[blam]

GGG Ping.

[gcruse]

Has to be the bottom science story of the month. Anyone who didn't see and note a bright new star is two arrows short of a quiver.

[Antonello]

I'm not sure I get it. Are people shocked that supernovas seen in Europe were visible over the American continent too? Or are they just amazed that the American Indians were able to tilt their heads up and, you know, see them?

[giobruno]

Maybe it represnts what frogs look like when you throw them at a rock.

[thoughtomator]

It depicts a scorpion and an eight-pointed star. "I had just been reading about the supernova of AD 1006 and I knew it appeared in the constellation Scorpius, so the connection flashed into my mind."

But how would the American Indians have known the constellation was "Scorpio"?

[Rhetorical pi2]

Then again, it just may be a really memorable 4th of July fireworks display.

Perhaps they threw a couple of scorpions on the grill, knocked back some "firewater" and next morning said,"man we had one supernova party last night"! :o)

...yeah, I know. It's a groaner.

[raybbr]

It doesn't say how long the supernova might have been visible. Any idea?

[blam]

Supernova 1006 AD

"The remnant of this supernova was only rediscovered by radio astronomers in the 1960s."

[paudio]

nobody thought that prehistoric Native Americans followed events in the sky.

Hmmm.. I always thought 'prehistoric Native Americans' observed the sky closely. I've read many stories about pics on their stones that resemble astronaut, star ships, etc...

[RightWhale]

But until now, nobody thought that prehistoric Native Americans followed events in the sky.

Got to wonder why these ludicrous statements ever get outside the cubicle.

[Mike Darancette]

It depicts a scorpion and an eight-pointed star. "I had just been reading about the supernova of AD 1006 and I knew it appeared in the constellation Scorpius, so the connection flashed into my mind."

Wow what are the odds that American Indians in 1006 AD used the same name for a constellation?

[maine-iac7]

But until now, nobody thought that prehistoric Native Americans followed events in the sky.

Is the ignorance of Native American cultures just ignorance or deliberate?

Aside from the observatories in Central America - there are the medicine wheels and many other archaeo-astronomical designs that capture the solstice suns, to mark the seasons....

the observatory at Chichen - Itza - excerpt from site (link: http://www.civilization.ca/civil/maya/mmc07eng.html )

)

(My daughter is going to the Yukatan to see Chichen Itza next week - envy envy)

from the link

"Of all the world's ancient calendar systems, the Maya and other Mesoamerican systems are the most complex, intricate and accurate. Calculations of the congruence of the 260-day and the 365-day Maya cycles is almost exactly equal to the actual solar year in the tropics, with only a 19-minute margin of error. Maya astronomer-priests looked to the heavens for guidance. They used observatories, shadow-casting devices, and observations of the horizon to trace the complex motions of the sun, the stars and planets in order to observe, calculate and record this information in their chronicles, or "codices". From these observations, the Maya developed calendars to keep track of celestial movements and the passage of time. The Maya also kept detailed records of the moon, although these do not seem to constitute a formal lunar calendar. With the aid of a forked stick, astronomer-priests used only the naked eye to take observations that allowed them to calculate the path of Venus and other celestial bodies. From the records of their observations they could calculate with precision events such as solar eclipses."

************ The Mayan's famous "Calendar Stone" (wrongly attributed to the Aztecs) prophecies about thirteen cycles of time - mostly now past - that end in Dec 2012...coinciding with the predictions of Nostradamus and Casey -

yep, those "prehistoric" savages were surely way behind us... /s

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[HiTech RedNeck]

Waitaminnit, how would American Indians have any idea what a "Scorpius" was. That interpretation of the constellation arose on the other side of the world.

[Larry Lucido]

More proof.

[Dustbunny]

It is a 'possible' theory.

[Ditter]

Maybe............ maybe not.

[Sacajaweau]

I'm sure we could come up with unending titles for the "rock art" piece. Dating it is another thing.

I knew I was on the path of the old trail....stopped...carved (with stone cutters tools)1786 on it with particular initials attached. Someday, someone will notice it and go nuts!!

[Sacajaweau]

We scared the hell out of the natives when we knew a solar eclipse would occur!!

[Captain Beyond]

bump for later read