Calling astrophysicists

[Sideshow Bob]

Apparently at a specific night every year (as per lunar calendar), a temple gets moon rays through its roof on to a throne. Seems similar to what happens in voortrekker on 16 december when ray of sunlight strikes through the opening of dome.

I tried to google but came up with nothing.

@Aquila ka Hecate perhaps?

 

[chrisc]

There are many buildings in the world that are built so that a specific time of the year, the sun or moon shines in a particular spot

Stonehenge in England is a famous and well-known example

One problem with the moon is that the timed events drift much faster than earth-sun drift, so the accuracy of the event will only last a few hundred years, whereas phenomena such as the Great Pyramid last thousands of years

 

[Sideshow Bob]

There are many buildings in the world that are built so that a specific time of the year, the sun or moon shines in a particular spot

Stonehenge in England is a famous and well-known example

One problem with the moon is that the timed events drift much faster than earth-sun drift, so the accuracy of the event will only last a few hundred years, whereas phenomena such as the Great Pyramid last thousands of years

Thanks, I could find sun examples (like stonehenge as you mentioned) but not moon examples. If you know off hand, that would be great. If not, I just have to refine google skills.

 

[rietrot]

The sun rays line up on only one day because of the earth's tilt. Does the moon have the same effect type of orbit that would only line up once a year and not every month?

 

[rietrot]

Thinking of this it is strange that is isn't more common. Lining something up with the sun is cool and all but lining something up with the full moon seems more practical for light especially for your late light satanic rituals.

 

[Arthur]

Lunar azimuth changes by lunar phase and season, and its declination will of course vary by latitude.

As you know, the lunar sidereal month is 27.321661 days whereas the synodial month (between lunations) varies between 29.18 and 29.93 days, so it's not possible to get an exact regular alignment on a particular day and time, as it is with the sun. Neither the earth's orbit around the sun nor the moon's around the earth is exactly circular, but elliptical, so the angular rate changes depending on where each is in its orbit. The gaps between exact sidereal and synodial alignments are measured in centuries.

For this reason, it's really pointless building cultic or other structures that have a lunar alignment on say a particular date, which is easy to do with the sun.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

For this reason, it's really pointless building cultic or other structures that have a lunar alignment on say a particular date, which is easy to do with the sun.

To clarify. Temple roof opening is apparently built as per lunar calendar. I am not saying this to counter your point as I will take some time to understand what you said.

 

[Arthur]

To clarify. Temple roof opening is apparently built as per lunar calendar.

Yup. If you make the hole big enough you'll catch it every synodial month. But it's not precise and it changes by lunar phase and season. I presumed you were referring to lunar alignments like the solar annual at the Voortrekker Monument, which happens at the same time and date once a year. Apols if I got the wrong end of the stick.

 

[Aquila ka Hecate]

Late to the party, I am.

Arthur has explained it well, I think.
I cannot think of anywhere which would be built to capture the Moon on a certain day, every solar year or even every lunar year. The perturbations of the Moon's orbit (or, more accurately, the lunar component of the 2-planet orbit which is the Earth-Moon system) are just too great.

 

[newby_investor]

As an aside, this is the kind of thing enthusiastic amateur astronomers would be more likely to know about than professional astrophysicists.