Astronomy of The Mayans Uncovered Part II
(This is continued from Astronomy of The Mayans Uncovered Part I) The Mayan had a strong interest in Zenial Passages. Zenial Passages are only found in tropical areas and it is when the sun passes directly overhead. At the low latitudes of the Mayan cities, the sun is directly overhead two times per year. These Zenial Passages occurred with precision over the years and were directly related to their distance from equator. The Mayans observed these Zenial Passages and predicted them on a regular basis. The Zenial Passages were important to the Mayans because its position overhead represented their Diving God.
After the Sun, the Mayans were most interested in the planet Venus. The Mayans had some of the most detailed records of the observations of Venus of any ancient civilization. As Venus orbits around the Sun, it spends 8 days passing behind the sun and is not visible from Earth. The Mayans so closely followed Venus that they were able to accurately predict when Venus would go behind the Sun and when it would emerge.
The Mayans were particularly adept at predicting eclipses. They used their significant body of knowledge from observing the planets and the stars along with their mathematical advancements to predict solar eclipses. These eclipses were considered to be dire events in Mayan culture and the priest-astronomers were able to guide the people through their eclipse predictions.
The Mayans had a very broad knowledge of astronomy through their priests. They were able to make predictions of astronomical events, they kept some of the most detailed astronomical records of planets, they had named constellations in the night sky, and they recorded and used data from the yearly Zenial Passages. All of these converge to create one of the most interesting civilizations in terms of their Astronomical advancement.
Tags: ancient cultures, astronomy
Comments
One Comment on Astronomy of The Mayans Uncovered Part II
-
Weatherman Dan on
Sat, 15th Nov 2008 1:02 pm
Interesting reading. I think there is a lot of interest in Mayan Astronomy because of the prophecy that their calendar will end in 2012. Do you plan another piece talking about the Mayan calendar?
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
-
Recent Posts
- Teaching In The New School Year
- Want To Win A Free Hampton Hotel Stay?
- Going Back To A Traditional Shave
- Web, Phone, Text and Facebook On Your Phone!
- What Features Would Improve Facebook Messages?
- My New Internet Connection Goes With Me
- Help Your Favorite School Win Laptops
- MySpace Is Dead
- Finally Make HD Video Calls Over Skype!
- What’s In A High School Computer Class?
-
