Podcaster: Nancy Alima Ali
Title: Cultural Astronomy – Solstice Edition
Organization: Multiverse, Space Sciences Lab, University of California at Berkeley
Links: http://multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu/, http://www.astroalima.com
Description: Explores the astronomical meaning and cultural connections of the winter solstice, including relationship between solstice and length of day, importance to agriculture, symbolic associations with death, divine rulers, and renewal. Discusses winter solstice connections at Cesar Chavez solar calendar, Stonehenge, Newgrange, Palenque and Christmas.
Bio: Nancy Alima Ali, M.Ed., is a Coordinator of Public Programs at Multiverse at the Space Sciences Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. For over 15 years, Ms. Ali has been active in both formal and informal education as a classroom teacher, college instructor, museum educator, curriculum developer and program manager. Ms. Ali has a particular interest in exploring the ways in which multiple worldviews contribute to our understanding of the cosmos. She blogs about the intersection of astronomy and culture at www.astroalima.com.
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Transcript:
Hello everyone, this is Nancy Alima Ali from the Multiverse education group at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Lab in California. Welcome to the solstice edition of 365 Days of Astronomy podcast! That’s right folks, today is December 21, 2014 which means it is the solstice.
What is a solstice? Date, differences between northern and southern hemisphere
Solstice as a moment in time or a place in space
Earth’s axis tilted 23.5 degrees relative to the ecliptic
Winter solstice in northern hemisphere – Earth’s axis tilted away from the Sun
As seen from Earth, Sun rises in southeast and sets in southwest
Shorter path across the dome of the sky = Shortest day, longest night
How long day is depends on latitude
Variation in length of day – big impact
Connection between length of day and agriculture
Lots of examples from around the world of stones marking the rising and setting points of the sun at the solstices
Many of these were used as calendars for keeping track of the seasons
Especially important for agriculture; plants depend on sunlight to grow so you need to know when is the right time of the year to start planting
Cesar Chavez Park Solar Calendar – Connection to Agriculture
Chavez an American farm worker and civil rights leader
Calendar a modern structure that marks rising and setting point of sun at solstices and equinoxes
Reminder that even though we can buy out-of-season fruit, at a root level there is still a strong connection between agriculture and the sun
Provides a place for people to gather
Stonehenge, England – another example of megalithic stone structure aligned with winter solstice
Well known for summer solstice alignment; winter solstice may have been just as important
People gather there today to celebrate the sun and return of the light
Newgrange – Ireland; burial mound with passageway; illuminated by rising sun at winter solstice
Intentionally constructed to align with winter solstice sunset; requires careful observation of rising points of sun along horizon throughout the year
Another tomb with winter solstice connections at Palenque, Mexico – built by Maya people
Temple of Inscriptions – burial place of King Pacal; 9 levels of pyramid = 9 levels of underworld
Winter solstice sun set casts shadow down the stairs of pyramid
At the same time, the setting sun rays enter into another, nearby temple, illuminating carved panel showing Pacal passing rulership to his son
Connection between kingship and sun; divine cosmic order
Not just something that happens long ago to far away people
Christmas is an example of connection between sun and divinity
December 25 chosen by early church leaders to coincide with winter solstice celebrations
Saturnalia festival and Mithraic rituals
Christmas lights chase away darkness at the winter solstice
People gather together to celebrate
As the planet continues on its orbit around the sun we enter a new year, also a time for celebration and also reflection
Winter solstice is a time to pause and take time out of our busy days to reflect on our place in the solar system and to remember that there are cycles in life that we are a part of Solstice means sun stands still A reminder that we are all on this planet together orbiting the sun, spinning in space together
Well, folks, that’s it for today. This is Nancy Alima Ali, here to remind you that we all share the same universe. Thanks for listening!
End of podcast:
365 Days of Astronomy
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