Posted on 01/28/2005 8:15:15 AM PST by blam
Ancient mound used in summer moon ritual
Thursday, January 27, 2005 - Bangor Daily News
Sacred monuments The "hippie" revolution of the 1960s may have been predated by some 6,000 years if researchers' suspicions about the chambered mound called Gavrinis are correct.
The mound, more than 26 feet high, is located on a small island off France's Brittany coast and dates to 3500 B.C., making it older than the pyramids.
A passage into the mound extends for 40 feet before ending in a chamber.
What immediately catches the eye are the walls that are covered with etchings of concentric rings, curves, chevrons, and serpentine wiggles. They are reminiscent, says one archaeologist, of the "psychedelic art" of the 1960s.
They may have had the same inspiration, as well, since Neolithic pottery artifacts found in the chamber contain traces of cannabis.
The mound's connection to the heavens was established when it was found that a line, running from the chamber to a stone at the entrance, points to the southernmost moonrise at "major standstill."
This means the full moon is at its highest point at midsummer and appears to temporarily halt before resuming its motions.
A white crystal rock was placed to catch the moon's rays at this point and its white glow may have played a role in some mystical experience, particularly if it had some chemical help!
Focus on the planets
Only two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are conspicuous in the night sky during February. Comet Machholtz, however, will provide an interesting diversion from planet watching as it moves from high in the northern sky towards Polaris.
Mercury appears just above the western horizon about a half hour after sunset during the closing days of February. It will put on a much better show in March.
Venus may be glimpsed for a few days in early February very low on the east-southeast horizon just before sunrise.
Mars opens the month just above the southeastern horizon about an hour before sunrise. The far distant Red Planet, now 180 million miles from Earth, will be difficult to spot but, on Feb. 5, it can be found just above the thin crescent moon.
Jupiter rises in the east around 11 p.m. as the month opens and by 9 p.m. at its close. Viewers with telescopes will be treated to sights of the four major moons of Jupiter as they orbit about the giant planet, as well as bands of atmospheric turbulence on the surface.
Saturn is visible high in the east, where it is a neighbor to the twins Castor and Pollux, from dark to nearly dawn. The planet appears large and bright, and its rings are tilted at their maximum towards us, affording a view of the ring divisions if you have a telescope powerful enough to spot them. Many of Saturn's 37 (at latest count) moons are visible, including Titan, which has recently been making news and is one of the outermost moons.
Neptune and Uranus are lost in the sun's glare for the entire month.
Pluto is in the southeast at twilight, but even experienced observers will likely wait until later in the year when the tiny planet is higher in the sky.
GGG Ping.
Let me guess . . . .
I’ve never heard of this before. That doesn’t mean it’s not true, but I suspect someone in Bangor Main who created this story did a lot of embellishment.
I have found Comet Machholz in binoculars a couple of times but it is faint and you have to know where to look. There was a chart showing its day-to-day path posted on FR on 1/11/05: "Heads up North America..." (www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1318867/posts).
"Does the Moon orbit Earth so regularly that a great earthen mound can reliably pick out the "standstill moment" year after year? I would think that standstill would occur at a slightly different spot in the sky each year -- but I'm no astronomer.
"
It does, at least over a period as short as 6000 years or so.
So psychedelic hippies were the first inhabitants of France. Kinda explains some things.
This hurts my head. At the summer solstice the full moon will be at its lowest point. It closely follows the same path in the sky the winter sun does - rise in the southeast, barely get up into the sky, and set in the southwest.
Next, since the lunar cycle isn't synchronized with the solar cycle, the full moon nearest the summer solstice could be up to 1/2 month away from the solstice itself. Further, the location of the full moon varies by about 5 degrees above and below the ecliptic.
Next few years of moon rise locations for the full moon nearest the summer solstice:
6/21/2005 128.0 degrees (90 = east, 180 = south)
6/11/2006 128.2 degrees
6/30/2007 125.9 degrees
6/18/2008 126.6 degrees
6/ 7/2009 125.5 degrees
6/26/2010 120.5 degrees
6/15/2011 120.7 degrees
All calculations are based on Dayton, OH.
(Astronomy geek with way too much time).
Don't you just hate it when Uranus gets lost in the sun's glare for an entire month.
Sounds like the world's first billboard. There was even an ad for Chevron Oil...
LOL!!!!!!!
NO BLOOD FOR THE MOON!
BTTT
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
"It will look full for all practical purposes although you may notice that it will appear a bit smaller than usual. You can watch it all night long as it crosses the sky with Castor and Pollux and Saturn. And if you get up with the chickens I suggest you go out at exactly 5:32 a.m. Eastern Time or your local equivalent because at that moment the Moon will officially be full and will also officially be the farthest and thus smallest full Moon of the entire year, over a quarter million miles away, 251,987 miles to be exact. And here's where the fun part comes in.
"Set up your camera using a zoom lens and take a picture of it. This is the first half of your experiment. The second half will occur six months later on July 21st just before sunrise when we will have the closest and biggest full Moon of the year, only 222,028 miles away, which will be 30,000 miles closer than next week's full Moon. Now remember to use the same zoom lens and setting in July that you use next week. Then take the two pictures, cut them in half either physically or on your computer and place both halves together and you will see a huge difference because July's full Moon will be 13% larger than next week's."
http://www.jackstargazer.com/scripts0SG0503.html
The planet Venus does have such regular motion. The sun has a standstill that is regular. But the moon? nah.
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