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La Kaaba en la Meca - Es la hora del crepúsculo en la ciudad de Bagdad...
por Bibiana Bonmatí
11-06-2003
Es la hora del crepúsculo en la ciudad de Bagdad. El moecín sube al minarete y grita “Allaahu Akbar...” (“Alá es el más grande...”). Es el adhán, la llamada al Salat Maghrib. Los musulmanes de la ciudad dejan sus tareas y se dirigen a la mezquita. Mirando al mihrab, rezan la primera oración del día. Aunque este acto no parezca tener nada que ver con la astronomía o la ciencia, si nos remontamos en el tiempo vemos que está estrechamente relacionado.
La historia se inicia en el año 632 d.C., con la muerte del Profeta Muhammad (Mahoma). Éste fue el principio del islamismo, que unió a la mayoría de los pueblos árabes en una sola fe. Los ritos de esta nueva religión requieren conocimientos astronómicos y matemáticos complejos. Las oraciones se realizan a ciertas horas, que vienen determinadas por el camino del Sol a lo largo del día, y el orador debe orientarse a la Kaaba, que es la mezquita sagrada de la ciudad de la Meca.
Esta religión se extendió por la India, Asia Central y África hasta llegar a Europa. Por tanto, necesitaba establecer la dirección a la Meca en cada una de las ciudades. Para encontrar esta dirección sagrada se debían determinar latitudes y longitudes de cada lugar sin olvidarnos de ¡que la Tierra es redonda! El problema, pues, era básicamente matemático y de astronomía esférica.
En cada mezquita, una persona -el muecín-, se encarga de controlar las horas y hacer la llamada a la oración. En el Islam se realizan cinco Salats (oraciones) al día. La determinación de las horas depende de la posición del Sol en el cielo. Con el ocaso empieza un nuevo día. En es el momento de la primera oración, llamada Salat Maghrib. La segunda, Salat Isha, coincide con la caída de la noche. La tercera, Salat al Fajr, es al amanecer. La cuarta coincide con el momento en que el Sol cruza el meridiano, y se conoce como Salat Duhr. La quinta y última del día, Salat Asr, se realiza, en algunos lugares, cuando el tamaño de la sombra de un objeto es el doble del tamaño verdadero.
La Kaaba representa la primera casa de la humanidad. Se dice que su origen se remonta a Adán, a la creación del ser humano. Posteriormente, Noé la salvó del diluvio y Abraham la reconstruyó. Con anterioridad, los primeros árabes islámicos al rezar miraban en dirección Al-Quds (Jerusalén), y fue con el Corán cuando se estableció finalmente la Kaaba como nuevo lugar hacia el que rezar.
La Kaaba se describe como el motor inmóvil de una “galaxia humana” que gravita alrededor de ella desde hace miles de años, día y noche. Esta comparación se debe a que la Meca es la ciudad a donde suele hacerse el peregrinaje que han de realizar los musulmanes al menos una vez en la vida. Al llegar a la Kaaba, los fieles dan vueltas alrededor formando una “galaxia humana”. Es la casa alrededor de la cual giran los peregrinos como giran los planetas alrededor del Sol. Los fieles se mueven en sentido contrario al de las agujas del reloj: como si se remontaran al pasado, al tiempo de los profetas. Además, debido a la gran expansión que tuvo el Islam, siempre en algún punto del mundo había alguna persona mirando a la Kaaba para la oración.
El diseño de la Kaaba, anterior a la llegada del Islam, también sigue criterios astronómicos. Las paredes y esquinas están dirigidos al orto y ocaso del Sol y a ciertas estrellas fijas. La base de la Kaaba, que es rectangular, tiene su eje mayor apuntando a la estrella Canopus (estrella alfa de la constelación de la Quilla), y el eje menor a la salida del Sol de verano y al ocaso de invierno. Estas orientaciones estaban asociadas a fenómenos meteorológicos, como los vientos y las lluvias.
En cualquier caso, la cuestión importante era la determinación de la Quibla: dirección desde cualquier lugar del mundo hacia la Kaaba. Así pues, el problema básico era determinar la latitud del lugar, la de la Meca, y la diferencia longitudinal.
En el año 1000, Ibn-shuqara, un estudiante de religión de Yemen, inventó tres esquemas sobre la sagrada geografía con el mundo dividido en 8, 11, y 12 sectores alrededor de la Kaaba. En 1200, las versiones más simples de su esquema de los 12 sectores aparecen en los trabajos geográficos populares de Yaqut al-Rumi. Cincuenta años más tarde, Al-qaswini contribuyó a estos estudios y, en 1400, Al-qalqashandi realizó una enciclopedia sobre este tema. Del siglo XV al siglo XIX, proliferaron distintos esquemas de entre 8 y 72 divisiones del mundo alrededor de la Kaaba.
Poco a poco se fue afinando el cálculo de la Quibla para cada grado de latitud y diferencia de longitud desde La Meca, basadas en aproximaciones y en fórmulas exactas. Numerosos científicos musulmanes discutieron el problema presentando diversas soluciones. Mediante trigonometría esférica, redujeron problemas de tres dimensiones a dos, resolviéndolos por geometría o trigonometría plana. También, formularon soluciones utilizando instrumentos de cálculo, una de las más finas de la matemática medieval fue realizada en Damasco en el siglo XIV por Al-halili.
Para que los fieles supieran cuál era la Quibla se construía dentro de la mezquita el Mihrab, una hornacina generalmente con una ornamentación especial, distinguible de la del resto de la mezquita, hacia donde se orientaban los fieles. En algunos casos ocurría que en una mezquita, a medida que la determinación de la Quibla iba mejorando se construía más de un Mihrab.
En definitiva, las mezquitas no son solamente patrimonio de la religión y del arte ya que encierran bajo sus paredes un poquito de ciencia.
* Agradecimiento a Aahd Hagar por la conferencia Astronomía medieval islámica, impartida en el Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC).
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Según un astrónomo español, los principales monumentos de Petra, la legendaria ciudad de los nabateos en Jordania, tienen la misma orientación astronómica que la Kaaba, el lugar sagrado más importante del islam, en La Meca.
Juan Antonio Belmonte, un investigador del Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias que se dedica a la disciplina astroarqueología, sostiene que las construcciones más importantes de Petra están orientadas hacia el solsticio de invierno y hacia Canopus, la estrella que guiaba a las caravanas por la península Arábiga. Los magníficos templos, edificios públicos y tumbas han sido esculpidos directamente en la roca, y declarados Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO.
Petra se encuentra en un valle semidesértico, habitado por pueblos nómades hasta la llegada de los nabateos, probablemente en el siglo VI a.C. Una tribu árabe que fundó un imperio desde el mar Rojo hasta Damasco, y desde Gaza hasta los desiertos de Arabia Central. Los nabateos lograron armar un sistema de recolección y redistribución de agua, en una zona donde apenas llueve 150 milímetros al año. La ciudad alcanzó su apogeo alrededor del año 50 d.C., gracias al comercio generado por la ruta del incienso. De esa época –cuando llegó a tener al menos 20.000 habitantes– datan las construcciones más sorprendentes, talladas en la roca arenisca.
Petra siguió prosperando bajo el dominio romano y bizantino hasta el año 363, cuando sufrió un terremoto. Logró recuperarse, pero en 551, un segundo sismo le dio el golpe de gracia. Sus ruinas fueron descubiertas en 1812.
El astrónomo Belmonte midió los monumentos y, tras analizar los datos, descubrió que la astronomía y la topografía "sagrada" eran muy importantes para orientar su ubicación y estructura. Según Belmonte, el Monasterio "mira" hacia la puesta de Sol en el solsticio de invierno, un momento clave del ciclo vital. Se cree que el Monasterio, excavado en lo alto de una montaña, podría estar dedicado al rey Obodas o a Dushara, un dios lunar al que también se asociaba con el Sol; además, el solsticio de invierno se relacionaba con el nacimiento de esta divinidad. Otro de los grandes monumentos, El Tesoro, tiene igual orientación.
El astrónomo detectó que además, ambas construcciones tienen la misma orientación astronómica que la Kaaba, antes de que fuera islamizada y convertida en el principal centro de peregrinación de los musulmanes, cuando era un santuario donde se creía que había unos 360 ídolos, destruidos por el profeta Mahoma tras conquistar La Meca.
Otro templo, el de los Leones Alados, está orientado hacia Canopus, la segunda estrella más brillante del cielo que, al marcar el sur con cierta precisión, era utilizada por las caravanas para guiarse desde Petra hacia La Meca, y desde allí hacia las regiones del incienso. Según Belmonte, los dos obeliscos de más de seis metros han sido cincelados en la montaña en dirección este-oeste, de manera que al amanecer y al atardecer, y en el equinoccio, ambos están perfectamente alineados y sus sombras se tocan. El astrónomo destaca que fueron construidos en una época en la que los calendarios se regían por el equinoccio: marcaba el principio de los meses.
"Los grandes constructores del pasado, los que erigieron maravillas como Stonehenge, las pirámides de Egipto, la Kaaba o Petra, han buscado demarcar sus cimientos con la arquitectura de los cielos –señaló a Clarín el astrónomo argentino Roberto Venero–. Alinear un edificio con la posición del Sol en determinada época del año, o con la dirección de estrellas guía, es un modo de anclar nuestras supremas obras terrenas a la eternidad del cielo".
http://www.campusdigital.com/blog/cursos-ciencias-sociales/ciudad-petra-kaaba.aspx |
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Canopus (estrella)
De Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre
Para otros usos de este término, véase Canopus. Canopus o Canopo es el nombre de la estrella Alfa Carinae (α Car). Con magnitud aparente -0,72, es la más brillante de la constelación de Carina («La Quilla») y la segunda más brillante del cielo nocturno tras Sirio (α Canis Majoris), cuya magnitud es -1,47. Aunque se trata de una estrella del hemisferio celeste Sur profundo, puede observarse incluso desde la costa africana del Mar Mediterráneo. Es circumpolar al sur de latitud 38° S, en ciudades como Bahía Blanca (Argentina) y Valdivia (Chile).
De acuerdo con la obra de Richard Hinckley Allen «Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning»,[3] el nombre Canopus tiene dos orígenes posibles. El primero proviene de las leyendas de la guerra de Troya, ya que la constelación de Carina formaba parte en la antigüedad de la gigantesca constelación Argo Navis («El Navío Argos»), es decir, el barco utilizado por Jasón y los Argonautas; la estrella más brillante de la constelación recibió el nombre del piloto del barco de Menelao, Canopus. El segundo origen del nombre proviene del idioma copto, hablado en Egipto; Kahi Nub («Tierra dorada»), haría referencia al color de la estrella vista sobre el horizonte desde este país, enrojecido por la extinción atmosférica.
En la antigua astrología hindú, la estrella es conocida como Agastya, uno de los rishi —sabios míticos—, hijo de los dioses Varuna y Mitra.
[editar] Características físicas
La distancia a la que se halla Canopus fue objeto de discusión hasta que fue medida con precisión por el satélite Hipparcos a partir de su paralaje, resultando en 309 años luz. Con una luminosidad 13.300 veces la de nuestro Sol, es la estrella de mayor brillo intrínseco en un radio de 700 años luz del Sistema Solar. Es, por ejemplo, mucho más luminosa que Sirio, cuya luminosidad equivale únicamente a unas 22 veces la del Sol.
Canopus es una gigante luminosa o supergigante blanco-amarilla de tipo espectral F0II con una temperatura superficial de 7280 K. Las supergigantes de tipo F como Canopus son escasas y mal conocidas; pueden ser estrellas en proceso de evolucionar hacia la etapa de gigante roja o, por el contrario, podrían estar «regresando» desde dicha fase. Lo más probable es que Canopus se halle en esta última situación, fusionando helio en carbono y oxígeno en su núcleo. Su radio es 71 veces más grande que el radio solar; situada en el lugar del Sol, se extendería hasta 9/10 partes de la órbita de Mercurio. Tiene una corona muy caliente, diez veces más caliente que la del Sol, observable tanto en rayos X como en ondas de radio. Con una masa de 8 o 9 masas solares, Canopus se encuentra en el límite entre las estrellas de masa intermedia y las masivas; su masa no es, por lo tanto, suficiente para que acabe explotando como supernova y concluirá sus días como una enana blanca compuesta por neón y oxígeno y no, como la mayor parte de estos remanentes estelares, por carbono y oxígeno.
Debido a su posición fuera del plano de la eclíptica —al contrario que Sirio— y a su brillo, Canopus es una estrella utilizada a menudo por las sondas espaciales para orientar su posición.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopus_(estrella)
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=lniF9vQ5eNg
22/05/2012 - Subido por alex welch
Canopus from Earth - 10 Nov 2011 UFO Orb Planet X Nibiru Comet Blue Star Kachinaby Alicia5D 611 views ...
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 Canopus and the rest of the southern sky seen at 8:30 p.m. local time on Feb. 18 from Los Angeles.
CREDIT: |
At around 8:30 in the evening this week, anyone who looks skyward will see mighty Orion dominating the southern sky, having just crossed the meridian on his nightly journey westward.
Also in this part of the sky are the two brightest-appearing stars in the night sky, Sirius and Canopus, themselves soon to cross the meridian. We highlighted Sirius - the brightest of all the stars - just a couple of weeks ago. This dazzling blue-white diamond has the distinction of being visible from every well-populated region on Earth.
In contrast, the star second only to Sirius in brilliance, Canopus (magnitude -0.62), is only visible for those south of latitude 37.9 degrees north - a parallel passing close to San Francisco, California; Wichita, Kansas; and Richmond, Virginia. Wrote Robert Burnham (1931-1993) in his classic Celestial Handbook:
"Canopus is the Great Star of the South - a name and a legend only to many North American observers, but a dazzling gem to our more fortunately situated neighbors to the south."
Canopus is located in the southern constellation of Carina, the Keel of the now defunct constellation of Argo Navis, the Great Ship of Jason and the Argonauts. Canopus lies roughly due south of Sirius, so when the latter is at its highest, so too is Canopus. In fact, Canopus arrives at the meridian about 20 minutes before Sirius.
When Sirius reaches its highest point in the south, Canopus shines about 40 degrees below it; unfortunately out of sight for Europe, Canada and the northern half of the United States.
Appearing to skim just above the southern horizon from most of the southern United States, it usually is immersed in thick horizon haze which is probably the main reason for the popular misconception that it's a deep yellow or even orange in color; its true tint is a silvery white.
So it is that latitude 37.9 degrees north marks the northernmost limit for getting just a brief view of Canopus, presupposing that you have access to a perfectly flat southern horizon, with absolutely no obstructions and can thus take full advantage of the "lifting effect" of atmospheric refraction.
Interestingly, there is a sneaky way to get a view of Canopus even farther to the north. Because the horizon appears to "dip" at altitudes of 30,000-feet or more, airline passengers might be able to glimpse this star peeking just above the horizon possibly from latitudes as far north as Washington, D.C., or St. Louis, Missouri.
Passengers on board commercial airliners incidentally, also have an advantage of flying above the thick haze and murk of our atmosphere. I still vividly remember my very first airline flight, at the age of 10, occurring on a mid-August night. My face was pressed against the window looking out at a truly splendid view of a dark, starry sky, occasionally punctuated by the bright streak of a Perseid meteor.
Even today I'll avail myself of such opportunities to do aerial stargazing, however, I usually have to place either a blanket or my suit jacket over my head, much like an old-time photographer's focusing cloth to block the interior cabin lights and their window reflections. In this post 9-11 era, I also have to make sure to explain to those seated around me, as well as to the cabin attendants what I'm doing. After all, a person seated on a commercial aircraft with his head covered by a blanket is no doubt apt to arouse some strange looks!
Getting back to Canopus, its location, roughly 15-degrees from the south pole of the ecliptic has given it an important space-age role. Many of the space probes that have been sent out into deep space have carried an optical Canopus sensor to stabilize the craft in the direction perpendicular to its orbit, which is close to the ecliptic plane. Other celestial bodies as the Sun and Earth are similarly used for stabilizing such vehicles in other directions during their long flight.
A long-standing controversy regarding Canopus has been its distance. Were you to check a variety of astronomy books published over the last 30 or 40 years, you'll likely encounter a surprising range of distances for this star, anywhere from less than 100 light years to more than 600. So why all the discrepancy?
One major factor is that for many years Canopus was always unavailable to the great observatories of the Northern Hemisphere, so it really wasn't adequately observed until large observatories began to spring up in the tropics and Southern Hemisphere. At one time Canopus was thought to be one of the most luminous of all known stars, with figures of up to 60,000 times that of the Sun being quoted.
More recent observations do not support such a large estimate. But make no mistake about it; Canopus is indeed a very large and brilliant star. Based on the latest data obtained from the HIPPARCOS satellite, we know today that Canopus is 313 light years away and has a computed luminosity of at least 12,000 times that of our Sun.
Basic Sky Guides
- Full Moon Fever
- Astrophotography 101
- Sky Calendar & Moon Phases
- 10 Steps to Rewarding Stargazing
- Understanding the Ecliptic and the Zodiac
- False Dawn: All about the Zodiacal Light
- Reading Weather in the Sun, Moon and Stars
- How and Why the Night Sky Changes with the Seasons
- Night Sky Main Page: More Skywatching News & Features
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The star Canopus and the Mystery of Osiris
Philip Coppens
 Egyptology, in its widest aspect, is very much like the music industry: certain stars are popular, and others are not - and popularity never lasts. Though the ancient Egyptians labelled their stars "imperishable", Egyptologists over the past centuries have frequently changed their opinions as to what the Egyptian cosmology comprised of.
An often heard comment tackles the importance of Sirius. Books have been written with such titles as The Sirius Mystery, claiming that an African tribe, the Dogon of Mali, possess knowledge of this star that surpasses "primitive man's" ability know such facts about the star system. The author of this book, Robert Temple, wondered, if not actually stated, that in Antiquity, extra-terrestrial beings from Sirius visited the Earth, imparting to primitive man the knowledge of how to civilise themselves, as well as advanced knowledge about the star system of Sirius. Sirius' fame is closely followed by that of Orion. Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert wrote The Orion Mystery, in which they argued that the constellation of Orion was linked with the Egyptian deity Osiris and that this constellation formed a vital aspect in the lay-out of the pyramids of the Gizeh plateau, as well as in the ancient Egyptian burial rituals.
Both Sirius and Orion are indeed bright stars and constellations, dominating the Southern sky. Alas, I feel both books, as well as Egyptology and history in general have distorted - either unintentionally or on purpose - the true meaning of the ancient Egyptian star lore, by de-emphasising and suppressing the importance of another bright star: Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky - though as a sun, much more bright than Sirius. Perhaps this is merely because that star is not visible in Western Europe, home of so many Egyptologists. It is, however, clearly visible in Egypt and in Africa in general, the continent that gave rise to the ancient Egyptian civilisation.
We know that Sirius is linked with Isis, but what is Canopus? Canopus is a Greek name and is linked to Greek mythology, in particular to the chief pilot of the fleet of Menelaus. Menelaus was the Spartan King, whose wife Helen (of Troy), eloped with Paris and brought about the siege and destruction of that city, known as the Trojan War. In mythology, Menelaus pillaged Troy and regained his wife Helen. Canopus, the brave captain of the king's ship managed to get his fleet safely back to Egyptian waters. Canopus is not only important to ancient seafarers; it is important to extra-terrestrial space-farers as well. By an intriguing coincidence, Canopus is an important navigational marker for interplanetary space probes, which use its light as a directional aid. One of these is the Voyager spacecraft. By manoeuvring Voyager to keep the sun and Canopus in sight of its sensors, the orientation of the spacecraft is fixed and the antenna pointed toward Earth. Its name, which originates from the Coptic or Egyptian Kahi Nub, means "Golden Earth". Canopus has always been linked with gold and lead - the two symbols of alchemy, where it was the alchemist's work to transform lead into gold. Is this a coincidence or could it be intentional? However, another translation is from the Greek, where Canopus means "eye of the dog". The name seems to imply a relationship with Sirius, the Dog star.
 What is intriguing is that esoteric traditions, including those of Western Europe, have always hinted at the importance of Canopus. Even Robert Temple himself often referred to Canopus. At one point, he made a contrived and erroneous link to the Egyptian city of Canopus - for no apparent reason. Scattered throughout his book dealing with Sirius, there are numerous anecdotes about Canopus that were outside the scope of the book, but that somehow suggested that he wanted to talk about Canopus. He was not alone. Two academics, de Santillana and von Dechend, are the authors of Hamlet's Mill. They also brought the enigma of Canopus to the forefront, but never went the proverbial extra mile to make sense of the entire subject. Australian archaeo-astronomer Gregory Taylor stated how he felt that Hamlet's Mill was a strange book: "When reading the book, I'm constantly struck that they both - know - something very important. Unfortunately, they never seem to illumine the reader … lots of tantalising hints but never a front-on approach. Santillana does qualify this with his talk of the 'fugue' in the thinking of these people. But I do have to wonder: is their secrecy just scholarly caution, or are they really just throwing out the fishing line waiting for a bite?" They hinted, they highlighted the role of Canopus, but they never interpreted it. This was all the more strange as, when I consulted their sources, that interpretation was there for all to see and absorb. They had to have seen it, yet they did not report it. Why?
So there we had it: Canopus was the second brightest star in the Egyptian sky; it was there for all to see in the ancient civilisations; temples had been aligned to it. But somehow no-one was paying attention to this star - far brighter than the stars of Orion; far more important, as Canopus actually formed the South polar star for the ancient Egyptians. Could it be that out of all the stars that the Egyptians knew, revered and deified, they had somehow missed the second brightest one? Did they miss the one that marked the South Pole, making it appear as if all other stars circled around it? Stars such as Sirius and constellations such as Orion? Surely the answer had to be no.
 Hamlet's Mill described how one of their sources, the ancient writer Plutarch himself, "usually knew more than he cared to discuss." Intriguingly, it is Plutarch who talks about Canopus and identifies one of the most prominent Egypt gods, Osiris with Canopus - not Orion, as many believe. Plutarch travelled in Egypt and spoke with Egyptian priests. Although he visited it when it was already overrun with Greek ideas, he was nevertheless an eyewitness. In De Iside and Osiride, a work clearly tackling the deities Isis and Osiris, he writes: "Further they [the Egyptians] call Osiris a general and Canobus a steersman, after whom they say the star was named. They add that the vessel which the Greeks call the Argo is the image of the vessel of Osiris and that, adorned with stars, it voyages not far from Orion and the Dog star; the former of these the Egyptians hold sacred to Horus, the latter to Isis." So, according to this first-hand testimony, Orion was the constellation of Horus. Osiris was identified with both Argo and its chief/pilot star Canopus, perhaps Canopus being the "part designating the whole". Whatever the scenario, it is clear that Osiris is not Orion, as Plutarch has given that constellation to Horus.
According to Plutarch, Canopus is linked with the god of the dead, Osiris. So why do we believe Osiris is connected with Orion? In fact, recently, British author Alan Alford stated: "The identification of Osiris with the star constellation of Orion is well-established, and requires no justification in these pages." One of the rare voices of discord is found in the book Land of Osiris by Stephen S. Mehler, who refers to the Egyptologist and tour guide Abd'El Hakim. Hakim states that Sahu is not linked with Orion and should be translated as "The One who knows but keeps silent", referring to the fact that it is connected to the wisdom of Osiris, but in no way to the constellation Orion. Of course, "knowledge kept quiet" is a perfect manner in which to identify the members of mystery cults, who knew, but were sworn to secrecy. Mehler, however, is not an Egyptologist and if anything, is an outsider. As such, his voice of dissent has gone unnoticed. But only outsiders dared to challenge the dogma of Orion. But if not Orion, then what star? The centre of controversy is the Egyptian name "Sahu", the star of Osiris. Suhel or Suhail is the Arab name for Canopus. Those two words are virtually identical. But such word tricks are not scientifically sound. In Utterance 441 of the Pyramid Texts, it says that Sothis will guide the King who is "Sahu". If Sah must be Orion, how can it be, as a guide usually goes first, and in this case, Orion is first, rising before Sirius. Sahu needs to rise after Sirius and Orion does not fit that description. Canopus, however, does.
Another proponent of the "Sah is not Orion"-theory was Robert E. Briggs, pleading his case in the appendix to Samuel A.B. Mercer's The Pyramid Texts in Translation and Commentary (1952). Briggs reiterated that there were no references in the Pyramid Texts to constellations, only to stars. Briggs believed that the Egyptians were not interested in constellations until the time of Ramses II, virtually a millennium after the building of the pyramids, when they "borrowed" the constellations from their neighbours of Babylonia. He argued that the identification of Sahu with the constellation Orion happened after this time. Although Briggs promotes the argument against Sah being Orion, he does not agree that Sah is Canopus. Nevertheless, he writes: "We note that Sah and Sothis repeatedly form a triad with [the star representing the king]. Surely no star is more naturally paired with Sothis than Canopus - the second brightest star." This would be logical. Sirius/Isis is the brightest star and what other marriage could she take on, except for a marriage with the second brightest star, Canopus? Furthermore, that when Isis is identified with Sirius, her husband Osiris would have to be equal, and hence would also be a single, brilliant star, Canopus. We can also see a trade-off here. Isis was the brightest, but Canopus was in the most important position, the "throne of heaven", the South Pole Star, around which Sirius revolved.
 One person who did observe the importance of Canopus was Norman Lockyer, who popularised the idea that many ancient temples were designed with astronomical observations in mind. At least two of the great structures at Karnak, dated to 2100 and 1700 BC respectively, pointed to its setting; as did another at Naga, and the temple of Khons at Thebes, built by Rameses III about 1300 BC, afterwards restored and enlarged under the Ptolemies. Richard Hinckley Allen added: "It thus was the prominent object of the religion of Southern Egypt, where it represented the god of the waters." Therefore, Lockyer and Allen state that the Egyptians did think highly of Canopus, specifically in Southern Egypt. Furthermore, they state that the star was linked with the God of the Waters - Osiris in his form of Hapi, the Nile God - the Egyptian counterpart of Ea, or Enki. Perhaps it won't come as a surprise then to learn that Canopus is linked with the Sumerian town of Eridu, the first town of Enki. Enki, like Osiris, was the Lord of the Underworld, the Abyss. Legends state that Sirius "as an arrow" measured the abyss, but Sirius was not the only star that made this "arrow", also known as the "plumb line". Its colleague in those tasks was Canopus, who was also known as "heavy", it being the weight of the plumb line. One of the reasons why Sirius and Canopus are deemed to measure the Abyss is because Canopus is situated virtually directly South from Sirius. Visually, a line connecting Sirius and Canopus would thus be considered a "plumb line", with Canopus the weight at the bottom of it. One person who actually noticed this link was Robert Temple, who stated that Canopus, when connected to Sirius, was called "Ponderosus", meaning "the Weight". Our other enigmatic book, Hamlet's Mill, links the Arabic name for Canopus, Suhail el-wezn, meaning "heavy-weighing", with the weight at the end of a plumb-line. Why Canopus should have this association is unclear to many - not, as should be clear by now, because it is difficult, but because Canopus' importance is the subject of stony silence. The answer is to be found in harbourmasters' circles. Canopus was connected with Argo, the ship/ark/barque; and ships used plumb-lines to measure the depths of their positions. This instrument is termed the "sounding lead". This sounding lead was used literally to measure the depths of the ocean, i.e. the Abyss.
It is furthermore interesting that one of Osiris' names translates as "plumb line". This was mentioned by Jane Sellers, where Sellers herself links this epithet with Canopus. But of course the importance seems to have been ill-understood. The same applies to Utterance 518 of the Pyramid Texts, where there is a reference to a plumb-line. "I am the herald of the year, O Osiris." This is very precise, for not only do we have Osiris here, but also an indicator of a new era. Other references to the plumb-line are "I am the plumb line of the two Enneads by means of which the Field of Offerings was founded." There is also mention of the ferryman, Hr-f-ha'f, who is also the gate-keeper of Osiris, who ferries the pure ones so they can obtain for Osiris the "cold water at the [polar] quarter of the Imperishable Stars." Utterance 609: "Your sister is Isis, your offspring is the Morning Star, and you shall sit between them on the great throne which is in the presence of the two Enneads." Here, we have a reference to Osiris sitting on his "Great Throne", with Isis/Sirius on one side, his offspring, Horus, the Morning Star, on the other side. It is clear that this vision was visible in the sky, with Canopus being flanked by Sirius and, one assumes, Venus, the Morning Star. So Canopus is the "plumb lead", the weight, also known as merkhet. This was used to measure the depths of the Abyss. Furthermore, it was said that Sirius stirs up the Abyss. And it seems this "cosmic spoon" sometimes spilled the contents of the cup, resulting in the Flood. To quote Richard Hinkley Allen: "The Egyptian story said that it [Argo] was the Ark that bore Isis and Osiris over the deluge." Temple had therefore hinted at the role of Argo, the Ark, led by its "navigator star" Canopus, and the Egyptian belief that it was this constellation that had allowed for the survival of two gods, Isis and Osiris. It is clear that all these legends are telling us the same thing - and this makes the enigma why no-one has puzzled it together before even more intriguing.
 Dogon cliff dwelling
In The Sirius Mystery, Temple stated that the Dogon had accounts regarding Sirius that stated that around Sirius orbited another star, a heavy star. Temple knew that science had confirmed that Sirius was orbited by "Sirius B", a white dwarf, a star invisible to the naked eye. From this conclusion, Temple conjectured that this meant that, as it was impossible to learn this by observation with the naked-eye, the Dogon had somehow attained this knowledge from other sources. In the last few years, I have highlighted the research of Professor Walter Van Beek, suggesting that the Dogon did not have specific knowledge of this nature and that the visiting anthropologists "injected" certain knowledge into the Dogon mythology, in an effort, I would suggest, to give credence to pet theories of those anthropologists.
To quote Van Beek: "Though they do speak about sigu tolo, they disagree completely with each other as to which star is meant; for some, it is an invisible star that should rise to announce the sigu, for another it is Venus that through a different position appears as sigu tolo. All agree, however, that they learned about the star from Griaule." Irrelevant to this debate, the vital question in Temple's theory was whether or not the "heavy star" was visible or not. If invisible, it could be Sirius B. If visible, it could not be Sirius B. Could Temple be wrong and could the companion be a visible star? Temple used a lot of licence here. The Dogon reports, which he actually quoted, spoke of a star that was barely visible. But Temple pointed out that Sirius B was totally invisible. Rather than conclude that Sirius B could not, therefore, be the "Digitaria" of the Dogon, he did not even highlight this major discrepancy that invalidated his theory. When I joined up with authors Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince for The Stargate Conspiracy, Temple came under further attack as to why he presented his theory with such obvious "licence", which those authors interpreted as Temple being part of a grander scheme to promote the fame of Sirius. It was known that Digitaria revolved around Sirius and was regarded by the Dogon as the smallest and heaviest of all stars, said to contain the germs of all things. This did not seem to imply that it was Canopus, as Canopus does not revolve around Sirius. If anything, Sirius revolves around Canopus, as the latter marks the South Pole. "Its movement on its own axis and around Sirius upholds all creation in space. We shall see that its orbit determines the calendar", is what Marcel Griaule and Germain Dieterlen wrote. Being the second brightest star in the sky, Canopus was clearly visible, but only for a limited period of time - the reason for its name of "heavy" and its connection with "lead". But Temple stated: "To call a star in the same constellation as Sirius 'too heavy to rise over the horizon with ease' looks suspiciously like an attempt to describe a 'heavy star' such as Sirius B." Unfortunately, this does not bear scrutiny. For one, Sirius B circles Sirius A and hence rises as easily over the horizon as does Sirius A. The only star in that region to have some difficulty lifting itself over the horizon is Canopus - and it was specifically this difficulty that set it apart from all others. In one part of his treatise, Temple even writes that "obviously the description of the invisible Sirius B 'fled South' to a likely visible star, Canopus". So, he argues that even though much evidence points to the fact that Canopus is the "mystery star", this in itself is merely because the ancient cultures could not see Sirius B, and hence equated Canopus as the visible aspect of Sirius B. There is, of course, no way to argue against such an argument - but of course Temple knew this and hence created this circular logic. He seemed to imply that Canopus was the most logical candidate for the job, but that this was erroneous: it was Sirius B. Period. Why? Because he had said so. One problem remains, which is with the eye star orbiting Sirius, suggesting that indeed it needs to be Sirius B, not Canopus. However, in Temple's own book, he provides a possible, reasonable explanation for this. The Egyptian word for oarsman, i.e. Canopus, can be, "with a different determinative and when not applied to a man, the word means 'orbit', 'revolution', 'to go around'." Canopus, the oarsman of Argo, can therefore also mean "orbit", provided it does not apply to a man. Of course, in the case of the stars, it is not a person, and hence Canopus and "orbit" suddenly become good friends. Hence the enigma of a star "orbiting" Sirius A has been answered. Temple admits that, whereas all the evidence fits the case for Canopus, he nevertheless argues for Sirius B. Why? So therefore, it should not be considered at all strange that such warped thinking in Temple's case led to allegations, particularly those made by Picknett and Prince, about his motives to promote the case of Sirius.
 Sirius was not the origin of ancient astronauts, as Temple would make us believe. But Canopus is - though this time, the person putting forward this theory did not claim it was science; it was science fiction. In Frank Herbert's Dune there is an intriguing connection with the star Canopus. Arrakis, the "actual" name for the planet Dune, had been positioned by Herbert as the third planet orbiting Canopus. This was, of course, science fiction, but Herbert had definitely done his research. As Canopus was called the "ship of the desert", Dune was a desert-like planet. Nothing grew there, except a spice, which "bent time and space". In short, it altered reality and it was only to be found on this planet - making it the most important planet in the universe. Another aspect of Herbert's research was that a special gild of navigators, who required the spice, were vital to interstellar trade. The legend went that these navigators, who were not allowed to be seen by mortal eyes, had become superhuman, transcended into something else, as a result of their diet of spice. As such, they bent space and guided space travellers. Intriguing parallels between science fiction and science. The case for Canopus is complex, but it is clear that there is more to the "eye of the dog" than has met the eye so far. The question why no-one has properly interpreted the star's lore is even more bizarre - and might become an intriguing debate once again. Some stars, even in the music industry, never die; they get reborn. And as Canopus was the star of the God of the Dead, what better candidate for a "Best of…"-compilation?
Adapted from: "The Canopus Revelation. The Stargate of the Gods and the Ark of Osiris" by Philip Coppens (Adventures Unlimited Press/Frontier Publishing, 2004).
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| Fixed star: CANOPUS |
| Constellation: Alpha (α) Carina in Argo Navis |
| Longitude 1900: 13CAN35 |
Longitude 2000: 14CAN58 |
| Declination 1900: -52.38' |
Declination 2000: -52.42' |
| Right ascension: 06h 23m |
Latitude: -75.49' |
| Spectral class: F0 |
Magnitude: -0.72 |
The history of the star: Canopus
from p.67 of Star Names, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889.
[A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage]
 Alpha (α) Carina, Canopus, is a white binary star in the Keel of the ship Argo Navis, the brightest star in the constellation of Argo Navis, the Great Ship, and the second biggest star in the sky; after Sirius which it closely aligns with by longitude (Canopus is now, in 2008, 15Cancer05 and Sirius 14Cancer12, but they are separated by 36 degrees in ecliptic latitude).
Canopus is not visible to anyone living above latitude 37 degrees north of the northern hemisphere.
The Greeks called it Kanobos, and Kanopus, transcribed into Canobus and now it universally is Canopus.
The Greek astronomer Aratus, circa 270 B.C., Eudoxos, and Hipparchos also, designated it as Pedalion; the Rudder, and Cicero's Gubernaculum.
Our name for it is that of the chief pilot (named Canopus) of the fleet of Menelaos (Menelaus, a king of Ancient Sparta), who, on his return from the destruction of Troy, 1183 B.C., touched at Egypt, where, twelve miles to the northeastward from Alexandria, Canopus died and was honored, according to Scylax, by a monument raised by his grateful master (Menelaos), giving his name to the city and to this splendid star, which at that time rose about 7½° above that horizon. (Ancient Canopus is now in ruins, but its site is occupied by the village of Al Bekur, or Aboukir, famous from Lord Nelson's Battle of the Nile, August I, 1798, and from Napoleon's victory over the Turks a year afterwards; and it is interesting to remember that it was here, from the terraced walls of the Serapeum, the temple of Serapis, that the second-century Greek astronomer Ptolemy made his observations. Serapis was the title of the great Osiris of Egypt as god of the lower world; his incarnation as god of the upper world being in the bull Apis.)
The foregoing derivation of the word Canopus is an early and popular one; but another, perhaps as old, and more probable, being on the authority of Aristides, is from the Coptic people of Egypt, or Egyptian, Kahi Nub, Golden Earth. Ideler, coinciding in this, claimed these words as also the source of other titles for Canopus, the Arabic Wazn, Weight, and Hadar, Ground; and of the occasional later Ponderosus and Terrestris. Although I find no reason assigned for the appropriateness of these names, it is easy to infer that they may come from the magnitude of the star and its nearness to the horizon; this last certainly made it the (Greek) perigelos (perigee) of Eratosthenes.
Similarly the universal Arabic title was Suhail, written by Western nations Suhel, Suhil, Suhilon, Sohayl, Sohel, Sohil, and Soheil, Sahil, Sihel, and Sihil; all taken, according to Buttmann, from Al Sahl, the Plain. Suhel ponderosus, Subhel.
This word also was a personal title in Arabia, and, Delitzsch says, the symbol of what is brilliant, glorious, and beautiful, and even now among the nomads is thus applied to a handsome person.
Among the Persians Suhail is a synonym of wisdom, seen in the well-known Al Anwar i Suhaili, the "Lights of Canopus".
The seventeenth century French astronomer Bullialdus in his Astronomia Philolaica, it was transcribed Soail Iamane (Yamane). This was from the Arabs' Al Suhail al Yamaniyyah, the Suhail of the South, or perhaps an allusion to the old story, told in connection with our Procyon, that Suhail (Canopus), formerly located near Orion's stars, the feminine Al Jauzah, had to flee to the south after his marriage to her, where he still remains. Others said that Suhail (Canopus) only went a-wooing of Al Jauzah (Orion), who not only refused him, but very unceremoniously kicked him to the southern heavens.
Another occasional early title was Al Fahl, the Camel Stallion. Allusions to it in every age indicate that everywhere it was an important star, especially on the Desert. There it was a great favorite, giving rise to many of the proverbs of the Arabs, their stories and superstitions, and supposed to impart the much prized color to their precious stones, and immunity from disease. Its heliacal rising, even now used in computing their year, ripened their fruits, ended the hot term of the summer, and set the time for the weaning of their young camels.
{p.70} Moore wrote of it in Lalla Rookh :
"The Star of Egypt, whose proud light, Never hath beam'd on those who rest In the White Islands of the West;"
again alluding to it, in the same poem, as the cause of the unfailing cheerfulness of the Zingians (the inhabitants of Zinge, a large village forty miles northeast of Mosul, in Kurdistan). And, as the constellation (Argo Navis) was associated on the Nile with the great god Osiris, so its great star became the Star of Osiris; but, later on, Capella and the scholiast on Germanicus called it Ptolemaeon and Ptolemaeus, in honor of Egypt's great king Ptolemy Lagos; and at times it has been Subilon, but the appropriateness of this I have been unable to verify. The (Greek) Sampilos, cited by the 17th century English orientalist Thomas Hyde as from Kircher, and so presumably Coptic people of Egypt, is equally unintelligible.
While all this knowledge of Canopus is ancient, it seems "but of yesterday" when we consider the star's history in worship on the Nile. Lockyer tells us of a series of temples at Edfu, Philae, Amada, and Semneh, so oriented at their erection, 6400 B.C., as to show Canopus heralding the sunrise at the autumnal equinox, when it was known as the symbol of Khons, or Khonsu, the first southern star-god; and of other similar temples later. At least two of the great structures at Karnak, of 2100 and 1700 B.C., respectively, pointed to its setting; as did another at Naga, and the temple of Khons at Thebes, built by Rameses III about 1300 B.C., afterwards restored and [p.71] enlarged under the Ptolemies. It thus probably was the prominent object in the religion of Southern Egypt, where it represented the god of the waters.
The Hindus called it Agastya, one of their Rishis, or inspired sages,— and helmsman of their Argha,— a son of Varuna, the goddess of the waters; and Sanskrit literature has many allusions to its heliacal rising in connection with certain religious ceremonies. In the Avesta it is mentioned as "pushing the waters forward"—governing the tides(?).
In China it was Laou Jin, the Old Man, and an object of worship down to at least 100 B.C.
Since the 6th century it has been the Star of Saint Catharine, appearing to the Greek and Russian pilgrim devotees as they approached her convent and shrine at Sinai, on their way from Gaza, their landing-place.
In early German astronomical books it was the Schif-stern, or Ship-star.
With Achernar and Fomalhaut, corresponding stars in Eridanus and Piscis Australis, it made up the Tre Facelle of Dante's Purgatorio, symbolizing Faith, Hope, and Charity,—
"those three torches, With which this hither pole is all on fire."
Hipparchos was wont to observe it from Rhodes in latitude 36° 30'; and, even before him, Posidonius of Alexandria, about the middle of the 3d century before Christ, utilized it in his attempt to measure a degree on the earth's surface on the line between that city and Rhodes, making his [p.72] observations from the old watch-tower of Eudoxos at Cnidos in the Asian Caria,— possibly the earliest attempt at geodetic measurement, as this observatory was the first one mentioned in classical days. Manilius poetically followed in his path by using it, with the Bear (Ursa Major), to prove the sphericity of the earth.
[Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889].
The astrological influences of the constellation Carina
No myths or astrological interpretations are associated with the constellation Carina because this constellation had always been seen as part of the constellation Argo Navis, the Great Ship, until French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752 subdivided Argo Navis into Carina (the keel of the ship), Puppis (the poop), and Vela (the sails), plus a subordinate division of Argo now called Pyxis Nautica. The constellation Argo Navis represents the ship in which Jason brought the Golden Fleece from Colchis, said to be the first ship ever built.
The astrological influences for the whole constellation of Argo Navis, the Great Ship: According to Ptolemy the bright stars are like Saturn and Jupiter. Argo is said to give prosperity in trade and voyages, and strength of mind and spirit, but it has been observed to accompany cases of drowning, a notable instance being furnished by the horoscope of Shelley, where Argo occupied the 8th house and contained the Sun, Venus and Uranus. Drowning is particularly to be feared when Saturn afflicts the Moon in or from Argo. It is probably on account of this constellation that Virgo, especially the first decanate, is frequently found to be connected with drowning. [Robson*, p.30.]
The astrological influences of the star Canopus
Notes: A white star in one of the oars of the ship Argo. Named in honor of Canopus, the chief pilot of the fleet of Menelaus, who was killed in Egypt by the bite of a serpent on his return from the destruction of Troy. [Robson*, p.150.]
According to Ptolemy it is of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter; and, to Alvidas, of the Moon and Mars. It gives piety, conservatism, a wide and comprehensive knowledge, voyages and educational work, and changes evil to good. [Robson*, p.150.]
Canopus has been noted several times in the nativities of writers and film actors and especially of those persons who, in our times, have had to undertake many journeys in connection with their position. [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.39.]
If Rising: Canopus on the Ascendant is supposed to give a love of travel and also to instigate fights and quarrels resulting in lawsuits; the native however can channel these tendencies constructively, with astuteness and a sense of real earnestness. [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.39.]
If culminating: Great glory, fame and wealth, dignity and authority by the help of an old clergy man or influential person. [Robson*, p.150.]
With Sun: Domestic affliction, trouble with father or parents, financial loss, danger of accidents, burns and fevers, unfavorable end to life. [Robson*, p.150.]
With Moon: Success in martial matters as a soldier, metal worker, etc. [Robson*, p.150.]
With Mercury: Rash, headstrong, stubborn, kindhearted, speaker or writer on unpopular subjects incurring criticism; trouble and loss through domestic matters, partners and law. [Robson*, p.150.]
With Venus: Emotional, sensitive, stubborn, strong passions, scandal through an intrigue by which reputation will suffer, public disgrace, bad for gain. [Robson*, p.150.]
With Mars: Cruel, bad-tempered, envious, jealous. [Robson*, p.150.]
With Jupiter: Great pride, religion used for business ends, voyages, honor and preferment but reversal through public dissatisfaction. [Robson*, p.151.]
With Saturn: Discontented, occult interests, unfavorable for reputation and domestic matters, little prominence but may do good. [Robson*, p.151.]
With Uranus: Materialistic, dishonorable, many difficulties, easily influenced, estranged from relatives and friends, trouble through enemies and opposite sex, domestic disharmony, violent and possibly public death. [Robson*, p.151.]
With Neptune: Aggressive, materialistic, strong mind and body, loss through quarrels, speculation and friends, ideas or inventions often stolen, peculiar events throughout life, unexpected losses and gains, disharmony with father in earlier life, liable to accidents, sudden death. [Robson*, p.151.]
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0 Reseñashttp://books.google.com.ar/books/about/The_Canopus_Revelation.html?hl=es&id=nlIQUsY0LXoC
Adventures Unlimited Press, 2004 - 212 páginas
A radical reinterpretation of the myth of Osiris and Isis. Humankind has misidentified the constellation Orion with the Egyptian god Osiris in Egyptian mythology. Rather, it is the star Canopus that is linked with Osiris, as identified by both ancient writers and early 20th century scholars. Canopus, for Egypt the South polar star, is the second-brightest star and interplays with Sirius in such a way that ancient accounts surmised that the two stars controlled time. It was the navigators star, allowing access to the afterlife: the domain of Osiris. Canopus was specifically identified with Osirus' Ark, where he was transformed from mere mortal to resurrected supergod. Canopus was therefore literally a stargate, where men could communicate with and aspire to become gods -- and enter into other dimensions. This book will reveal what the Egyptians actually believed about: what happened to the soul after death; how they coded this knowledge into their mythology; how ancient accounts and modern physics use the same symbolism to describe the structure of the universe, the playground of the Egyptian gods and the souls of the deceased; ... and how the Canopus myth is linked to the Grail legend and to alchemy, revealed here for the first time.
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Canopus (Alpha Carinae)
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Image of Canopus taken by astronaut Donald R. Pettit from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
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The brightest star in the constellation Carina, the second brightest star in the sky, and one of the principal stars used in spacecraft navigation. It was known in antiquity as the Star of Osiris and used by Posidonius in Alexandria, circa 260 BC, in the first successful effort to plot out a degree of the Earth's surface. Its name is of uncertain origin and is variously said to come from the name of an Egyptian seaport, from the name of King Menelaus's helmsman, or from the Coptic or Egyptian "Kahi Nub" meaning "golden earth." Canopus lies almost due south of the brightest star of all, Sirius, and nearly 53° south of the celestial equator, so that it is a (south) circumpolar object, never setting for observers south of about 40° south. By the same token it is never visible from places north of about 37° N. Canopus is a rare F-type yellow-white supergiant, big enough to stretch three-quarters of the way across Mercury's orbit. It may already have been a red giant, or it may still have to pass through that phase, before ending its days as a massive white dwarf, possibly with a neon-oxygen composition.
| visual magnitude |
-0.62 |
| absolute magnitude |
-5.53 |
| spectral type |
F0Ib |
| surface temperature |
7,500 K |
| luminosity (Sun=1) |
15,000 |
| radius (Sun=1) |
65 |
| mass (Sun=1) |
8-9 |
| distance |
310 light-years (96 pc) |
| position |
R.A. 06h 23' 57.1",
Dec. -52° 41' 45" |
| other designations |
Suhel, Suhail, HD 45348,
HR 2326, CD-52°914,
FK5 245, SAO 234480,
HIP 30438, GC 8302 |
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