Suppose you watch the Sun rise and set day after day. That is the principle of the sundial, discussed in section #2a. At sunset, with the Sun in the west, it points to the east.At noon, with the Sun in the south, it points north.At sunrise, with the Sun in the east, it points to the west.After noon shadows again grow longer, as the Sun descends towards the horizon.īecause the shadow always points away from the Sun: The time when this happens is halfway between sunrise and sunset, and we call it noon or maybe "noon by the Sun," because "noon by the clock" may differ a little. At the highest point in the Sun's motion, when it is in the south, the shadow is at its shortest. When the Sun is near the horizon, shortly after sunrise or before sunset, a vertical stick or post casts a long shadow. Finally, the direction opposite south will be north. In between the Sun rises in a long arc, and is furthest from the horizon halfway between its rising and setting, in a direction you call south. It sets in the opposite direction, and that will be west. Observing day after day, you note that the Sun always rises from roughly the same direction, which you name east. Your view is limited by the horizon, an imaginary line all around you at a distance of a few miles, or whatever units Babylonians used. Imagine you were one of the early Babylonian skywatchers! You live on a plain, and as far as you can see, the world around you is absolutely flat (only careful observations of the surface of the ocean suggest anything different-see section #8). His going forth is from the end of the heaven,Īnd there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber Īnd rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course. ![]() ![]() Their line is gone out through all the earth, ![]() The ancient author of Psalm 19 wrote:Īnd night unto night revealeth knowledge Early stargazers-especially the priests of Egypt and Babylon, semi-desert countries where skies are rarely clouded-were fascinated by the star-studded canopy which seemed to stretch overhead, and by the daily cycle of the Sun, which seemed supernatural, beyond understanding.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |