XPost: alt.astronomy, alt.astrology, alt.sci.planetary   
   XPost: alt.archaeology   
   From: mathnphysics-not@bellsouth.net   
      
   Cyberiade.it Anonymous Remailer wrote in "alt.astronomy", a science   
   newsgroup:   
   >  NOTE: Several years ago, I first wrote and posted this   
   >  article describing how ancient astronomers watched and   
   >  predicted the planetary orbits with admirable accuracy,   
   [...]   
   >  I've updated links, added several highlights, but apart   
   [...]   
   > This is very basic, and will show you how every planet   
   > visible to the naked eye, which includes the Sun, Moon,   
      
   The Sun and Moon are not planets.   
      
   [...]   
   > This is a BIG deal because Atheist-academia has closed   
   > their eyes to timeless science and its reproducibility.   
   > This clearly transcends simple astronomy, but includes   
   > astrology, metaphysics, and all spiritual implications.   
      
   Except that astrology does not include the fact that Jupiter is right   
   now in the constellation of Ophiuchus, which proves astrology wrong   
   and astronomy right.   
      
   [...]   
   > Accurate positions of planets and stars is all we need   
   > for this lesson. Your favorite software will work fine.   
   > No telescope needed. We can see this all with our eyes,   
   > so reduce your software's star magnitude limit to five,   
   > and assume Uranus, Neptune and Pluto to be nonexistent   
   > (not as Gods, but to pacify the unbelieving scientist).   
      
   [smile] If you do that, then M81 in Ursa Major won't show up and it's   
   a lot bigger than the Sun. (And it's on the celestial sphere!!)   
      
   >   
   > For this lesson, we're concerned only with heliacal ri-   
      
   "Heliacal risings"?? You really ought to learn how to spell.   
      
   > sings of each planet separately, which depends only on   
   > sufficient angle between that planet and the Sun so it   
   > can be spotted against background stars before sunrise.   
   >   
   [...]   
   > While these conditions can vary to extremes, generally,   
   > provided reasonably good seeing conditions towards the   
   > eastern horizon about an hour or so before sunrise, as   
   > you look to the east (from moderate latitudes) you can   
   > barely make out a planet that you expect to see rising   
   > heliacally on or about that date. If you miss it, then   
   > try again in a couple of days and you're bound to spot   
   > the planet you're looking for if it's Mars, Jupiter or   
   > Saturn; or plan ahead and begin looking sooner if it's   
   > Mercury whose orbit you can see is eccentric. You know   
      
   Huh? Mercury's orbital eccentricity is indeed 0.206, which is the   
   highest of the planets. However, you can't see that visually from   
   Earth since Mercury is in the same orbital plane as Earth. You have to   
   measure it - with a telescope (and a clock).   
      
   > that each planet has predictable orbital patterns, and   
      
   Which conform to Kepler's laws.   
      
   > although these patterns vary over the short-term, over   
   > the long-term they become more and more predictable to   
   > fractions of a degree in sidereal longitude & latitude.   
      
   You mean right ascension and declination.   
      
   >   
   > That's how you know that Venus is the most predictable,   
   > since Venus has the least eccentric orbit. We see this   
      
   However, Venus is more subject to gravitational precession than Mars.   
   So actually Mars is more "predictable" than Venus. But then again, you   
   believe astrology and not the facts.   
      
   > behavior of Venus through heliacal risings or settings,   
   > especially at maximum elongations inferior or superior.   
      
   "Inferior or superior"?? Do you actually mean that Venus crossed the   
   Earth's orbit of the Sun? (Note: inferior planets are on solar orbits   
   inside Earth's orbit and superior planets are on solar orbits outside   
   Earth's orbit.)   
      
   [...]   
   > Open your favorite astronomy program. As always, I use   
   > Astrolog, so all examples given refer to JPL ephemeris   
   > DE-406 with Abramov's expanded version of fixstars.ast   
   > provided by S. Moshier using the Astronomical Almanach.   
      
   So you use astronomical data for your astrology. Mmmmmm, does this   
   mean that you think that astronomy is right and astrology wrong?   
      
   [...]   
   > whole hand equals about ten degrees. You can calibrate   
   > simple hand measurements by memorizing bright "marking"   
   > stars near the ecliptic by their approximate longitude   
      
   ie right ascension.   
      
   [...]   
   > However, only Astrolog can chart the marking stars and   
   > planets by their zodiacal, constellational coordinates   
   > as used by ancient stargazers for tracking the planets.   
      
   Of course accounting for the fact that in 3000 BC there were 12 signs   
   in the zodiac and now there are 13. [giggle]   
      
   [...]   
   > Since we're beginning with Saturn, set restrictions in   
   > Astrolog to restrict all then uncheck only the Sun and   
   > Saturn. Set the date & time to December 31, 2003 12 AM,   
   > and you'll see Saturn at opposition in 15 Gemini. This   
      
   RA = 06h42m30s & DEC = +22deg24'20"   
      
   > is just one "pinky finger" in longitude from Alhena at   
      
   Alhena = Gamma Geminorum: RA = 06h37m57s & DEC = +16deg23'45"   
      
   > 14 Gemini. With the Sun in 15 Sagittarius, then Saturn   
      
   RA = 18h39m46s & DEC = -23deg07'29" near star lambda Sagittarii.   
      
   > will be at southing about midnight LAT January 1, 2004.   
      
   It's actually beyond the meridian at the that time, so midnight 1   
   January 2004 is too late for "southing".   
      
   >   
   > From this, we can estimate Saturn's next opposition by   
   > adding 378 days, which is January 13, 2005. But Saturn   
   > is a little slow in getting there, reaching opposition   
   > the next day January 14, in 29 Gemini. The oppositions,   
      
   Actually this is so convoluted that the astronomical method is better.   
   To find opposition, look up the Sun's position. Add that to 180deg and   
   voila, you've got the opposition point. Simple.   
      
   [...]   
   > Hence the Sun formed the fundamental basis of tracking   
   > time from the beginning of every civilization that has   
   > come and gone, from primitive tribes of early hominids   
   > to more advanced human cultures, most of which are too   
   > distant in the past for their records to have survived.   
      
   Which of course explains why almost all primitive cultures use lunar   
   calendars. [giggle]   
      
   [...]   
   > In mans present time, secular-religious archaeologists   
   > prefer to believe that civilization is basically under   
   > 7000 years old worldwide, due to their historical ties   
   > to the Roman church, and continued use of the language   
   > in their laws and their sciences. This is not to blame   
      
   No, they believe that, because there are no archaeological artifacts   
   of civilization beyond 5000 BC. Well, I've got to qualify that a bit.   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)