Astronomy Picture of the Day - Medieval Astronomy from Melk Abbey

NASA ^ | 30 Mar, 2024 | Image Credit: Paul Beck (Univ. Vienna), Georg Zotti (Vienna Inst. Arch. Science) Copyright: Library

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Discovered by accident, this manuscript page provides graphical insight to astronomy in medieval times, before the Renaissance and the influence of Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho de Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and 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 Ptolemaic system. At lower left is a diagram of the Ptolemaic view of the Solar System with text at the upper right to explain the movement of the planets according to Ptolemy's geocentric model. At the lower right is a chart to calculate the date of Easter Sunday in the Julian calendar. The illustrated manuscript page was found at historic Melk Abbey in Austria.

[MtnClimber]

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[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

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[marktwain]

Note the diagrams show the earth, moon and sun as spheres.

[higgmeister]

It gave me quickening to read eclipse lunar and eclipse solace in latin in the hand of a monk from the fifteenth century.   Another Wow moment, thanks.

[telescope115]

It is pretty neat to see that. I’m grateful it survived all these years. The name Melk reminded me of the ‘86 movie The Name Of the Rose in which Christian Slater has one of his earliest film roles. He plays a young apprentice monk by the name of Adso of Melk, a young charge of Sean Connery’s William of Baskerville. It’s a great medieval murder mystery with a wonderful cast. I heartily recommend it. One caution: there is a sex scene with the young monk and a local young woman. It really isn’t needed, STILL, it’s a great movie, very underrated in my opinion. AFC made a mini-series version a few years back which I didn’t think was nearly as good.

[higgmeister]

I love that film and thought of it too, but didn't connect the boy's name with the Melk Abbey.   I think I've seen the film at least three times through the years.   F. Murray Abraham was a great antagonist for The Inquisition.

[telescope115]

but didn’t connect the boy’s name with the Melk Abbey

Yeah, it’s just the name I thought about.

[MtnClimber]

Note the diagrams show the earth, moon and sun as spheres.

Before it became blasphemy.

[marktwain]

Educated people knew the earth was round long before that.

I don't think it was ever blasphemy.

The diagram shows an earth-centric view of the universe.

[SunkenCiv]

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[minnesota_bound]

Barely able to get paper and pen in those days. They draw very well with basic instruments and use their mind to figure out celestial mechanics.

[Varda]

The myth that people thought the earth was flat was created by Washington Irving.

[Red Badger]

Yes, pretty much all learned people, scholars and ship captains knew the Earth was round from ancient times.

Only the uneducated common folk were ignorant of this fact............