[Aztlan] Astronomical thinking universal?

[lahunik.62 at skynet.be]

Cfr:"The sky is nearly universal, or the sky is the sky wherever on earth
one is"

Cfr:"The basic rules of the sky are therefore universal, not only across
cultures but also across time".

The sky is NOT the same sky wherever on earth one is!
One can only observe the same sky on the same degree of latitude, wherever
on earth one is. Egypt or Babylon lies between 20° and 30° North latitude.

North-America between 30° and 40° North latitude.

The North of Mexico is between 30° and 23°27' North latitude.

>From 23°27' North latitude, or the tropic Cancer, lies the Mid-Americas.

What probably was seen in the sky in Egypt or Babylon couldn't be exactly
the same what was seen in Yucatan, and vice versa. Not only because of the
different latitude but also because of the different point in time and of
the precession of the equinox. 

In the Northern Hemisphere one has to concentrate to the point where now the
star Polaris is lying. That is the point where the whole Northern hemisphere
is turning around.

This point is changing through time according to the precession to another
constellation. It is therefore not right to pretend that the basic rules of
the sky were the same across different cultures and across different time.

The 3 zenitpassages were very important for the Mid-American cultures,
because of the fact they occur always exactly through all the centuries on
the same time of the year.

On 21° North latitude, the latitude of Chichen Itza, the zenitpassages occur
on May 25, 23 and 21. On 17° North latitude, the latitude of Tonina, Piedras
Negras and Tikal, the zenitpassages occur on May 8,6 and 5.

Maybe the different old Meso-Americans were aware of the fact they were
lying on different latitudes? They had nevertheless the knowledge to point
the exact passage, so they may have been aware of the 3 different passages.

And maybe that is the reason why so many different calendars were starting
on as even different points in time.   

Lahun Ik 62

Baert Georges

Flanders Fields