This is a MapHist list message (when you hit 'reply' you're replying to the
whole list)
o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o +
On 4/24/2011 1:48 PM, Red Henry wrote:
Remember your astronomy (in ancient times, astrology was the same
thing). The sun is in the sign of Cancer at mid-summer, when it is
overhead the "Tropic of Cancer". At mid-winter the sun is in
Capricorn, overhead that "tropic" line.
There is a book (relatively detailed and not a casual read, based on
reviews) that discusses some of this history:
_The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy_, by James Evans, Oxford
Univ. Press, 1998
<http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/24986/subject/GeneralScience/~~/dmlldz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5NTA5NTM5NQ==>
ISBN13: 9780195095395
Snippets are available online via Google Books, and from what I'm seeing
there was a good bit of difference of opinion re: the nature and number
of these zones. As has been implied by earlier posts, the modern naming
conventions came later.
Joel Kovarsky
_______________________________________________
MapHist: E-mail discussion group on the history of cartography
hosted by the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht.
The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of
the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of
Utrecht. The University of Utrecht does not take any responsibility for
the views of the author.
List Information: http://www.maphist.nl
Maphist mailing list
[email protected]
http://mailman.geo.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/maphist
