminated by the sun (heliophotism) come to be understood and are then theoretically exploited. The present comment also proposes that the false explanations of lunar phases and lunar and solar eclipses in the meteorological-stage cosmologies, respectively, of Xenophanes and of Heraclitus may have played a helpful heuristic role in the theoretical breakthrough to heliophotism.

Colloquium 2: Two Stages Of Early Greek Cosmology

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-63
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Sixth Century ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Meteorological Model ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Two Stages

It is generally held that Presocratic cosmologies are sui generis and unique to their authors. If, however, a division is made between sixth-century and fifthcentury BC cosmologies, some salient differences emerge. For instance, heavenly bodies in sixth-century cosmologies tend to be light, ephemeral, fed by vapors, and located above the earth; those in fifth-century cosmologies tend to be heavy, permanent, heated by friction, and to travel below the earth. The earlier cosmologies seem to embody a meteorological model of astronomy, the latter a lithic model. The change in models can be accounted for on the basis of Parmenides’ discovery that the moon is illuminated by the sun and hence is a spherical, permanent, opaque or earthy body. This insight generated empirical evidence to confirm itself and rendered obsolete earlier cosmologies.

In the shadow of the Moon—An informative guide to solar eclipses Totality: Eclipses of the Sun

1991 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 319-319
Author(s):  
Mark Littman ◽  
Ken Willcox ◽  
Edward Pascuzzi
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Solar Eclipses

Derived Light and Eclipses in the Fifth Century

1968 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. 114-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O'Brien
Keyword(s):  
Fifth Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
The One ◽  
Principal Elements

In a study earlier in this volume, ‘The Relation of Anaxagoras and Empedocles’, pp. 93–113, I listed the ancient evidence to the effect that Anaxagoras first gave the correct explanation of an eclipse, and that he was followed in this by Empedocles. A more extensive examination of the evidence raises certain difficulties. For what are, or might appear to be, Anaxagoras' theories are attributed elsewhere to earlier thinkers.There are two principal elements in this contradiction, the one direct and the other indirect.1. There is a direct contradiction when Thales, Anaximenes and some Pythagoreans are said to have given the correct explanation of an eclipse, at least if we suppose the Pythagoreans in question to have been earlier than Anaxagoras.2. There has been thought to be an indirect contradiction when several thinkers before Anaxagoras are said to have derived the moon's light from the sun. For a theory of derived light for the moon has been thought, whether rightly or wrongly, to entail the correct explanation of an eclipse.In what follows I shall attempt to solve these, and some other incidental difficulties.

4. On the Red Prominences seen during Total Eclipses of the Sun. Part I.

1857 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 135-136
Author(s):  
William Swan
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Total Phase ◽  
Solar Eclipses ◽  
The Rose

The object of this communication is to discuss the evidence afforded by various observations of the eclipse which occurred on the 28th July 1851, as to the nature of the rose-coloured prominences which are seen round the moon during the total phase of solar eclipses.In order to render the inquiry into the nature of the red prominences as complete as possible, the author has not confined himself to the consideration of such hypotheses only as have been formally stated regarding them; but has also included in his examination such other views as he thought might probably be entertained regarding those remarkable objects.

scholarly journals XXIX.—On the Red Prominences seen during Total Eclipses of the Sun. Part I

1853 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-459
Author(s):  
William Swan
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Total Eclipse ◽  
Total Phase ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Solar Eclipses

The red prominences seen during total solar eclipses, are conspicuous rose-coloured objects which appear round the dark edge of the moon, as soon as the last rays of the sun have disappeared. In preparing my account of the total eclipse of the 28th July 1851, it was at first my intention to have stated some hypothetical views which I had formed regarding those remarkable objects, and other appearances I had observed during the total phase of the eclipse. I found, however, that the mere description of phenomena extended to so great a length, as to render such a course inexpedient; and I have since delayed resuming the subject, in order that by comparing a number of other observations with my own, I might be enabled, either to confirm or to modify my views.

scholarly journals A COMPARATIVE AND ANAIYTIC COMPARISON OF THE VARIOUS IMAGES OF MOON AND THE SUN BASED ON ANCIENT ASTRONOMY IN NASER KHOSRO, ANVARI AND NEZAMI'S POEMS

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-50
Author(s):  
Behnaz Shahnavazi ◽  
Habib Jadidoleslami
Keyword(s):  
Sixth Century ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Persian Literature ◽  
Folk Beliefs ◽  
Persian Poetry ◽  
Artistic Works ◽  
Ancient Astronomy

Sky and celestial phenomena has long been caused men's surprise, and has couraged humans to unravel the mysteries and secrets of the beauties hidden in it. The vast expanse of sky, incredible beauty of the stars, the glow of the moon, sunrise and sunset, all these things gradually increased the sense of interest and curiosity in mankind so that its manifestation can be seen in many artistic works. Among numerous astronomical elements, the sun moon is one of the planets which have had a beautiful reflection in poetry. Among the poets who had a special look at the moon, we can name three great Persian poets: Naser Khosro Ghobadiani, Anvari and Nezami. And also because of the fact that fifth and sixth century were two of the most productive periods in Persian literature, and Isfahan, Khorasan, Aran and Azarbayejan were regarded as the main centers of poetry and literature of these periods, that’s why in this article moon's manifestation has been studied in the poems of these three poets who lived in fifth and sixth centuries. This paper aims to detect, analyze, and compare various aspects of moon based on ancient astronomy in Naser Khosro, Anvari and Nezami's poems. To achieve this purpose, first the word astronomy science, astrology, and its manifestation in Persian poetry has been studied in brief. Then moon, locations of the moon and its different manifestation in the poems of these three poets have been shown, analyzed and compared. The results of this study shows that moon had been shown in the poets  of all these three poets in different forms such as showing moon in its twelve towers, cancer, Taurus, and folk beliefs about moon, eclipses.

scholarly journals Geodetic Applications of Grazing Occultations

1971 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 592-600
Author(s):  
D. W. Dunham
Keyword(s):  
Short Wave ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Apparent Position ◽  
Wave Radio ◽  
Solar Eclipses ◽  
Flash Spectrum

Up to about a century ago, occultations were often used to measure differences in geographical longitude. Extensive geodetic surveys, accurate chronometers, telegraphic communications, and later short-wave radio time services obviated the geodetic need for occultation observations, which are affected by geodetically severe uncertainties of stellar and lunar positions, lunar limb irregularities, and observers’ personal equations. More sophisticated methods of observation would be needed before the Moon could again be useful to geodesy.During this century, cinematography of Bailey’s beads and the flash spectrum during total solar eclipses have been used to obtain the relative apparent position of the Sun and Moon to an accuracy which could be useful to geodesy. But observational opportunities were rare and few results of geodetic significance have been obtained.

Modelling Lunar Extremes

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Fisher ◽  
Lionel Sims
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Celestial Mechanics ◽  
Computer Modelling ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon

Claims first made over half a century ago that certain prehistoric monuments utilised high-precision alignments on the horizon risings and settings of the Sun and the Moon have recently resurfaced. While archaeoastronomy early on retreated from these claims, as a way to preserve the discipline in an academic boundary dispute, it did so without a rigorous examination of Thom’s concept of a “lunar standstill”. Gough’s uncritical resurrection of Thom’s usage of the term provides a long-overdue opportunity for the discipline to correct this slippage. Gough (2013), in keeping with Thom (1971), claims that certain standing stones and short stone rows point to distant horizon features which allow high-precision alignments on the risings and settings of the Sun and the Moon dating from about 1700 BC. To assist archaeoastronomy in breaking out of its interpretive rut and from “going round in circles” (Ruggles 2011), this paper evaluates the validity of this claim. Through computer modelling, the celestial mechanics of horizon alignments are here explored in their landscape context with a view to testing the very possibility of high-precision alignments to the lunar extremes. It is found that, due to the motion of the Moon on the horizon, only low-precision alignments are feasible, which would seem to indicate that the properties of lunar standstills could not have included high-precision markers for prehistoric megalith builders.

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