Imagine for a few minutes that you are an ancient Mayan astronomer and Tsol Kin
ID: 804196 • Letter: I
Question
Imagine for a few minutes that you are an ancient Mayan astronomer and Tsol Kin calendar keeper, and that it is the Mayan long count year 4540 (1427 CE Gregorian according to the GMT correlation; see question #3). You have traveled from your home in the highlands to the Caracol at Chichen Itza (latitude = 21 degrees north) at the time of the midwinter full moon (full moon nearest to the Winter Solstice) to verify the "heliacal rising" date for Venus according to your (adopted!) ancestors. Helpful numbers: Venus synodic period: 584 days; Maya Haab, or Solar year = 365 days Moon's synodic period = 29.5 days; Maya Tsol Kin sacred calendar = 260 days a). What is meant by the term "heliacal rising"? b). Does a heliacal rise of Venus occur near or at mid-winter every year at Chichen Itza? Why or why not? Explain using some numbers, please. c). But, as an ancient Mayan astronomer, you know that this same event, a heliacal rising of Venus, will occur at the same time of year, at the time of the winter solstice, 8 years hence in 4548 (1435 CE). How accurately do these heliacal rising days in 4540 and 4548 coincide with the same month and day in the "Haab", the Mayan solar year? Explain d). What is the lunar phase when this second heliacal rise occurs? Explain your answer. Note the relationship between the lunar phase at the time of heliacal Venus risings separated by 8 Haabs. {AMAZING!} f). Does tills heliacal rising of Venus in 1435 CE occur at the same clay in the Tsol Kin sacred calendar round? Explain.Explanation / Answer
a. Helical rising is the rising of an astronomical object like stars or planets that coincides with the rising of the sun. In ancient time this was considered as the basis of the solar calendar.
b. The helical rise of moon will occur will occur at the same time of winter solistice but not every year. The Venus will rise from the same position of the earth every 584days which means the cycle of Venus is of 584 days. Venus will emerge as morning star in the east for about 9 months, then disappear for about 50 days, then again emerges as evening star in the west and will rise for about 9 months after the sun has set. Then it will again reappears in the east before dawn at Yucatan latitude for about 9 months and then again disappears from the sky about 3-16 days.
c. The Haab is simiilar to the christian year with 365 days but it does not include a leap year. This calender is based on the solar observations. The helical rise of the Venus will coincide out of 263 to the 236 days.
e. Tsol Kin sacred calender has a cycle of about 260 days. There are about 258 days in Venus rising as a morning star and evening star. This is equal to nine lunar months