Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2024 March 30
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                     Medieval Astronomy from Melk Abbey
   Image Credit: Paul Beck ([3]Univ. Vienna), Georg Zotti ([4]Vienna Inst.
                               Arch. Science)
                 Copyright: Library of Melk Abbey, Frag. 229

   Explanation: Discovered by accident, this manuscript page provides
   graphical insight to astronomy in medieval times, before the
   [5]Renaissance and the influence of [6]Nicolaus Copernicus, [7]Tycho de
   Brahe, [8]Johannes Kepler, and [9]Galileo. The intriguing page is from
   lecture notes on astronomy compiled by the monk Magister Wolfgang de
   Styria before the year 1490. The top panels clearly illustrate the
   necessary geometry for a lunar (left) and solar eclipse in the
   Earth-centered [10]Ptolemaic system. At lower left is a diagram of the
   Ptolemaic view of the [11]Solar System with text at the upper right to
   explain the movement of the planets according to [12]Ptolemy's
   geocentric model. At the lower right is a chart to calculate the
   [13]date of Easter Sunday in the [14]Julian calendar. The illustrated
   manuscript page was found at historic [15]Melk Abbey in Austria.

                      Tomorrow's picture: eclipse below
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([30]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [31]Specific rights apply.
               [32]NASA Web Privacy, [33]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC,
                         [37]NASA Science Activation
                           & [38]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2403/medieval_fragment50p.jpg
   3. http://www.univie.ac.at/
   4. http://www.univie.ac.at/Idea/home.html
   5. http://www.spacetoday.org/History/MillenniumTimeline/16thCentury.html
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010107.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180515.html
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei
  10. http://galileo.rice.edu/sci/theories/ptolemaic_system.html
  11. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/home
  12. https://academic.oup.com/astrogeo/article/58/1/1.42/2938122
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090416.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240229.html
  15. https://www.stiftmelk.at/
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240329.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  25. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240330
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240331.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  38. http://www.mtu.edu/