Subject: Re: [HM] Aristarchus
From: Milo Gardner (milo.gardner@24stex.com)
Date: Thu Feb 10 2000 - 15:50:59 EST
Subject: Sidereal time and Greeks
Dear HM listmembers:
Chris's support of Kim's position is logical, based on Ptolemy
not using sidereal time in his calculations, to a significant
degree. However, very early, Egyptians, Babylonians and Indians
computed in sidereal time, marking the daily average of 3 minutes
and 56 seconds per day divergence, as implied by Galileo's
great book, The Sidereal Messenger.
Clearly the 'vault of the heavens' was known to move, by Greeks and
others; but, was that the only known or 'proved' movement? Kim might
continue to say that Greeks would have had no way to confirm two
movements of the sky, let alone one.
Well, I disagree. Computing with sidereal time with the use of water
clocks, as a transfer standard, at least by 1,500 BC in Babylon
and Egypt, and maybe later in India (Dinesh can comment on this
aspect) a great deal more would have been known than Kim and
other moderns accept as 'attested' history. Clearly, and well known
to moderns, Egyptians by 1100 BC, during the reign of Rmasside
formalized a 'star rising' version of sidereal time. What else was
known in Egypt, Babylon and India that would have shed light
on ancient orries and others models of the heavens?
Simply saying that ancient knew nothing, is offering a negative,
based on nothing. Archimedes says ancient Greeks knew a lot more than
we moderns generally give than credit for accepting as physical
fact, or as an area op of investigation.
What else will the ancient texts reveal, one day?
Regards to all,
Milo Gardner
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