Starship Asterisk*

Can I hazard a guess, is APOD now venturing into the artistic world? The marble pillars are of poor quality. Pure Italian Marble would have been of better use, enhancing the astronomical painting.
Marion

Nope, just science history.

Every time I open my eyes I venture into an artistic world... the universe is the most magnificent masterpiece in existence.

I enjoyed the history lesson!

I fear that APOD's cultural enthusiasm outran their usual good use of English.

"Many facts about our astronomical universe that are taken for granted today have been known -- or accurately recorded -- only during the last millennium."
I think 'century' was meant. After all, 1706, 1724 AND 1733 were in the middle of the last millenium (1001-2001).

John the Pedant

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080128.html
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The eclipse the founder of the "Black Monks/Black Friars" (St. Benedict), himself, probably observed was the Monte Cassino, Italy, eclipse of June 20, 540 when Benedict was about 60 years old:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/5 ... -06-20.gif
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/S ... as0521.GIF
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The painter Cosmas Damian Asam's solar eclipse(s) could have been the two Barvarian May eclipses (of the 133 Saros cycle):

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/5 ... -05-12.gif
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/5 ... -05-22.gif

or the two Scandinavian May eclipses (of the 114 Saros cycle that Asam might have seen by travelling just a little north):

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/5 ... -05-03.gif
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/5 ... -05-13.gif
...........................................................
In any event, the first eclipse Asam could have seen (i.e., the Barvarian one on May 12, 1706) and the last nearby eclipse before doing the 1735 painting (i.e., the Scandinavian one on May 13, 1733) might have held a special significance to Asam...

since they both occurred on the eve of Ascension Day.

Job 17:12 : POST TENEBRAS SPERO LUCEM
________ "after darkness I hope for light"
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Of course Asam's own observation of these four eclipses depended on the vagaries of May weather which is more iffy in Scandinavia & Barvaria than St. Benedict's June Italian weather would have been.
.
Note the clouds in: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080128.html
.
On the title page of the 1605 edition of Don Quixote appears the motto,
"POST TENEBRAS SPERO LUCEM",
"after darkness I hope for light"
http://www.sirbacon.org/graphics/titlepagedq.jpg
.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/S ... as1701.GIF
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/S ... as1721.GIF

neufer: Thank you for enhancing the history lesson!

The painting so well dipicts the eclipse... I wonder if Asam used photographs to aide his work??? I expect he has taken artistic license with St. Benedict's posturing though! 8)

(I once told a bunch of kids to "not look into the light" from my movie camera... they all looked.)

I am pretty sure I went to this place in 2001 but I don't remember the painting. It seems for some reason we weren't allowed to go far into the church. There may have been a service going on at the time.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of info on the place, particularly not in english. I remember them mentioning the marble is indeed faux but I can't remember the reason behind it. I think it was a new technique at the time it was built and real marble was much too expensive or rare to use for construction.

Photos don't really do it any justice though. It's much more impressive in real life. I have to say the faux marble belongs in there but not many others. I've seen it being used in residential construction for balustrades here in Queens and it looks so gaudy and out of place.

JohnD wrote:I fear that APOD's cultural enthusiasm outran their usual good use of English.

"Many facts about our astronomical universe that are taken for granted today have been known -- or accurately recorded -- only during the last millennium."
I think 'century' was meant. After all, 1706, 1724 AND 1733 were in the middle of the last millenium (1001-2001).

John the Pedant

Not sure I agree - the statement seems to be correct and appropriate as written.

Do not look directly at St. Benedict without proper eye protection:
--------------------------------------------
Paradise Canto XXII <<ARGUMENT.— [Dante] beholds many other spirits of the devout and contemplative; and among these is addressed by St. Benedict, who, after disclosing his own name and the names of certain of his companions in bliss, replies to the request made by our Poet that he might look on the form of the saint, without that covering of splendor, which then invested it;>>
...........................................
Paradise Canto XXII

Mine eyes directing, as she will’d, I saw
A hundred little spheres, that fairer grew
By interchange of splendour. I remain’d,
As one, who fearful of o’er-much presuming,
Abates in him the keenness of desire,
Nor dares to question; when, amid those pearls,
One largest and most lustrous onward drew,
That it might yield contentment to my wish;
And, from within it, these the sounds I heard.
.....................
I answering thus: “Thy gentle words and kind,
And this the cheerful semblance I behold,
Not unobservant, beaming in ye all,
Have raised assurance in me; wakening it
Full-blossom’d in my bosom, as a rose
Before the sun, when the consummate flower
Has spread to utmost amplitude. Of thee
Therefore intreat I, father, to declare
If I may gain such favour, as to gaze
Upon thine image by no covering veil’d.”
-------------------------------------

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080128.html
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http://www.brogilbert.org/dante_canto21 ... anto22.HTM
.
<<The Goths had destroyed the town of Cassino and the people, due to
a lack of priests, were lapsing into paganism. On top was a temple
dedicated to Apollo where the people worshipped. So Benedict set
about converting the people back to Christ. Gradually a monastery
was built and St. Benedict wrote the Rule by which the monks live.>>
-------------------------------------------------------

marion ballantyne wrote:Can I hazard a guess, is APOD now venturing into the artistic world? The marble pillars are of poor quality. Pure Italian Marble would have been of better use, enhancing the astronomical painting.

I'm thinking pure solid neutron material would do it better justice. And you probably wouldn't even need stickum to make it hold to the surface.

However I'll hazard a guess that the painting is more or less permanently mounted where shown.



-Noel

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080128.html

This APOD reminded me of the movie Apocolypto in which a solar eclipse happens during the day and that night the moon is shown nearly full. Is it just me or is this impossible?

wcarneyjx217 wrote:This APOD reminded me of the movie Apocolypto in which a solar eclipse happens during the day and that night the moon is shown nearly full. Is it just me or is this impossible?

The sun can only be eclipsed by a "new" moon. On the other hand, the moon can only be eclipsed when it is "full".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_eclipse