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TOPIC: Mursili's eclipse

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Dec 7 09:06 2016

Ancient eclipse records	Permalink

Ancient eclipse records revise modern calculations of Earth's spin The observations of ancient astronomers from the time of the Babylonians onwards have revealed our modern days are not getting quite as long as they should be. Scientists have long known the Earth's spin is slowing down - and thus the days are getting longer - because of the dragging effect of the oceans as they are pulled on by the Sun and Moon, called tidal friction. But a study of astronomical records from 720 BC to AD 2015, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, has uncovered a small but significant discrepancy between modern calculations and ancient observations. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Jun 11 05:05 2013

Mursili's eclipse	Permalink

The solar eclipse mentioned in a text dating to the reign of Mursili II could be of great importance for the absolute chronology of the Hittite Empire within the chronology of the Ancient Near East. The text records an "omen of the sun," linked to the tenth year of Mursili's reign, which appeared just as he was about to launch a campaign against the Kaskas of northern Anatolia. According to the current debate, there are two possible candidates for the eclipse: 13 April 1308 BC or 24 June 1312 BC. The 1312 BC date is accepted by most Hittitologists, e.g. Trevor Bryce (1998), while Paul Aström (1993) has suggested the 1308 BC date. Read more __________________

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