On Jan 31, 2006, at 3:29 PM, doctor_gabby_savy wrote:
The basic point is understanding what precession of the equinox means.
And its impacts long run such as long run weather cycles, human
migration and civilization growth/decay impacts, and how
correspondence to long-run jyotish cycles may correspond correspond to
the latter.
The frustrating thing is, when I was taught astronomy in college, there was one simple diagram which explained this perfectly: a diagram of the plane of the ecliptic and the earths orbit. Where these two intersected, you had the equinoxes. When these two "rings" rotated in regards to one another, the equinox points changed, they precessed. It was both befuddling and elegantly simple.
All scientists appear to agree that the precession of the equinox
means that the position of the sun at Vernal equinox in its eliptical
annual trip around the 12 constellations receeds about one degree
every 72 years. Which is roughly one days travel of the sun. Thus,
slowly the date of the real VE is getting earlier and earlier as the
sun gets to the new VE from the old one in less 360 degrees = less
than 365.25 days.
Yes but one thing to keep in mind, the calendar will also change.
All of that is important to understand for jyotish, long run weather
cycles, long run astronomy, and general competence in knowing how the
world works.
Well you might enjoy reading on the Milankovitch cycles then.
Sun at VE in 13000 is just an eye-catching example to people to
realize that assumptions that work well in a 200 year span, don't
always work well in long spans time.
And makes a good story to tell at VE. "You know you kids arent going
to have spring break any more in 13000 years." 19 year old blondes
love this stuff. haha. Barry might pick up some more one night stands
if his Woody (no pun) Allen story fails.
And its all a good brain tonic to visualize this stuff.
As long as we recognize that the calendar will change to accommodate these rather slow changes. The equinoctial points will move to different areas on the ecliptic, but so will our months and their seasons.
