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This is the Classical Astronomy Update, an email newsletter especially
for Christian homeschool families (though everyone is welcome!)
Please feel free to share this with any interested friends.
IN THIS UPDATE:
- Announcements
- Homeschool Heartbeat - Week of September 18
- Signs & Seasons - Now at Christianbook.com
- Our Family's Backyard Compass
- New Creation Astronomy Publication
- Seasonal Skies
- Perseid Meteor Shower - August 12
- Orion Rising Before Sunrise
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Astronomical Topics
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say
among the nations, The LORD reigneth. - 1 Chronicles 16:31
Welcome to the Classical Astronomy Update!
Hello Friends,
Welcome to all the new subscribers who joined the Classical Astronomy Update since last week! Our new email service appears to working much better than our previous service. We look forward to providing you with uninterrupted quality service from here on out.
Many thanks to all who participated in the classical webinar last week. That was a strange experience for me as a speaker, sort of like one feels while leaving a rambling voice message, except with a chat box of listeners providing a running commentary! Hope everyone who participated enjoyed the experience.
Also thanks to all who joined the Signs & Seasons Yahoo Group. As mentioned before, this was started by our friend San Antonio Sue to give users of the Signs & Seasons curriculum a place to share ideas and resources to supplement the program. If your not familiar with Yahoo Groups, you can receive group email or read the posts online at the web site. Check it out!
In case you missed the occulation of the Moon and Venus a while back, take a look at the cool picture of the event at Michael Yon's Iraq Blog. The pic is about halfway down the page. The blog is an interesting read in general. Hat tip to Dan K. in Sarasota, Florida.
Announcements
Homeschool Heartbeat - Week of September 18
I was interviewed recently by Mike Farris to record a week's worth of segments for the Homeschool Heartbeat radio program. Among other things, Mike and I discussed the Biblical foundation of classical astronomy and its prominence in the colonial and founding generations of American history. Mark your calendars! If you're not familiar with Homeschool Heartbeat, check out the web site for station listings in your area.
Signs & Seasons - Now at Christianbook.com
Our homeschool astronomy curriculum Signs & Seasons has recently been added to Christianbook.com. Take a look at the Signs & Seasons page at CBD. At the moment, there are no customer reviews for the curriculum. If you've already acquired Signs & Seasons, we'd be very grateful if you could write a short review of the curriculum. Thanks very much!
Our Family's Backyard Compass
I've seen some remarks on the web that Signs & Seasons is "just a book" and does not include material that can be used for earning high school credit. I'd like to dispel this rumor. As we mention just about everywhere, the curriculum includes 40 pages of field activities for the purpose of allowing high schoolers to create a field journal and thereby document 60 hours or more of "lab work." Please drop us an email if you have any questions, concerns, or disagreements on this point.
The first field activity is the creation of a "backyard compass" to assist in finding direction from the compass points for any time of the day and night. This is a very important tool in getting a "hands-on" understanding the subject matter of the curriculum. The compass is easy to create and the clear skies of summer make this an excellent season to make your compass. Here's a picture of our backyard compass, from the Classical Astronomy Blog. If our kids can make one, so can yours!
New Creation Astronomy Publication
We recently heard from a pastor in California who is starting a new astronomy organization - The 4th Day Alliance (no connection to our own Fourth Day Press). This group is just getting started and the site is still under construction. However, they are producing a very slick astronomy magazine called The Glory Observer devoted to the LORD's creation in the sky. The first issue is coming out sometime soon.
I'd encourage all Update readers to inquire about The Glory Observer and find out what they can do to get involved with the 4th Day Alliance.
Seasonal Skies
Perseid Meteor Shower - August 12
The Perseid meteor shower will give its best show in the early morning hours before sunrise of Sunday, August 12. The Perseids have always been one of the best meteor showers of the year with as many as 60 per hour visible. 2007 is an especially favorable year for the Perseids since there is a New Moon on August 12, the peak day, and there will be no lunar glow to wash out the display.
Meteor showers are formed of a dust trail left behind from the tail of a comet as it circles around the Sun. There are perhaps thousands of comets that have passed through the solar system throughout history. However, meteor showers are only formed from the ones whose tails crossed the orbit of the Earth. The Perseid meteors are formed of the remains of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which circles the Sun every 135 years.
The comet dust trail is formed of small particles, most of which are not larger than a grain of sand. But these are circling the Sun at a speed of about 40,000 miles per hour, so when the Earth's atmosphere passes through this stream, these particles burn up instantly, leaving a bright trail behind them.
Meteors can be seen just about any time of the night, but there are always more in the dark hours before sunrise, about 4:00 AM and earlier for most locations. The bright Perseid display is best seen from dark rural skies away from the streetlights, but a fair number of meteors may be visible from the city. For detailed information about the Perseid meteor shower, visit Gary Kronk's meteor site.
If morning skies are clear in your area and if your family is able to rise a few hours earlier before church on Sunday morning, be sure to catch this exciting celestial event.
Orion Rising Before Sunrise
Long time readers of the Update know that Orion is our favorite constellation. Orion is one of the most famous constellations, with maybe the Big Dipper and the Southern Cross being more famous. Orion is certainly the most obvious constellation in the sky, well-placed to be seen from everywhere in the world, composed of some of the brightest stars, and having the conspicuous "belt" of three bright stars. Orion is mentioned in three verses of the Bible and turns up in folklore all over the world.
In the folklore of the constellations, Orion is viewed as a mighty hunter, a man with extended club, facing to fight the raging bull Taurus. Orion is not alone in this battle, having his trusty Big Dog at his side. The latter constellation is identified by Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star in the sky, shining brilliantly in the southeast from Orion.
 We are always sad in the month of May when Orion vanishes into the sunset. Orion cannot be seen during the months of June and July at any time of day or from any location on Earth. During these months, the Sun passing through the constellations of Taurus and Gemini, and Orion is invisibly above the horizon at the same time as the bright summer Sun shines onto the northern hemisphere.
While Orion is invisibly hidden behind the blue sky, the Dog Star Sirius is also invisible. This time has historically been called "The Dog Days of Summer." In ancient times, it was believed that Sirius was a very hot star and added its heat to the Sun's during this season, producing the hottest scorcing days of summer.
 For those in the northern hemisphere baking under another hot summer, you'll be glad to know that the Dog Days are drawing to a close. The Earth has swung around its orbit all summer, and has now moved to a place where the Sun is lined up with the constellation Cancer. The Sun is no longer blocking mighty Orion behind its bright rays. This means that Orion is now becoming visible once again in the starry sky.
Depending on your latitude, Orion will become visible in the morning sky before sunrise. If you are up before the Sun, look to the east over the next few weeks and see if you can spot Orion rising above the eastern horizon. Once Orion gains some height in the morning sky, keep a close watch for the first appearance of bright Sirius. The first morning that Sirius is visible is the heliacal rising of Sirius, the time when the bright Dog Star rises just before the Sun.
In ancient Egypt, the heliacal rising of Sirius was a great event, signalling the end of the Dog Days and the beginning of the Egyptian year. This annual event coincided with the annual flood of the River Nile, which saved the crops in time for the harvest. By observing the rising of Sirius, the Egyptians developed the world's first solar calendar. This calendar is the ancestor of the Gregorian calendar we use today to tell time throughout the world.
We'll mention Orion some more as the seasons progress, as he wheels around to the evening sky during the wintertime. The annual cycle of Orion and also Sirius and the solar calendar are discussed in great detail in Signs & Seasons. If you haven't yet ordered this curriculum, what are you waiting for? It's almost back-to-school time! Make this the year your family studies astronomy!
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Order online at our website or from one of our fine distributors.
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Astronomical Topics
Is Astronomy Pagan? (Pagan Influences Series)
In the 27 years since I first accepted Jesus, I've encountered a great number of Christians who are very worried about avoiding the mere appearance of anything connected to ancient paganism. Unfortunately, such folks are often very suspicious of astronomy since they confuse the study of LORD's celestial creation with the "New Age" movement and the ancient Babylonian worship of the stars, as mentioned in the Old Testament.
There are many things written today that encourage this sort of confusion. We should take great care in the things that influence our beliefs, over and above our plain reading of Scripture. And while purity of devotion is surely pleasing to the LORD, we need to also take care to seek the truth of a matter and "be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine." (Ephesians 4:14) Thus, we must learn to critically approach the things we read and not swallow everything, being sure to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
There are some very outlandish things about astronomy. One web site makes a big deal about the brightest star Sirius, which was worshipped as a goddess in ancient Egypt. A negative association is made between Sirius and the very practical science of surveying the land by the stars. The survey of the United States is deemed to be part of some Egyptian/Masonic conspiracy theory. I'm always amazed at all the new twists and variations of these themes that constantly emerge.
I hope we can all agree that the LORD created the Sun, Moon, and stars. Not only are these celestial objects God's creations, but He placed them in the heavens for our benefit, to shine light upon our world and provide a means to tell time and navigate:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. (Genesis 1:14)
This was discussed in detail in the previous installment in this series, and we'll revisit this point again in later installments. The fact is, whatever superstitions and other errors that fallible men have associated with the stars, we must not lose sight of the fact that the stars are still the creations of the LORD, and are placed in the heavens to declare His glory. (Psalm 19:1) So even if Sirius was worshipped by the pagan Egyptians, and even if this star was named "Sirius" by the pagan Greeks, it does not change the fact of its creation nor the purpose of its Creator.
For whatever reason, astronomy seems to be a lightning rod for such controversies, casting suspicions over the entire enterprise of observing the sky. There seems to be no other subject that pushes people's buttons. In comparison, the ancient druids worshipped oak trees, yet I've never heard of Christians refusing to grow oak trees in their yards because of this association. Numerous other examples abound.
Some contend that the science of astronomy has its roots in paganism, being developed by the Babylonians and Egyptians, and therefore not suitable for a Christian. However, as we show in Signs & Seasons, the 1st century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus reports a Hebrew tradition that it was the virtuous children of Seth who first developed the science of the stars, not pagan idolaters. It was the patriarch Abraham, whom Josephus identifies as a Chaldean astronomer, that first taught astronomy to the Egyptians. So the study of the sky has a godly pedigree by any account.
Even if astronomy was the product of pagan culture, so what? Our modern western culture is filled with pagan influences. Our modern system of law draws from the legal system of pagan Rome. Our modern methods of architecture have at their foundation methods used in pagan Greece and Rome. Our modern practice of medicine hearkens back to Hippocrates and the medical tradition of the pagan Greeks. Indeed, even classical geometry as learned today in many Christian homeschools is almost directly taken from the pagan mathematician Euclid. Yet I've never heard Christians complaining of these things.
In order to completely escape the influence of our pagan heritage, one would have to take one's Bible to a desert island and live in a cave. Those who are troubled by pagan influences can find them in even most innocent traditions. It's been reported that even contemporary birthday celebrations are drawn from the ancient pagan rites of the moon goddess Artemis (Diana of the Ephesians, Acts 19), with heathen wish-making and round, candle-covered cakes symbolizing the Moon.
One could argue that the LORD never commanded us to celebrate our birthdays. But the Bible does not include exhaustive instructions for every little thing that people do or don't do. The LORD gave us a mind and a conscience for discerning, so as to "abstain from every appearance of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:22) To be free of all taint, where exactly does one draw the line? Should we now deny our children a joyous birthday party? It seems that we can become superstitious and oppress ourselves by finding evil under every rock. Such confusion surely pleases our Enemy moreso than our Father.
Our family adopted a kitten from the animal shelter a few years back. She was a dark shade of brownish-grey and she had tabby stripes. I thought these were very interesting markings. We called her Smokey and took her home. I was surprised when Smokey's stripes faded as she grew, and she ended up being your basic black cat. She does all the stereotypical black cat things, like arch her back and fluff out her tail. But Smokey is a beautiful creature of the LORD and a very cute and gentle pet with our kids. Sadly, we've heard that most black cats in animal shelters are destroyed because people are fearful of bad luck. It is unfortunate that such ancient pagan superstition is still alive in the 21st century.
The LORD inspired the psalmist to write:
He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. (Psalm 111:6)
Surely the LORD has given His people "the heritage of the heathen" since many of the modern scientific miracles we enjoy are derived from the extended study of astronomy and other sciences practiced by the pagan Greeks. Throughout history, Christians have studied the classical works of the Greeks. John Calvin was quite a classical scholar, and his magnum opus Institutes of the Christian Religion is filled with classical references. The Puritans of 17th century Massachusetts studied ancient works, and the curriculum at Harvard was heavy with the classical studies when that school was a pastor's college.
I've been fortunate to read Plato and other Greek philosophers. One sees that the Greeks were thoughtful, articulate men who grappled with many of the same issues we ponder today. They made their best guess to comprehend their world while groping in darkness, separated from a true knowledge of the LORD. They also died without the hope of God's grace through Jesus. Their descendants embraced the Gospel in later centuries. The thought of these brilliant yet lost pagans moves me more to pity than scorn.
A practical approach to "pagan" science was articulated by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, in the 4th century, where he taught that we may "plunder the Egyptians" to the glory of God:
Moreover, if those who are called philosophers, and especially the Platonists, have said aught that is true and in harmony with our faith, we are not only not to shrink from it, but to claim it for our own use from those who have unlawful possession of it. For, as the Egyptians had not only the idols and heavy burdens which the people of Israel hated and fled from, but also vessels and ornaments of gold and silver, and garments, which the same people when going out of Egypt appropriated to themselves, designing them for a better use, not doing this on their own authority, but by the command of God, the Egyptians themselves, in their ignorance, providing them with things which they themselves, were not making a good use of; in the same way all branches of heathen learning have not only false and superstitious fancies and heavy burdens of unnecessary toil, which every one of us, when going out under the leadership of Christ from the fellowship of the heathen, ought to abhor and avoid; but they contain also liberal instruction which is better adapted to the use of the truth, and some most excellent precepts of morality; and some truths in regard even to the worship of the One God are found among them. Now these are, so to speak, their gold and silver, which they did not create themselves, but dug out of the mines of God's providence which are everywhere scattered abroad, and are perversely and unlawfully prostituting to the worship of devils. These, therefore, the Christian, when he separates himself in spirit from the miserable fellowship of these men, ought to take away from them, and to devote to their proper use in preaching the gospel. Their garments, also,--that is, human institutions such as are adapted to that intercourse with men which is indispensable in this life,--we must take and turn to a Christian use.
Augustine's insights have been used down through the centuries as a rationale for Christian participation in classical education. Indeed, all truth is God's truth, including truth about the natural world of the creation. And if a pagan discovered a few things that happen to be true (e.g. in the field of astronomy) than these are also a part of God's truth, and we may appropriate them with a clear conscience, to the greater glory of God.
When dealing with issues of "pagan influences," I'd encourage everyone to "do their homework" and not simply believe third-hand rumors that circulate on the web and among friends at church. Ask for the historical sources (if any) that support these allegations. Also, do not place stock in works of "fakelore" that presume to give detailed historical accounts of Biblical events from the ancient past, such as the infamous Two Babylons. The Bible is our most ancient historical source, but it does not give very much detail. If you do read such extra-biblical literature, spend time confirming the footnotes to see just how shakey the sourcework actually is.
Coming in future Classical Astronomy Updates:
- When we continue our "pagan influences" series, we'll explain the differences between the science of astronomy and the pseudoscience of astrology.
- Mark your calendars now! North America will see an early morning eclipse of the Moon on August 28th!
Til next time, God bless and clear skies!
-jay
The Ryan Family
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art
mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- Psalm 8:3,4, a Psalm of David
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