A minor correction; the pole star is above geographic north, 90° latitude, not magnetic north, the magnetic pole which is around 86.5° North and moving west, toward Siberia at around 30 miles a year.
Yep, it's a minor nit I pick but important from where I'm sitting. Here around North Pole, Alaska the declination, magnetic north is over 15 degrees east of true, geographic north.
If for example I headed roughly south from here keeping the pole star right behind me I'd end up down around Anchorage. However if I started out with a magnetic compass heading roughly south based on the magnetic pole, I'd end up around King Salmon, some 300 miles away.
Yep, nit picking especially, if you're looking from say, around the pole star, Polaris over 400 light years away, no difference twix earth's geographic and magnetic north, and not a big thing if you're in, California, but up here what a difference magnetic declination makes! ;-)
& oh yea, ditto what most of the other commenters said and best wishes throughout the New Year!!!
Correction. I know it was either the geographical location or magnetic location. But they are almost unperceptible, except where you sit in Alaska! I bet the days are short and the North star is hard for you to find. Lol! Stay magical and I hope you catch a few falling stars this year! Sending you much love!
It all so amazing, as depicted here in this old world clock in Czechoslovakia, where a 26,000 year period is tracked. I’m sure you’ve seen photos of this amazing clock tracking every celestial event.
Let's start with the lower part of the Orloj, because it is simpler. The calendar dial is exactly what it says it is: a calendar. It shows the current day of the year. It was installed around 1490 and at the beginning it was necessary to shift the calendar plate manually every night. In 1566, the Orloj was fully mechanized and since then the process has been automatic.
The upper part, the astronomical dial, is far more complicated. It is a kind of astrolabe, or a simplified planetarium, showing the current position of celestial objects. As all astronomical clocks, the Orloj was designed for a specific place, in this case Prague. It represents the view of the sky from that place. Theoretically of course, it could be moved to another place, but the mechanism was designed in such a way that it shows the current position of the Sun and the Moon as they are seen from Prague.
The blue circle in the center of the astronomical dial represents the Earth. The dial has also a hand symbolizing the Sun and a hand with a small ball, which symbolizes the Moon. The ball is partially black and partially silver in colour. The Sun symbol travels around the zodiac circle. The golden hand and the Sun, which are attached to the same pointer, show the current time in three different ways:
The golden hand traveling around the outer dial with twenty four Arabic numerals in Schwabacher typeface shows Old Bohemian Time, also known as Italian Time or Italian Hours. In this method of measuring time, the day begins and ends at sunset. The first hour is at dusk and sunset is the end of the 24th hour. This way of counting hours was popular in Italy, Bohemia and Poland. In Bohemia it went out of use in the 17th century. Another famous clock using it is St Mark's Clock in Venice, Italy.
Next to the outer dial and closer to the center, you will find a dial with Roman numerals: going twice from I to XII. This dial shows the so-called civil time or German time. It was introduced in Bohemia by King Ferdinand I in 1547 (he became Holy Roman Emperor in 1558). In the method of measuring time, the day begins and ends at midnight as it is common nowadays.
There are also 12 Arabic numerals, which are smaller and closer to the center than the Roman ones. They are separated by golden curved lines. The position of the Sun symbol over these numerals shows Babylonian time, also known as "unequal hours". In this method of measuring time, sunrise was the first hour and sunset was the end of the twelfth hour. In the Northern Hemisphere, the daylight is longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. Obviously, this meant that Babylonian hours were not equal throughout the year.
If that wasn't enough, the Orloj shows one more method of measuring time. The position of the small star symbol relative to the Roman numerals shows sidereal time, also known as star time. It is based on Earth's rate of rotation measured relative to the fixed stars and not on the position of the Sun in the sky. A sidereal day is approx. four minutes shorter than the normal one. Throughout the whole year this sums up to approx. one day.
It’s an amazing tool. I’d love to research it more. These types of clocks were common in Eastern Europe, but only the one in Prague managed to avoid destruction from WW 2.
What a fabulous post, Charlotte! I didn't know about this meteor shower. And that it is cyclical. The best meteor shower I ever saw was on Maui's Haleakala Crater in 2016, late summer, but I don't think it was the Leonides. I think it was a one-off. We packed sandwiches, a thermos of coffee, our beach chairs, blankets and wore warm clothing and drove up to that 10,000 foot crater, and just hung out from 10pm till 4 am. There were few people up there and we occasionally moved to different view points. It was simply fantastic. I also saw some incredible showers lying on the beach in Puerto Morelos. With the sky totally open(like it was on Haleakala) you get the entire spectrum-- it is so fantastic. Thanks for heads up on the Quadrans coming up-in just days!!!! Happy New year, amiga.
Thank you Melissa, and so much we are missing from our educational experience! These things change the way we see our world! I hope you catch a few magical stars! Happy New Year! 🤗💜💫✨
Wow, that image of you is STUNNNNN IIIINNNGG! WOW! You are beautiful. WOW. That dress! *passes out. Thanks for this. I WANT to watch the sky, may it stay clear.
Thank you Amy! I promise not to let your compliments go to my head! Lol! 😍It is actually an AI generated photograph a friend did for me. It looks quite a bit like me from an older photo. I thought it worked well with this piece. I hope you get to see a few falling stars, make a beautiful wish and catch a few! ✨🤗💫💜
Well, I mean COME ON! HAha. You are beautiful through and through. I love the photo. It makes me want to say dumb things, like "BAZINGA" and "BAM!" HAha. "Wowza!", "Whablammo", or "Jimminy Christmas". You are going to make someone pass out. Take it easy over there. HAhahaha.
This was interesting, Happy New Year Charlotte! I for one cannot wait for next year (first time I say that in years), as for the first time it seems like the future has opened up! There's so much to look forward to in 2025!
This after a year of struggle, loss, tragedy and upheaval. I've honestly had the worst year, and yet I feel better for having had it and feel like there's only good and beauty ahead. So thanks for this fascinating post, wishing you the greatest year of your life and nothing but joy, love, God's good grace and the blessings that come with being a truly magical individual madame!
The nice thing about difficult years is they are finally OVER! Good bye 2024! I hope where you are at — you catch a few falling stars and your wishes come true in 2025! ✨💜💫🤗
This was so fascinating, Charlotte. I love how you connected the cyclical nature of all things in Heaven and on earth. A beautiful reminder as we travel into a new year. I never knew there were celestial new year celebrations; that is pretty cool. Thank you so much, and a happy New Year to you!
Beautiful post. I learned something new and was enchanted by your weaving of love of the cosmos, your wisdom and knowledge, and your awe of life and cycles.
I remember New Year’s Eve 2002 was a particularly great viewing of the sky show. Bundled up we laid down on a deserted ice covered road in northern Manitoba and watched the meteor shower against a black sparkly sky that went on forever along with strong display of northern lights. Excessively bright, bold and absolutely enchanting. Thank you Charlotte and a happy New Year!
Beautiful Nichola, I wish I could write this in a poem! The cold is much better for stargazing! My father was Canadian and I recall a few freezing nights bundled up watch for a comet when I was a kid! Sending you love and magic! Happy New Year! ✨💜🤗💫
Incredibly fascinating. I must admit, I know so little about the cosmos. Thank you Charlotte, this is very enlightening. 🌟✨🌟
Thanks MsA! Love you! 😍
We are seeded in the stars ... thank you 🙏💫❤️
Awww… thank you @Simone Senisin We are the stars! ✨✨✨
Good!
A minor correction; the pole star is above geographic north, 90° latitude, not magnetic north, the magnetic pole which is around 86.5° North and moving west, toward Siberia at around 30 miles a year.
Yep, it's a minor nit I pick but important from where I'm sitting. Here around North Pole, Alaska the declination, magnetic north is over 15 degrees east of true, geographic north.
If for example I headed roughly south from here keeping the pole star right behind me I'd end up down around Anchorage. However if I started out with a magnetic compass heading roughly south based on the magnetic pole, I'd end up around King Salmon, some 300 miles away.
Yep, nit picking especially, if you're looking from say, around the pole star, Polaris over 400 light years away, no difference twix earth's geographic and magnetic north, and not a big thing if you're in, California, but up here what a difference magnetic declination makes! ;-)
& oh yea, ditto what most of the other commenters said and best wishes throughout the New Year!!!
Correction. I know it was either the geographical location or magnetic location. But they are almost unperceptible, except where you sit in Alaska! I bet the days are short and the North star is hard for you to find. Lol! Stay magical and I hope you catch a few falling stars this year! Sending you much love!
Beautiful woman! Nice picture of you Charlotte. 🥰
Thank you my friend Mario! Sending you lots of magic! Happy New Year! 🥳
Thank you Charlotte. Happy New Year! xx 🎉🎄🎇 🥂💕
❌⭕️❌⭕️
And in some cultures the swastika is not a bad thing :-) I appreciate the mention of the cyclical.
https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/significance-meaning-and-history-of-swastika/
Unfortunately some cultures have used it for sinister symbolism. 😞
Indeed. Given the celestial reference, I prefer the more ancient interpretation.
It all so amazing, as depicted here in this old world clock in Czechoslovakia, where a 26,000 year period is tracked. I’m sure you’ve seen photos of this amazing clock tracking every celestial event.
Actually I won’t be adding a photo of it. Because for some reason I can’t add photos to my Substack messages since Apple’s new updates. I need to update my phone. But here is a link. https://www.amazingczechia.com/sights/prague-astronomical-clock-orloj/
Wow!
HOW DOES THE PRAGUE ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK WORK?
Let's start with the lower part of the Orloj, because it is simpler. The calendar dial is exactly what it says it is: a calendar. It shows the current day of the year. It was installed around 1490 and at the beginning it was necessary to shift the calendar plate manually every night. In 1566, the Orloj was fully mechanized and since then the process has been automatic.
The upper part, the astronomical dial, is far more complicated. It is a kind of astrolabe, or a simplified planetarium, showing the current position of celestial objects. As all astronomical clocks, the Orloj was designed for a specific place, in this case Prague. It represents the view of the sky from that place. Theoretically of course, it could be moved to another place, but the mechanism was designed in such a way that it shows the current position of the Sun and the Moon as they are seen from Prague.
The blue circle in the center of the astronomical dial represents the Earth. The dial has also a hand symbolizing the Sun and a hand with a small ball, which symbolizes the Moon. The ball is partially black and partially silver in colour. The Sun symbol travels around the zodiac circle. The golden hand and the Sun, which are attached to the same pointer, show the current time in three different ways:
The golden hand traveling around the outer dial with twenty four Arabic numerals in Schwabacher typeface shows Old Bohemian Time, also known as Italian Time or Italian Hours. In this method of measuring time, the day begins and ends at sunset. The first hour is at dusk and sunset is the end of the 24th hour. This way of counting hours was popular in Italy, Bohemia and Poland. In Bohemia it went out of use in the 17th century. Another famous clock using it is St Mark's Clock in Venice, Italy.
Next to the outer dial and closer to the center, you will find a dial with Roman numerals: going twice from I to XII. This dial shows the so-called civil time or German time. It was introduced in Bohemia by King Ferdinand I in 1547 (he became Holy Roman Emperor in 1558). In the method of measuring time, the day begins and ends at midnight as it is common nowadays.
There are also 12 Arabic numerals, which are smaller and closer to the center than the Roman ones. They are separated by golden curved lines. The position of the Sun symbol over these numerals shows Babylonian time, also known as "unequal hours". In this method of measuring time, sunrise was the first hour and sunset was the end of the twelfth hour. In the Northern Hemisphere, the daylight is longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. Obviously, this meant that Babylonian hours were not equal throughout the year.
If that wasn't enough, the Orloj shows one more method of measuring time. The position of the small star symbol relative to the Roman numerals shows sidereal time, also known as star time. It is based on Earth's rate of rotation measured relative to the fixed stars and not on the position of the Sun in the sky. A sidereal day is approx. four minutes shorter than the normal one. Throughout the whole year this sums up to approx. one day.
It’s an amazing tool. I’d love to research it more. These types of clocks were common in Eastern Europe, but only the one in Prague managed to avoid destruction from WW 2.
I hope to be in Prague next year and this will be on the list of sights to see. Thank you.
I’ve never been, but wish I’d gone. My brother went years ago and loved every minute! Take tons of photos! 🤗💜🤗
BTW, thank you for the Sanskrit link! Fascinating! ✨💜 @la chevalerie vit
What a fabulous post, Charlotte! I didn't know about this meteor shower. And that it is cyclical. The best meteor shower I ever saw was on Maui's Haleakala Crater in 2016, late summer, but I don't think it was the Leonides. I think it was a one-off. We packed sandwiches, a thermos of coffee, our beach chairs, blankets and wore warm clothing and drove up to that 10,000 foot crater, and just hung out from 10pm till 4 am. There were few people up there and we occasionally moved to different view points. It was simply fantastic. I also saw some incredible showers lying on the beach in Puerto Morelos. With the sky totally open(like it was on Haleakala) you get the entire spectrum-- it is so fantastic. Thanks for heads up on the Quadrans coming up-in just days!!!! Happy New year, amiga.
In Hawaii, I bet that was an amazing spectacle to watch Jeanine! I hope you see the meteor show for New Years from Mexico! Catch some stars! ✨💜🤗
I'm going to try to! Glad for the heads-up (literally, right)?
Yes! Right! Lol! 🤗🌟
This is amazing!! I had no idea this happened every year—a much-needed reminder that there’s so much out there we don’t understand.
This is a beautifully written piece.
Thank you Melissa, and so much we are missing from our educational experience! These things change the way we see our world! I hope you catch a few magical stars! Happy New Year! 🤗💜💫✨
I saw a meteor shower once in August of 1989 and it was spectacular. I’ll never forget it.
Happy New Year, Charlotte! Here’s to a blessed 2025!
Happy new year to you too Allison! I hope you catch a few falling stars on New Year’s! Stay beautiful and magical! 💫💜🤗
Thank you @Kameron Primm for restacking my post! ✨🤍✨
Wow, that image of you is STUNNNNN IIIINNNGG! WOW! You are beautiful. WOW. That dress! *passes out. Thanks for this. I WANT to watch the sky, may it stay clear.
Thank you Amy! I promise not to let your compliments go to my head! Lol! 😍It is actually an AI generated photograph a friend did for me. It looks quite a bit like me from an older photo. I thought it worked well with this piece. I hope you get to see a few falling stars, make a beautiful wish and catch a few! ✨🤗💫💜
Well, I mean COME ON! HAha. You are beautiful through and through. I love the photo. It makes me want to say dumb things, like "BAZINGA" and "BAM!" HAha. "Wowza!", "Whablammo", or "Jimminy Christmas". You are going to make someone pass out. Take it easy over there. HAhahaha.
Agreed!!!!! 💫 🤩 🪩
Thank you Nichola! ✨💜🤗
This was interesting, Happy New Year Charlotte! I for one cannot wait for next year (first time I say that in years), as for the first time it seems like the future has opened up! There's so much to look forward to in 2025!
This after a year of struggle, loss, tragedy and upheaval. I've honestly had the worst year, and yet I feel better for having had it and feel like there's only good and beauty ahead. So thanks for this fascinating post, wishing you the greatest year of your life and nothing but joy, love, God's good grace and the blessings that come with being a truly magical individual madame!
The nice thing about difficult years is they are finally OVER! Good bye 2024! I hope where you are at — you catch a few falling stars and your wishes come true in 2025! ✨💜💫🤗
Thanks and same, I hope so too! And hope the same ends up being true for you X)
I think I make that wish every single year. What is the year and revels so do the valleys and mountains which come with life. Sending you much love!
Ohhh okay, the valleys and mountains are some of the best parts of our lives, and sending you the same Charlotte X)
This incredible info about the cosmos and love the image’s.
Such beautiful words and images and I have a much happier feel for the swastika now. Happy New Year Charlotte ❤️. Thank you!
This was so fascinating, Charlotte. I love how you connected the cyclical nature of all things in Heaven and on earth. A beautiful reminder as we travel into a new year. I never knew there were celestial new year celebrations; that is pretty cool. Thank you so much, and a happy New Year to you!
O WOW!
Thank you, Lady Pendragon
Sending you much love Geraldine, thank you! ✨🤗💜
Beautiful post. I learned something new and was enchanted by your weaving of love of the cosmos, your wisdom and knowledge, and your awe of life and cycles.
I remember New Year’s Eve 2002 was a particularly great viewing of the sky show. Bundled up we laid down on a deserted ice covered road in northern Manitoba and watched the meteor shower against a black sparkly sky that went on forever along with strong display of northern lights. Excessively bright, bold and absolutely enchanting. Thank you Charlotte and a happy New Year!
Beautiful Nichola, I wish I could write this in a poem! The cold is much better for stargazing! My father was Canadian and I recall a few freezing nights bundled up watch for a comet when I was a kid! Sending you love and magic! Happy New Year! ✨💜🤗💫
Fun bundled memories! Didn’t know your Dad was a Canadian. HNY and have a great magical day 🫶