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Astronomy

The document discusses different types of calendars including solar, lunar, lunisolar, and seasonal calendars. It also describes sidereal and synodic months as well as constellations, zodiacs, equinoxes, and solstices.

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5 views

Astronomy

The document discusses different types of calendars including solar, lunar, lunisolar, and seasonal calendars. It also describes sidereal and synodic months as well as constellations, zodiacs, equinoxes, and solstices.

Uploaded by

bafrinbanu12345
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

Sidereal and Solar day:


A sidereal day is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate about its axis so that the
distant stars appear in the same position in the sky. The sidereal day is ~4 minutes
shorter than the solar day
A solar day is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate about its axis so that the Sun
appears in the same position in the sky.

A solar day is about 23.5 hours long; while a sidereal day is 24 hours long.The
Earth's rotation on its axis causes the difference between solar days and sidereal
days.

2. Sidereal and Synodic Month:

A sidereal month is the period it takes the Moon to orbit Earth once, relative to
the distant stars. It is approximately 27.3 days.

A synodic month is the period it takes the Moon to return to the same phase (e.g.
Full Moon to Full Moon). A synodic month lasts approximately 29.5 days.

3. Constellation:
 A constellation refers to a group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the
sky.
 There are 88 officially recognized constellations by the International Astronomical
Union.
 These star groupings have their unique names and histories.
 Zodiac:
 The Zodiac refers to a set of 12 astrological signs that correspond to the 12 months
of the year.
 These signs are based on the position of the sun relative to the Earth at the time of
a person’s birth.
4. Solar Calendars:

This system of calendar is based on the position of the sun relative to the
stars. As the sun moves along a circular path called the ecliptic and it
takes 365 1/4 days to complete one revolution. This period is taken as
the solar year. In the solar calendar, the year starts when the sun reaches
a particular point in the ecliptic which is a constellation of stars
called Mesha.

This will be around April 14th of the year. The solar year will end when
the sun reaches the same point after completing a revolution (i.e.) after
travelling through 360o along the ecliptic. The solar year is divided into
12 months. During a solar month, the sun travels 30o along the ecliptic,
that is 1/12th of a circle..

Luni –Solar Calendar:


A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, incorporating lunar
calendars and solar calendars. The date of lunisolar calendars therefore indicates
both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the
Sun in the Earth's sky. If the sidereal year (such as in a sidereal solar calendar) is
used instead of the solar year, then the calendar will predict the constellation near
which the full moon may occur.

Lunar Calendar:
A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of
the Moon's phases (synodic months, lunation’s), in contrast to solar calendars,
whose annual cycles are based on the solar year. The most widely observed purely
lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar. A purely lunar calendar is distinguished
from a lunisolar calendar, whose lunar months are brought into alignment with the
solar year through some process of intercalation – such as by insertion of a leap
month. A lunar year consists of 354 days, 48 minutes and 34 seconds. Lunar year
is 11 to 12 days shorter than solar year.

Seasonal Calendars:

A seasonal calendar is a visual method of showing the distribution seasonally


varying phenomena. In summary, seasonal calendars serve as powerful aids for
understanding temporal patterns, engaging communities, and assessing various
aspects of life tied to the changing seasons

5.

Types of Calendars in India


In Indian history, various calendars were established by rulers to mark the beginning of new eras
or dynasties. Over time, these evolved into permanent calendars based on solar and lunar
movements. In present-day India, there are four main types of calendars commonly used:

Vikram Samvat: This calendar is based on the Hindu solar calendar and begins in 57 BCE. It is
named after King Vikramaditya and is widely used in North India, particularly by Hindus.

Saka Samvat: The Saka era calendar begins in 78 CE and is linked to the Shalivahana era. It’s
used alongside the Vikram Samvat in some regions, especially in parts of western and southern
India.

Hijri Calendar: The Islamic lunar calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is used by
Muslims across India to mark religious events and festivals. It begins in 622 CE, which is the
year of the Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina.
Gregorian calendar: Introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, this calendar is widely accepted
internationally and is the standard civil calendar in India. It’s used for official purposes,
administration, and in daily life, aligning with the global standard.

6. Equinox and Solstice:

An equinox is an event in which a planet’s subsolar point passes through its


Equator.

The equinoxes are the only time when both the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres experience roughly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime.

Two equinoxes occur annually on Earth: one around March 21 and the other
around September 22. Even though the spring and fall equinoxes have distinct
dates in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

 The equinoxes are occasionally referred to as the “vernal equinox” (spring


equinox) and the “autumnal equinox” (fall equinox).
 In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox marks the spring equinox,
whereas, in the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the autumnal equinox.
 In the Northern Hemisphere, the equinox in September is the autumnal
equinox; in the Southern, it is the vernal equinox.

Solar declination, the latitude of Earth where the sun is directly above at noon
defines solstices on our planet.

 The longest day of the year is the summer solstice when the sun is at its
strongest and there are the most hours of daylight.
 The winter solstice has the fewest daylight hours and is the shortest day of the
year.
 The June solstice is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the
winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
 The December solstice is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and
the summer solstice in the Southern.

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