Telescope Reviews: The truth about the Mayan Calendar

· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt

· Submit a Review / Article

Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums

Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User

You are not logged in. [Login]

Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

General Astronomy >> General Observing and Astronomy

Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

magic612
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/30/08

Loc: S. of Chicago's light dome

The truth about the Mayan Calendar
#5561252 - 12/08/12 05:39 PM

I took a fantastic two-day long seminar at the Adler Planetarium back in January of this year. I learned about about the Mayan Calendars (yes, that's plural), and how astronomy really fits in neatly with their calendars and other aspects of Maya life. I developed a 45-50 minute long presentation that, over the last year, I have given at many local libraries, astronomy clubs and a star party. It has been well-received at each venue. I condensed most of the major/important aspects of my presentation into a 10 minute long video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8LImGzil3s

Given that we as amateur astronomers readily know and/or understand many of the concepts involved in the calendar and their understanding of the sky, this really does fit nicely under a "General Astronomy" forum. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful for those of us who may not know about the Mayan Calender, but would like to discuss it intelligently prior to December 21, 2012.

However, if the mods deem this needs to move to another forum, I understand (hopefully not in "Off Topic" since it really is astronomy-related in many ways).

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

SteveNH
professor emeritus

Reged: 07/10/11

Loc: Millbrae, CA

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5561402 - 12/08/12 07:45 PM

Excellent, entertaining, and very informative. I truly enjoyed watching it - thank you, David, for posting this!

Steve

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

magic612
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/30/08

Loc: S. of Chicago's light dome

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: SteveNH]
#5561503 - 12/08/12 09:03 PM

Thanks Steve! I'm just sharing the information I learned.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

lamplight
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 09/18/12

Loc: west central MA, U.S.

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5561533 - 12/08/12 09:25 PM

thanks.. I kept waiting for you to use the word cycle and was gratified

I understand that there are some codices that could be interpreted as problems but I can't remember.. I think there were two separate sources, the dresden codices? and something found in a temple, associated with that particular long count reset. but as the old mayan guynsays, interpretation. I am not saying I ascribe to doomsday but you have to admit it is awfully , incredibly, amazingly odd that the. Calendar started befor they were supposed to be a civilization and ends these thousands of years later accurately On a celestial event. Very hard to believe they did this with sticks in the sand and naked eye observing, seems like they had more skill than us.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Dennis_S253
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 11/22/11

Loc: West Central Florida

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: lamplight]
#5561573 - 12/08/12 10:03 PM

Do you think NASA would tell you the truth? OOPs dead birds how did they explain that? Just kidding....lol. The sun is on the galactic plane every winter solstice, right?

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

sg6
sage

Reged: 02/14/10

Loc: Norfolk, UK.

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5561897 - 12/09/12 05:42 AM

Quote:

Therefore, I thought it might be helpful for those of us who may not know about the Mayan Calender, but would like to discuss it intelligently prior to December 21, 2012.

So are you saying we are not going to be around the discuss it, intellectually or otherwise, after Dec 21st then ?

A few of the local authorities etc here have been asked and the several seem to have suggested using the Boy Scout Guide to making a fire and shelters etc for after the apocalypse.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

bigstormgirl
super member

Reged: 01/02/12

Loc: NW Indiana

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5561951 - 12/09/12 07:43 AM

Both my DH and I enjoyed your video David. Liked it so much that we shared it on FB. Excellent job!

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Ed D
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/30/10

Loc: Sunny South Florida

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: bigstormgirl]
#5561977 - 12/09/12 08:17 AM

Thanks for the very good video.

Ed D

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: Ed D]
#5562109 - 12/09/12 10:03 AM

Good thing I got my Christmas Present early......

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

magic612
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/30/08

Loc: S. of Chicago's light dome

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: sg6]
#5562137 - 12/09/12 10:18 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Therefore, I thought it might be helpful for those of us who may not know about the Mayan Calender, but would like to discuss it intelligently prior to December 21, 2012.

So are you saying we are not going to be around the discuss it, intellectually or otherwise, after Dec 21st then ?

Ha! I missed my own (erroneous) implication!

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

csa/montana
Den Mama

Reged: 05/14/05

Loc: montana

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5562139 - 12/09/12 10:21 AM

Folks, as long as this is discussed in the manner the OP has suggested, the thread will be fine. However, if it starts to go downhill with chatter about "doomsday", it will be locked; as other threads in OTO have been on that particular topic.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

magic612
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/30/08

Loc: S. of Chicago's light dome

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: csa/montana]
#5562155 - 12/09/12 10:32 AM

Thanks for the admonition Carol; I certainly hope the thread does stay focused on the Maya, their calendar system and astronomy.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

rockethead26
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/21/09

Loc: Indiana, USA

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5562186 - 12/09/12 10:52 AM

Great presentation, thanks!

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Pharquart
sage

Reged: 11/11/09

Loc: Southwest Minneapolis Metro

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5562202 - 12/09/12 11:00 AM

I had some business associates ask me about this, knowing I was into astronomy. I told them I could walk all around the building and find numerous calendars that "run out" on December 31, all made by different companies. This, I concluded, was vast evidence that the world was ending not on December 21 (supported by one ancient calendar), but on December 31 (supported by calendars based on modern science). That analogy helped them understand the situation.

Brian

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

blb
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/25/05

Loc: Piedmont NC

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: rockethead26]
#5562212 - 12/09/12 11:04 AM

Every January 1st we start a new year, so why is it that when the Myan calendar ends the world ends rather than the calendar just starts over? Feel free to answer this on Sat. Dec. 22nd. I will be waiting for an answer.

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

ZeroID
sage

Reged: 04/21/10

Loc: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: blb]
#5563231 - 12/09/12 10:02 PM

Quote:

Every January 1st we start a new year, so why is it that when the Myan calendar ends the world ends rather than the calendar just starts over? Feel free to answer this on Sat. Dec. 22nd. I will be waiting for an answer.

That's an excellent answer. Haven't had too much flak on Dec 21 yet but there's been some mutterings amongst the mis-informed. Must keep tat one handy. thanks !!

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

magic612
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/30/08

Loc: S. of Chicago's light dome

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: blb]
#5563266 - 12/09/12 10:32 PM

Quote:

Every January 1st we start a new year, so why is it that when the Myan calendar ends the world ends rather than the calendar just starts over? Feel free to answer this on Sat. Dec. 22nd. I will be waiting for an answer.

Are you asking me?

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

killdabuddha
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/26/11

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5563395 - 12/10/12 12:19 AM

Here's a resource, Volume XXIV, 2011

http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/journals/jarch.html

Such things as The Maya Calendar and 2012 Phenomenon Studies; Primordial Time and Future Time: Maya Era Day Mythology in the Context of the Tortuguero 2012 Prophecy; The Sidereal Year and the Celestial Caiman: and Measuring Deep Time in Maya Inscriptions.

And also this, Songs from the Sky: Indigenous Astronomical and Cosmological Traditions of the World

http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/songs.html

Back to Maya-specific, try MAYA AND MESOAMERICAN ARCHAEOASTRONOMY

http://www.tulane.edu/~danny/maya.html

Also good is The War Against Time--The Secrets Of The Incas, and the "invisible pyramid"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCW35nSeLP0

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

CollinofAlabama
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 11/24/03

Loc: Lubbock, Texas, USA

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar new

new

[Re: magic612]
#5563460 - 12/10/12 01:36 AM

I actually had a journalist contact me about "the planetary alignment on Dec. 21st". I showed him there would be no alignment. I then pointed him to E. C. Krupp's excellent S&T article from the Fall of 2011 that NASA has on their website here. I cc:-ed an Astronomy Prof he had also contacted in my response. Haven't heard a word from him since.

How did they clean up the Heaven's Gate mass suicide? Comet.

If you think you've seen this movie before, well, you have. But let's crack the champaign for Baktun 14!

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Qwickdraw
sage

Reged: 03/03/12

Loc: Ann Arbor, Mi

Re: The truth about the Mayan Calendar [Re: blb]
#5563595 - 12/10/12 06:22 AM

Quote:

Every January 1st we start a new year, so why is it that when the Myan calendar ends the world ends rather than the calendar just starts over? Feel free to answer this on Sat. Dec. 22nd. I will be waiting for an answer.

This has always been my thought as well. It goes something like this. A Mayan astrologer is chipping away on a stone tablet. His wife shows up and tells him dinner is ready, hence Dec 21st

Post Extras:

Print Post

Remind Me!

Notify Moderator

Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

Extra information

6 registered and 20 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: cildarith, droid, tecmage

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Thread views: 1691

Jump to

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics