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Cosmology is the quantitative study of the Universe in its totality, and by extension, humanity's place in it. http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html The constellations are totally imaginary things that poets, farmers and astronomers have made up over the past 6,000 years (and probably even more!). The real purpose for the constellations is to help us tell which stars are which, nothing more. On a really dark night, you can see about 1000 to 1500 stars. Trying to tell which is which is hard. The constellations help by breaking up the sky into more managable bits. They are used as mnemonics, or memory aids. For example, if you spot three bright stars in a row in the winter evening, you might realize, "Oh! That's part of Orion!" Suddenly, the rest of the constellation falls into place and you can declare: "There's Betelgeuse in Orion's left shoulder and Rigel is his foot." And once you recognize Orion, you can remember that Orion's Hunting Dogs are always nearby. Then you might recognize the two bright stars in the upper and lower left of the photograph as Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major, respectively. Obviously, this is very different from the photo above. This type of schematic draws the stars as different sizes to represent different brightnesses. In addition, there is a standard way to connect the stars that allow astronomers and others who use charts like this to quickly tell what they are looking at. In almost every star atlas, you will see Orion drawn with these same lines. You might also notice that every star on the chart is labeled (sorry that it came out a little blurry). This chart is useful because it accurately shows the relative positions of the stars in this small region of the sky. In addition, other things besides stars are also labeled on the chart. For example, Barnard's Loop on the left and M42 in the bottom middle are pointed out. Barnard's Loop is a cloud of faintly glowing gas, which can't be seen without a telescope. M42 is the Great Orion Nebula and it is the red splotch in Orion's Sword in the photo above. Where did the constellations come from? 12 horoscope :P Aries picture 4 Abbreviation: AriGenitive: Arietis Right Ascension: 2.66 hoursDeclination: 20.09 degrees Aquarius picture 5 Abbreviation: AqrGenitive: Aquarii Right Ascension: 22.71 hoursDeclination: -10.19 degrees Aquarius is visible in the fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Cancer picture 6 Abbreviation: CncGenitive: Cancri Right Ascension: 8.69 hoursDeclination: 20.15 degrees Cancer, the Crab is visible in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring, and visible in the Southern Hemisphere in autumn. picture 7 Abbreviation: CapGenitive: Capricorni Right Ascension: 21.02 hoursDeclination: -20.23 degreesCapricornus, the Goat-Fish, is visible in early autumn from the northern hemisphere. It reaches its highest point on September 1. Gemini picture 8 Abbreviation: GemGenitive: Germinorum Right Ascension: 7.19 hoursDeclination: 22.69 degrees Gemini, the Twins, is visible from the Northern Hemisphere in November through April and in the Southern Hemisphere from December through March. Leo picture 9 Abbreviation: LeoGenitive: Leonis Right Ascension: 10.66 hoursDeclination: 16.45 degrees Leo, the Lion, can be found in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring and Southern Hemisphere in autumn. Libra picture 10 Abbreviation: LibGenitive: Librae Right Ascension: 15.21 hoursDeclination: -15.59 degrees Libra, the Scales, can be found between Scorpius and Virgo, Libra is the age old symbol of justice, harmony and balance. Pisces picture 11 Abbreviation: PscGenitive: Piscium Right Ascension: 0.85 hoursDeclination: 11.08 degrees Pisces, the Fish, appears in the sky between October and December in the Northern Hemisphere, the circle of fishes lies just south of the 'Great Square' of Pegasus. Sagittarius picture 12 Abbreviation: SgrGenitive: Sagittarii Right Ascension: 19.11 hoursDeclination: -25.77 degrees Sagittarius, the Archer, can be seen in the summer in the Northern Hemisphere and in winter in the Southern. Scorpius picture13 Taurus picture 14 Abbreviation: TauGenitive: Tauri Right Ascension: 4.27 hoursDeclination: 18.87 degrees Taurus, the Bull, can be seen during the winter and the early spring in the Northern Hemisphere and from November to February from the Southern Hemisphere. Virgo picture 15 Abbreviation: VirGenitive: Virginis Right Ascension: 13.21 hoursDeclination: -3.73 degrees Virgo, the Virgin, can be seen in spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. For further information of other stars.pls go to this web Thanks and credits to all the above website taht provide us with information.=) Submitted by,
Cosmology
credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmology
Disciplines (introdution of cosmology)
In recent times, physics and astrophysics have come to play a central role in shaping what is now known as physical cosmology by bringing observations and mathematical tools to analyze the universe as a whole: in other words, in the understanding of the universe through scientific observation and experiment. This discipline, which focuses on the universe as it exists on the largest scale and at the earliest moments, is generally understood to begin with the big bang (possibly combined with cosmic inflation) - an expansion of space from which the Universe itself is thought to have emerged ~13.7±0.2×109 ( 13.7 billion) years ago[1] . From its violent beginnings and until its various speculative ends, cosmologists propose that the history of the Universe has been governed entirely by physical laws.
Between the domains of religion and science, stands the philosophical perspective of metaphysical cosmology. This ancient field of study seeks to draw intuitive conclusions about the nature of the universe, man, god and/or their relationships based on the extension of some set of presumed facts borrowed from spiritual experience and/or observation.
But metaphysical cosmology has also been observed as the placing of man in the universe in relationship to all other entities. This is demonstrated by the observation made by Marcus Aurelius of a man's place in that relationship: " “He who does not know what the world is does not know where he is, and he who does not know for what purpose the world exists, does not know who he is, nor what the world is.” This is the purpose of the ancient metaphysical cosmology. However, Stoicism rejected Aristotle's theory of universals as being "in the things themselves," calling them "figments of the mind." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy[2] adopting the concept of universals as being "concepts," and therefore of the mind, and therefore controllable by free will. Thus, we get the analysis of Aurelius' that the nature of the universe is not from "intuition," but from a free-will, conceptual understanding of the nature of the universe.
Cosmology is often an important aspect of the creation myths of religions that seek to explain the existence and nature of reality. In some cases, views about the creation (cosmogony) and destruction (eschatology) of the universe play a central role in shaping a framework of religious cosmology for understanding humanity's role in the universe.
A more contemporary distinction between religion and philosophy, esoteric cosmology is distinguished from religion in its less tradition-bound construction and reliance on modern "intellectual understanding" rather than faith, and from philosophy in its emphasis on spirituality as a formative concept.
There are many historical cosmologies:
“…the universe itself acts on us as a random, inefficient, and yet in the long run effective, teaching machine. …our way of looking at the universe has gradually evolved through a natural selection of ideas.” —Steven Weinberg [3]
Beliefs of astrology
Astrology - belief in the physical influence of planetary rays on earth - is one of the most important historical contexts in which astronomy developed. Astrology served as a motivation as well as a means of gainful employment for astronomers. The Babylonians meticulously compiled tablets of the position of Venus, as it was believed to signify omens for weather, war, famine, diseases, rulers and kingdoms. Ptolemy composed the Tetrabiblos, believing that astrology could be placed on a rational footing, despite being a conjectural art like medicine. In practice, belief in astrology meant that horoscopes were cast for new-born children, prospective spouses and political enemies, public buildings were opened and marriage and other ceremonies conducted on auspicious days. Numerous records of astrological practice can be found from the Roman times.
Several important Arabic authors on astronomy, such as al-Kindi, Masha'allah and Abu Ma 'Shar were astrologers: Abraham ibn Ezra and Ibn Yunus discussed astrology in a scholarly manner. In the Latin West, the terms astrology and astronomy were interchangeable for a long time. In the arts faculties of medieval universities, the theory of planetary motion of Sacrobosco, Ptolemy and Gerard of Cremona (later Georg Peurbach) was always taught alongside guides for interpreting the influence of planetary configurations, through texts such as Alchabitius' Introduction to Astrology, Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos and Centiloquium and Albumazar's Great Conjunctions. Johannes Kepler believed that he could set astrology onto a surer footing, and his astrological beliefs were fundamental to his heliocentric cosmology.
It is important to remember that one of the important reasons for studying astrology in the Latin West was medicine: parts of medical prognosis and treatment were determined by astrological information. For instance, whether a disease 'turned' (on 'critical days') better or worse depended on the state of the patient's body and whether it was an astrologically favourable moment. Bloodletting, a medical treatment intended to rectify the imbalance of bodily humours, was regulated by the position of the moon, which was considered to exert greatest influence over the human body. For instance, every sign of the zodiac was considered to rule a part of the human body: the Saggitarius ruled the thighs, Pisces the feet, and so on. When the moon was in the zodiac ruling a particular part of the body, bloodletting from that part was to be avoided, since the attraction of the moon might cause excessive bleeding. Numerous medical manuscripts and almanacs include the figure of the 'zodiac man' as a reminder of the specific influence of the moon. In addition, the power of the moon's pulling power varied by its phases, and thus almanacs usually showed the phases of the moon.
Thus, students of medicine at Bologna, for instance, learnt astrology for four years, including grounding in Euclid's geometry and Ptolemy's Almagest. In addition, they learnt how to use instruments such as the astrolabe and the quadrant, and were taught how to use the Alfonsine Tables along with their canons. The instruction to use astronomical tables indicates that students, or future practitioners of medicine were not expected to calculate afresh planetary positions each time they needed to make a prognosis or conduct blood-letting. Several manuscripts for physicians contain short-cut tables or volvelles (paper discs) in order to establishing planetary positions and phases of the moon. More frequently, practitioners relied on calendars which listed the necessary astrological information. Thus mathematics professors at Bologna were required to compile the official prognostication in order to ensure the dissemination of proper and accurate astrological knowledge. The need for some mastery in astrology for the study of medicine explains why so many teachers of mathematics or astronomy had medical degrees or went on to become physicians, including the most famous astrologer of the Early Modern period, Nostrodamus. The works of Copernicus and Regiomontanus, and contemporary expectations and reactions to them, also needs to be understood in this light: developments in astronomy were inextricably linked with, and were believed to have, implications for astrology. Astronomical developments did not necessarily mean the demise of astrology.
Outside the university walls, the belief in planetary powers was wide-spread enough that rulers retained their own court astrologers. Frederick II (1194-1250) employed Michael Scot, Federigo da Montefeltro (Duke: 1468-82) Paul of Middelburg, and Rudolf II Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler in succession. Galileo Galilei, as courtier was also expected to meet the astrological needs of the prince. Tracts and pamphlets came to be written, blaming astrological configurations for social upheavals or diseases, such as the Black Death, the Sack of Rome, the Peasants' War, the split of the Church, outbreak of syphilis. Prognostications in the vernacular flooded sixteenth-century Europe, foretelling terrible weather, major floods, political unrest and the coming of the Anti-Christ. Comets were eagerly studied as signs portending disaster. Novelties in the heavens were scrutinised for their influences and meanings on earthly matters. Belief in the power of the heavens became part of a world-view; poems were written and metaphors developed in the works of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton, to name only the most famous. The supreme and central power of the sun was successfully employed as an image of kingship by the advisors to Louis XIV, the 'Sun-King'.
It should also be remembered there were many who objected to astrology in one way or another. The profusion of astrologers, their practice of divination and forecasting the future alarmed Christians as well as Muslims, who saw them as implying a deterministic world-view in which God would loose his omnipotence and humans their free will. Constantine thus made divination a capital offence in 357, a ban repeated in 373 and 409; Augustine spoke out vociferously against it in his City of God. Avicenna, Al-Farabi and Averroes all objected to certain astrological practices. Important critiques of astrology in the Latin West included Nicole Oresme, Thomas Bradwardine, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, and Martin Luther. In 1586, Gregory XIII issued a Bull against astrologers, confirming existing prohibitions against predictions of fortuitous events or events depending on human will. However, predictions based on nature and of use to medicine, agriculture and navigation were still permitted.
Star constellations.
Looking at the Constellations The first thing you need to know is that constellations are not real!
picture 1 and 2
OK, so we know the constellations are helpful for remembering the stars, but why would people want to do that (besides astronomers, that is)? After all, I said at the beginning that farmers invented the constellations. Why did they do that? Was it for some religious purpose?
Yes and no. Around the world, farmers know that for most crops, you plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. But in some regions, there is not much differentiation between the seasons. Since different constellations are visible at different times of the year, you can use them to tell what month it is. For example, Scorpius is only visible in the northern hemisphere's evening sky in the summer. Some historians suspect that many of the myths associated with the constellations were invented to help the farmers remember them. When they saw certain constellations, they would know it was time to begin the planting or the reaping.
This dependence on the sky became a strong part of many cultures. Perhaps there is something about the mystery of the night sky that makes people want to tell stories about the constellations. The picture at the left is an ornate star chart printed in 1835. Like the others, it shows the great hunter Orion. In this one, he is holding a lion's head instead of his traditional bow or shield. He has an eager look in his eye as he stalks Taurus, the Bull. Behind him, his faithful dog, Canis Major, is chasing Lepus, the Hare. Compare this picture to the photo near the top of the page. They are at about the same scale and they show the same stars.
The constellations have changed over time. In our modern world, many of the constellations have been redefined so now every star in the sky is in exactly one constellation. In 1929, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted official constellation boundaries that defined the 88 official constellations that exist today.
picture 3
http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/news/
http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/index.php?category=1
Aries is one of the zodiacal constellations (lies along the eclipitic), and can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere during the late winter and early spring. Aries is a small constellation which is bounded by Taurus (to the East), Pisces (to the West), and Cetus (to the South).
Aries is the Ram, and is the first sign of the zodiac. Aries is usually associated with dawn, the spring or the beginning of life.
According the Greek Mythology, the story of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the golden fleece. The fleece came from when Mercury the messenger of the gods, found that two of King Thebes children (Phrixus and Helle) were being treated badly by their stepmother Ino. Mercury sent a supernatural ram, which could speak and reason, to rescue the two children. The children escaped by clinging to the fleece on the ram as it flew (I did mention it flew didn't I?) to Colchis, unfortunately for Helle, she fell off and into the sea and drown. There is a city near Istanbul with the name of Hellespont (named for her?). When Phrixus arrived safely, at Colchis, he sacrified the ram in a sacred grove, he hung the fleece up, where it turned to gold.
Aquarius (the Water Bearer) is one the oldest known constellations and has not changed much in appearance. It is one of the astrological constellations. Not very much is known about the mythology of Aquarius other than he ruled over much of the sky known as the 'Sea' in ancient Babylon. The 'Sea' included the constellations of Capricorn the 'Goat- Fish', Eridanus, Hydra and Cetus. It is not by accident that the Sun passes through Aquarius during the rainy season. Aquarius was the forebear of floods and the spring rains.
There are several stories of this most inconspicious constellation. In early times, it was the crab crushed by Hercules when it pinched his toes in during a contest with Hydra.
The Other story is from the Chaldaean and Platonist philosophy, who thought that Cancer was The Gate of Man through which souls passed from heaven to earth and into human bodies.
Capricornus
Capriconus (the Goat-Fish) is one of the most mysterious and ancient of all the constellations. It was known in Pre-Babylonian times as the god Ea. Ea was of vast intellect, the lord of the sacred eye. Ea has appeared on earth four times to educate man in the art of civilization and each time he appeared in human form he wore a cloak with the tails of a fish. Ea saved mankind from a great flood, the same one descibed in the Bible as the flood of Noah. After educating man, Capricornus returns to the waters as darkness falls.
Gemini, the Twins were the sons of Leda who was seduced by Zeus who appeared as a swan, the result of the union was two eggs, one of which contained Helen of Troy and Pollux (the immortal twin) and the other egg were the offspring of Tyndareus, the mortal Castor and his sister Clytemnestra.
Castor a horseman and Pollux a boxer were inseparable and accompanied the Argonauts on their adventures. They calmed the seas when rough weather threatened. They can still be seen (or so sailors say) today when twin balls of lightening, or St. Elmos fire appear in the rigging of ships that sailors know foul weather is near.
Leo is the Nemean Lion from the Moon who was sent by Hera to slay Hercules. As Hercules first labor, he killed the lion by strangling it with his bare hands. Hercules wore the skin, which made him invincible. When Hercules died, the lion was returned to the celestial heavens with Hercules.
Leo to the Egyptians, was the place the Sun rose after creation (near Denebola) and so was called Domicilium Solis, the badge of fire and heat, or the House of the Sun.
It is interesting that to the Italians, French, Germans, Anglo-Saxons, and Romans the constellation was the scales.
The early Greeks did not recognize Libra as the scales, but included it as the claws of the scorpion. Credit is usually given to the Romans for creating this constellation as a sign of the autumnal equinox. The constellation first appeared in the Julian calendar in 46 B.C. The constellation appears again in 43 B.C. in which a comet appeared during the same year as Caesar's assassination, the writing indicates the comet took his soul to heaven, this comet may very well be the same one seen in 531, 1106 and 1680; its next apparition will be 2255.
However, the Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians and Syrians all had it on their planetspheres and called the constellation the 'weigh beam' or scale beam. The Arabs followed the greeks including it as part of the scorpions claws.
Pisces is considered the 'last' sign of the zodiac, as Aries is the first. It is a significant constellation today, in that the Vernal Equinox lies within Pisces today (so shouldn't Pisces be first?).
The original drawings of this constellation had the fish swimming together as a pair, today they are drawn facing in opposite directions tied by a cord which runs through Aries and Aquarius. The fish is an important symbol both in Christian and pagan religions. In early mythology (Babylonian) they appear pushing a giant egg out of the river Euphrates, from the egg emerged the goddess Atagartis. It is thought that she is the basis of a 'fish' cult, in which life is renewed each spring.
Aries had been the site of the vernal equinox for over 2000 years, until around 7 B.C. Pisces became the first constellation, a date co-incidentally that generally is accepted for the year that Jesus Christ was born. In that year, Jupiter and Saturn met, at the point marking the new Piscean equinox in the skies, making one exceptionally bright star which, in the winter months could have guided the Wise Men SW from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
In astrology, Pisces is the water sign and is ruled by Neptune. Pisces is considered to be the most mystically inclined of all the signs, as the last of the twelve, it represents the return to the great ocean from which all life evolved, and where all boundaries are dissolved.
Sagittarius probably originated with the Babylonians. He stands with his bow aimed at the heart of Scorpio. Sagittarius was Babylon's god of War.
In Greek mythology, the centaur Chiron invented Sagittarius so that the Argonauts could find their way to Colchis.
Abbreviation: ScoGenitive: Scorpii Right Ascension: 16.99 hoursDeclination: -37.17 degrees Scorpius the Scorpion, can be seen in summer from the Northern Hemisphere, but is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere or southern US.
Scorpius is the slayer of Orion. Sent by a jealous Artemis, Orion was stung by the Scorpion and caused his death. Orion could not be saved even by Asclepius, the god of healing.
Scorpius was also responsible for the runaway horses of Phoebus Apollo when Phaethon tried to drive the Chariot of the Sun, he caused great havoc as he careened around the skies, drying up rivers and scorching the earth.
Taurus is another of the earliest known constellations, and so also probably orginated from the Babylonians.
To the Greeks, Taurus was one of the two bulls with brazen feet that were tamed by Jason of the Argonauts.
In Taurean myth, Zeus swam out to Crete as a bull and seduced Eurpopa who bore a son, Minos, father of Minotaur, a half man and half bull monster. Minotaur was locked in a Labyrinth and ate human flesh. Minotaur was killed by Theseus when he was helped by Adiadne's ball of thread.
Taurus was also referred to as being rich in maidens (the Hyades and the Pleiades, all daughters of Atlas).
Virgo the Goddess probably originated when the Sun was in Virgo during the spring equinox, the time of the Egyptian harvest. She is usually drawn holding a palm branch and an ear of wheat.
To the Babylonians she was the goddess Istar, Queen of the stars, and the lover of the god of corn, Tammuz. Tammuz was cut down in his prime in the autumn, and so Virgo travels the underworld to bring him back. While Virgo is in the underworld, winter reigns, when she returns with him in the spring, the season renew.
http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/index.php?category=1
To know more about planets and solar system, you could go to this web.
http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/index.php?category=2
liting :D
& jiaqi =P
a star fell from the sky;
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dun mind i link my blog to this blog.hahas.tempted xD
if u all dun like den tell me den i juz delete it lohhh.
hehes.
really really nice blog.all jia qi gong lao (:
heys.guyss JIAYOUS FOR ASTRO AND KEEP THIS BLOG ALIVE AND UPDATED WITH INFO!!! ^^
loves,
liting <3
a star fell from the sky;
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signing off,
jiaqi =X
a star fell from the sky;
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