| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of Iran |
|---|
 |
 Iran portal |
Persian astronomy or Iranian astronomy refers to the astronomy in ancient Persian history. [1]
| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of Iran |
|---|
| |
| Iran portal |
Persian astronomy or Iranian astronomy refers to the astronomy in ancient Persian history. [1]
Ancient Persians celebrated the vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice through a variety of different festivals and traditions. [2]
Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox and the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator has been calculated for years. Nowruz was an important day during the Achaemenid period and continued in importance through the Sasanian dynasty. [3] [4]
Tirgan is an ancient Iranian festival celebrating the summer solstice. [5]
Mehregan is an ancient Zoroastrian and Persian festival celebrating the autumnal equinox since at least the 4th century BC. [6]
Yaldā Night is an ancient Iranian festival celebrating the winter solstice of the Northern Hemisphere. [2] [7] [8]
Some old Persian names in astronomy have barely survived; the names of the four Royal stars that were used by the Persians for almanacs are Aldeberan, Regulus, Antares and Fomalhaut, and are thought by scientists to equate to the modern-day star systems of Alcyone, Regulus, Albireo, and Bungula (Alpha Centauri) for almanacs. [9]
Tablet inscriptions set forth observations of Jupiter from the 43rd year of the reign of Artaxerxes II to the thirteenth year of Alexander the Great. [9] The positions of the planets throughout the year were determined using astrological charts. [9]
After the Muslim conquest of Persia, much of Persian astronomy and astrology became intertwined with the astronomy in the medieval Islamic world, paving way for the Islamic Golden Age. Scientists translated studies in Sanskrit, Middle Persian, and Greek into Arabic, where the Indian Sanskrit and Persian Pahlavi (Middle Persian) sources taught medieval astronomers methods for calculating the position of heavenly bodies, and for creating tables recording the movement of the sun, the moon, and the five known planets. [10]
The first major Muslim work of astronomy was Zij al-Sindhind by Persian mathematician al-Khwarizmi in 830. The work contains tables for the movements of the Sun, the moon and the five planets known at the time, and is significant as it introduced Ptolemaic concepts into Islamic sciences. This work also marks the turning point in Islamic astronomy. Hitherto, Muslim astronomers had adopted a primarily research approach to the field, translating works of others and learning already discovered knowledge. Al-Khwarizmi's work marked the beginning of nontraditional methods of study and calculations. [11]
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and set "due west". This occurs twice each year, around 20 March and 23 September.
The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian.
A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countries, the seasons of the year are determined by the solstices and the equinoxes.
The Iranian calendars or Iranian chronology are a succession of calendars created and used for over two millennia in Iran, also known as Persia. One of the longest chronological records in human history, the Iranian calendar has been modified many times for administrative, climatic, and religious purposes. The most influential person in laying the frameworks for the calendar and its precision was the 11th century Persian polymath, hakim Omar Khayyam. The modern Iranian calendar is currently the official civil calendar in Iran.
Nowruz is the Iranian or Persian New Year celebrated by various ethnic groups worldwide that started as a Zoroastrian celebration. It is a festival based on the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar, on the spring equinox—on or around 21 March on the Gregorian calendar.
Adherents of Zoroastrianism use three distinct versions of traditional calendars for liturgical purposes, all derived from medieval Iranian calendars and ultimately based on the Babylonian calendar as used in the Achaemenid empire. Qadimi ("ancient") is a traditional reckoning introduced in 1006. Shahanshahi ("imperial") is a calendar reconstructed from the 10th century text Denkard.
The September equinox is the moment when the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading southward. Because of differences between the calendar year and the tropical year, the September equinox may occur from September 21 to 24.
The March equinox or northward equinox is the equinox on the Earth when the subsolar point appears to leave the Southern Hemisphere and cross the celestial equator, heading northward as seen from Earth. The March equinox is known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and as the autumnal equinox or fall equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Farvahar, also known as the Foruhar (فروهر) or the Farre Kiyâni, is one of the best-known symbols of Zoroastrianism, an Iranian religion. There are various interpretations of what the Faravahar symbolizes, and there is no concrete universal consensus on its meaning. However, it is commonly believed that the Faravahar serves as a Zoroastrian depiction of the fravashi, or personal spirit.
Mehregan or Jashn-e Mehr is a Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated to honor the yazata Mithra, which is responsible for friendship, affection and love.
In astrology, the royal stars of Persia are Aldebaran, Regulus, Antares and Fomalhaut. They were regarded as the guardians of the sky during the time of the Persian Empire in the area of modern-day Iran. The Persians believed that the sky was divided into four districts with each district being guarded by one of the four Royal Stars. The stars were believed to hold both good and evil power and the Persians looked upon them for guidance in scientific calculations of the sky, such as the calendar and lunar/solar cycles, and for predictions.
Sadeh, is an Iranian festival that dates back to the Achaemenid Empire. Sadeh celebrates 50 days before Nowruz. Sadeh in Persian means "hundred" and refers to one hundred days and nights remains to the beginning of spring. Sadeh is a mid winter festival that was celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient Persia. It was a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.
Touraj Daryaee is an Iranian Iranologist and historian. He currently works as the Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies and Culture and the director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies at the University of California, Irvine.
Yaldā Night or Chelle Night is an ancient festival in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Dagestan and Turkey that is celebrated on the winter solstice. This corresponds to the night of December 20/21 (±1) in the Gregorian calendar, and to the night between the last day of the ninth month (Azar) and the first day of the tenth month (Dey) of the Iranian solar calendar. The festival is celebrated in Iran and the regions of greater Iran, including Azerbaijan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Balochi areas, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The longest and darkest night of the year is a time when friends and family gather together to eat, drink and read poetry and Shahnameh until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. The red color in these fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and the glow of life. The poems of Divan-e Hafez, which can be found in the bookcases of most Iranian families, are read or recited on various occasions such as this festival and Nowruz. Shab-e Yalda was officially added to Iran's List of National Treasures in a special ceremony in 2008.
Iranian folklore encompasses the folk traditions that have evolved in Greater Iran.
The Solar Hijri calendar is a solar calendar and one of the various Iranian calendars. It begins on the March equinox as determined by the astronomical calculation for the Iran Standard Time meridian and has years of 365 or 366 days. It is the modern principal calendar in Iran and is sometimes also called the Shamsi calendar and Khorshidi calendar. It is abbreviated as SH, HS or, by analogy with AH, AHSh.
The culture of Tehran concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals, many Persian entertainments and sports activities in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Iranian festivals are held throughout the year by the people of Tehran, which can be attractive to tourists.
Spring equinox or vernal equinox or variations may refer to:
The culture of Shiraz concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals, many Persian entertainments and sports activities in Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province. Shiraz is known as the city of poets, gardens, wine, nightingales and flowers. The crafts of Shiraz consist of inlaid mosaic work of triangular design; silver-ware; carpet-weaving, and the making of the rugs called gilim, and blankets called Jajim found in the villages and among the tribes.
| Astronomy by |
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optical telescopes | |||||||||||
| Related | |||||||||||
