On the occasion of April 21st Astronomy Day, we look back at the times when looking at the sky was not a luxury in the 101 pages of our 8...
On the occasion of April 21st Astronomy Day, we look back at the times when looking at the sky was not a luxury in the 101 pages of our 88th issue. As Rumi said: “Because everything in the universe is within you.”
Astronomy, derived from the ancient Greek words "astron" and "nomos", means "law of the stars" or "science of stars"; We can say that it is a branch of science that was born to try to explain celestial bodies with their origins, evolution, physical and chemical properties. More clearly, astronomy; It studies the distribution, interrelationships, and evolution of all kinds of observable matter, such as orbital bodies and stars, planets, aurora borealis, galaxies, and cosmic motions that occur outside the Earth's atmosphere.
ORIGIN OF ZODIAC SIGNS
Astronomy, which is associated with religious elements in other civilizations, especially in Egypt, appears as an element that shapes the worship of the first people due to their fear of natural events that they cannot explain. It is even said that constellations were born as an extension of religious beliefs. Our earth moves around the sun, but the sun appears to move around the earth. During this apparent movement among the stars, the Sun passes through twelve constellations. These twelve constellations, known as zodiac constellations, are named after living beings such as Aries, Taurus and Pisces . Because the word "Zodiak" comes from the Greek word Zoon (living thing). In other words, the movements of these celestial bodies, which form the basis of every belief, also form the basis of modern astronomy. According to these constellations, where the Earth and the sun come in the same direction at certain periods during the year, the zodiac signs of those born in that period are named after that constellation.
ASTRONOMY'S TRACE IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION
One of the most striking examples of astronomy, which extends from the pagans to the Ottoman madrasahs, is the ruins of the Stonehenge Observatory in England, thought to date from 2500 BC. The Tower of Babel, built of seven different colored stones, each representing seven celestial bodies, is one of these "observatories". Let us note that in addition to these observatories, where the concepts related to the sun, moon, planets and the universe were formed, the first scientific theses in this field were made by the Ancient Greeks. In fact, these constellations, traces of which we find in Homer's Iliad and Odissea, also appear frequently in many Ancient Greek texts.
Astronomy, which has become much more developed, especially with the mathematicians who lived in ancient times and followed them in the following period, and which took its modern form with the observation instruments discovered at the end of the Middle Ages, not only enables us to better understand the universe, but also brings us one step closer to it. The science of astronomy , which has been at the center of the "nature-human" relationship since ancient times , sheds light on the development process of human beings as it explains the mystery of the sky and makes us think about the origin of the planet we live in. For those who think that they have a very special relationship with the universe, astronomy is much more than daily horoscopes ... Let's even suggest a movie that will explain our problem better: The 2009 movie Agora is perfect for those who feel under the influence of the sky and cosmos.
No comments