Answers to lesson 1

[Guest guest]

|| Om Gurave Namah ||

 

Dear Sanjay Guru

 

I thank you for admitting me to this group. I have made a sincere

effort to answer the questions for Lesson 1, herein below. I hope to

complete the other lessons soon.

 

Please advise if I have understood the concepts well and if my

answers are correct.

 

Sincerely

R. Kasthuri Rangan

 

 

Lesson 1

========

 

1. Explain the changing of seasons and its connection with the above

mentioned astronomical factors.

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Reading Lesson 1 on the Kranti (The Declination) and Ravimarga (The

Ecliptic) triggered my interest to understand the solar system better

and I undertook some additional reading and understood the following.

 

The earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit. The earth also

rotates around its own axis running from North to South pole. The

earth takes 365.26 days to complete one orbit around the Sun and

hence a year.

 

The earth's equator is a circle going around the earth which is

on a plane that is perpendicular to the earth's axis of rotation.

This

is known as the equitorial plane. The earth's axis of rotation is

tilted to the plane of its orbit by 23.4 degrees. It is because of

this tilt, different seasons are experienced during the year, in

different parts of the world.

 

For example, when the Northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun,

during the process of orbit, the Northern hemisphere has a greater

angle with the Sun and will experience more sunlight during a 24-hour

period while the Southern hemisphere will experience winter. Six

months later, as the earth rotates around itself and orbits around

the earth, when the Southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun,

the

season reverses. The Southern hemisphere now experiences more

sunlight during a 24-hour period and therefore summer, while the

Northern hemisphere experiences winter.

 

The poles are less exposed to the Sun than the region of the earth at

the equator, due to the tilt. In the course of the orbit, various

regions of the earth get more exposed to the Sun causing different

seasons.

 

The earth's orbit is called the ecliptic and its plane serves the

reference plane for the positions of most solar system bodies. Viewed

from earth, the ecliptic is the apparent motion of the sun among the

stars. Thus this trajectory of the Sun, that it appears to be, is

called the Ravi Marga - Ravi stands for Sun and Marga, the route.

 

The equatorial plane is one of the most important aspects in

astronomy because it intersects the ecliptic plane and provides us a

reference point in space by which we can measure the positions of

stars. This plane also divides the earth into halves, the northern

half being the northern hemisphere, the other half being the southern

hemisphere.

 

The intersection of these planes is a line, which for convenience we

will call the line of equinoxes.

 

The angular distance of a heavenly body from the celestial equator

will be negative if the planet is above the northern hemisphere and

positive if the planet is above the southern hemisphere.

 

The intersection of the ecliptic plane and the equatorial plane is a

line, called the line of equinoxes. One half of this line is called

the vernal equinox; the other half is called the autumnal equinox.

This line intersects the Sun at two points in the earth's orbit.

These two points mark the start of two of the four seasons, autumn or

spring. The autumnal equinox starts autumn around September 23. The

vernal equinox starts spring around March 21.

 

A line runs perpendicular to the line of equinoxes and contains the

solstices. The solstices are points on the ecliptic which start the

other two seasons, summer and winter, when they cross the sun. One

half of this line is the summer solstice and the other half, the

winter solstice. Thus we have the Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. The

ecliptic touches the Tropic of Cancer (summer solstice) and the

Tropic of Capricorn (winter solstice) and crosses the equator twice a

year at the time of equinoxes.

 

Thus we find the seasons changing during the year.

 

 

2. There are some days of the year when the Sun either doesn't rise

or set above certain parts of the globe. Please explain this

phenomenon.

=====================================================================

 

When in the course of earth's orbit around the Sun, the northern

hemisphere has a greater angle to the Sun, it experiences summer. At

the same time, some regions of the southern hemisphere do not receive

sunlight at all. In other words, the Sun is below the horizon in the

southern hemisphere and hence there is no sunrise or sunset.

 

The other reason for this is also due to the fact that the earth is

not a perfect sphere. It is more flattened at the poles and bulges

out near the equator. Given the earth's tilt to the equatorial plane,

the possibility of certain regions of the earth not having sunrise or

sunset is more, especially when either pole is close to the Sun.

 

Even when the Equator is close to the Sun, some regions of the poles

may not have sunrise or sunset. This id due to the tilt of the earth

to the equatorial plane.

 

 

3. Parasara mentions two classes of heavenly bodies: the moving and

non-moving ones. Please explain, what will be the difference between

their roles in the astrological interpretation.

 

=====================================================================

 

The ecliptic is the imaginery line stretching across the sky, along

which, the sun, moon and planets all appear to move. The planets are

also not far from this line. Nine degrees to either side of this

ecliptic exists an imaginary band, which contains all constellations

of stars and planets.

 

The starting point of the zodiac is based on the stars or nakshatras

which are non-moving bodies. The moving bodies are the planets. The

planets pass through the zodiac at different speeds. Currently the

reference point is based on the star Spica at 180 degrees of the

zodiac.

 

The twelve Zodiacal constellations (Aries, Taurus, Pisces, Gemini,

etc.) also lie on the ecliptic -- they are the constellations the

planets pass through.

 

Planets and stars act upon man through his/her mind (brain), and

every one of the closest perceptible heavenly bodies works inside the

hemispheres of human mind.

 

Planets, stars and galaxies, all influence each other through its

shapes, emanations and motions. For example, the Sun is regarded as

an

influence on the personality, the Moon influences the mind, Mercury

influences intelligence, Venus influences attraction to the opposite

sex and so on. If any of these planets are in exhaltation or

debilitation, the corresponding effects can be experienced by the

native. A concept called "aspect" among planets, literally indicating

the physical placement of planets in the zodiac, has far reaching

implications. For example, the aspect of Jupiter considered as Deva

Guru, is far superior to that of any other planet and good effects or

ill effects of any planet movement gets altered accordingly. Some

planets have been termed as evil planets and aspect of these can

cause

ill effects.

 

The position of the Moon determines the birth rasi among the 12 Rasis

in the birth chart or rasi chakra of an individual and consequently

the birth star. The birth star serves as an indicator of the native's

personality, perception and even movement in society (career).

 

 

4. If you are able to construct your own chart, please do it and

explain as many astronomical principles from it as you can

(terrestrial latitude/longitude, season, Sun's cycle, Sunrise/Sunset

etc) Also try to determine which planets are above and under the

horizon in your chart. In which Ayana the Sun is?

 

=====================================================================

 

I have examined my horoscope and found the following from the Rasi

Chart.

 

 

+----------------------+

| | | Glk Mnd | |

| | Moo | | |

| | | Mer | Sun |

| | Mar | | |

| | | Asc | |

|-------------|---------------------------|-------------|

| | | |

| | | Rah |

| Jup | | |

| | | Ven |

| | | |

|-------------| R A S I |-------------|

| | | |

| Sat ® | 28.06.1962 | |

| | 05.08 AM IST | |

| Ket | 76E59; 8N29 | |

| | | |

|-------------|---------------------------|-------------|

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

+----------------------+

 

 

Terrestrial latitude measures the distance north or south of the

equator. The equator is at zero degrees. Terrestrial longitude

measures one's distance east or west from the accepted Greenwich

meridian. In my chart, the latitude of Trivandrum city, where I was

born is 8 deg 29 min North of Equator (or 8N29) and longitude is

76E59, i.e. 76 degrees 59 minutes from the Greenwich meridian.

 

The season is end of Summer and the the Sun on the ecliptic is on the

path towards the Autumnal equinox. The season being Summer can be

further confirmed by the time of sunrise on that day which was 6.05

AM IST and sunset which was around 6.45 PM IST, indicating almost

equal durations of day and night.

 

In my birth chart, all the planets are above horizon at time of

birth, as the latitude is closer to the equator and the position of

all planets are above the latitude of the place of birth.

 

Sun is in Uttarayana.

 

=====================================================================

 

My doubts:

 

If a native is supposed to run a particular Maha Dasa, does that mean

anything astronomically?

 

 

I apologise if my question is illogical. Please ignore it.

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