next page previous page table of contents home

From  μ Arae to the last (Greek lettered) star (θ) in the constellation  there are 6 days:

Rohini 15 Mrigashīrsha 1 2 (58)
Pleione 12 13 (27) Albatain 1
June 11 12 13 (164)
Cb3-7 (448) Cb3-8 Cb3-9
ko te maro - ko te tagata kua hua te tagata ko te tagata
Nihal (81.7), Mintaka (82.4)
ε Columbae (82.6), Arneb (83.0, φ¹ Orionis (83.1), Heka (83.2)
Hatysa (83.5), φ² Orionis (83.6), Alnilam (83.7), Heavenly Gate (84.0)
December 12 St Lucia 14 (348)
Akleel 1 (210) 2 3
Kuma (265.6), σ Arae (265.9), Ras Alhague (266.1), Sargas (266.3), μ Ophiuchi, π Arae (266.5) Nan Hae (266.6), ι Herculis (266.7) Girtab, ο Serpentis (267.6), Kelb Alrai, μ Arae (268.1)
Mrigashīrsha 3 4 (60) 5
Albatain 2 3 (30) 4
June 14 15 (166) 16
Cb3-10 Cb3-11 (452) Cb3-12
te taketake henua kiore - henua
Alnitak, Phakt (Phaet), (84.7) γ Leporis (85.9), Saiph (86.5) ζ Leporis (86.6)
December 15 16 (350) 17
Akleel 4 5 (214) 6
Kew Ho (268.6), η Pavonis (268.7), Apollyon (268.9), Muliphen (269.0), Basanismus (269.5) Pherkard (269.9) Rukbalgethi Genubi (271.1), ξ Herculis (271.5)
Mrigashīrsha 6 7 8 (64)
Albatain 5 6 (33) 7
June 17 18 19 (170)
Cb3-13 Cb3-14 Cb3-15 (456)
manu rere tagata - hanau hia kiore - henua
Wezn (87.6), δ Leporis (87.7), Betelgeuze (88.3) η Leporis (89.0), Praja-pāti, Menkalinan, Mahashim, and γ Columbae (89.3) η Columbae (89.7), μ Orionis (90.3)
December 18 19 20 (354)
Akleel 7 (216) 8 9
Etamin, ν Herculis (271.7), ν Ophiuchi (271.8), ζ Serpentis (272.4) τ Ophiuchi (272.9) Nash (273.7), θ Arae (273.8), Zhōngshān (274.0)

The day after the heliacal rising of θ Arae coincided with the December solstice. At the other end of the year, in June 18, was the 'whip' of the Charioteer, formed by Praja-pāti (δ), Menkalinan, and Mahashim (θ):

It seems likely the creator of the C text has placed the heliacal rising of these important stars at 3-14 (π) to indicate the position halfway through the year.

In my arrangement of opposite night stars in parallel with the heliacal stars my method has basically been to use the key numbers 181 and 184. From a heliacal star to its nakshatra star there should be around 181 days. E.g. Praja-pāti (89.3) + 181 = ca 270 and Praja-pāti (89.3) + 184 = ca 273.

Date Heliacal star RA distance Nakshatra star
March 26 (85) Ankaa (5.0) 181.3 Chang Sha (186.3)
κ Phoenicis (5.0)
April 1 (91) η Andromedae (11.4) 181.5 Mimosa (192.9)
April 13 (103) Achernar (23.3) 181.7 Heze (205.0)
April 17 (107)  Sheratan (27.4) 181.1 Benetnash (208.5)
April 24 (114) Mira (33.7) 181.1 κ Virginis (214.8)
May 26 (146) Ain (65.7) 181.3 Heart (247.0)
May 28 (148) Aldebaran (68.2) 180.9 Antares (249.1)
June 7 (158) Rigel (78.1) 181.8 η Scorpii (259.9)
July 6 (187) Wezen (107.1) 181.3 Nunki (288.4)
July 26 (206) Avior (126.4) 180.8 Gredi (307.2)
August 21 (233) Regulus (152.7) 181.9 Sadalmelik (334.6)
September 4 (247) Dubhe (166.7) 181.1 Fom-al-haut (347.8)
181.6 Fum al Samakah (348.3)

Although my table over important star pairs - first the heliacal star and then the other ca 181 days later - in principle is beginning at 0h, I have recently chosen to add 184 instead of 181 to find the star close to the Full Moon in the night, e.g. with Thuban (212.8) - Alrisha (29.2) = ca 184:

1. Ashvini   
Almuqaddam 12 13 (337) Al Muakhar 1
April 17 (107) 18 19
Cb1-1 (393) Cb1-2 Cb1-3
E tupu - ki roto o te hau tea
Polaris, Baten Kaitos (26.6), Metallah (26.9), Segin, Mesarthim, ψ Phoenicis (27.2), Sheratan, φ Phoenicis (27.4) no star listed Alrisha, χ Phoenicis (29.2)
October 18 19 20 (293)
Assarfa 11 12 (156) 13
φ Centauri (211.0), υ¹ Centauri (211.1) υ² Centauri (211.8), τ Virginis (211.9), Agena (212.1) 14h (213.1)
Thuban (212.8), χ Centauri (213.0), Menkent (213.1)

Alrisha (29.2) + 365¼ - 212.8 = 181.65 = ca 181. By counting past the end of the Gregorian year my rule for finding the nakshatra star by adding 181 will lead to Thuban (α Draconis) at the other side of the sky compared to Alrisha. The glyph number 395 (> 365) indicates we maybe should add 184 instead of 181.

Earlier I have used another method, viz. to add 365¼ / 2. This method would have resulted in a night-side star for Praja-pāti at position 89.3 + 182.625 = 271.925. Although θ Arae would still be close to the Full Moon in the night before the December solstice its position in my interpretation of the C text would be pushed ahead to a mirror date 2 days after June 19, i.e. it would be in the night sky of the June solstice.

My earlier method thus seems to be more in harmony with the time of the December solstice and therefore I possibly ought to rearrange the beginning of side b into:

1. Ashvini   
Almuqaddam 12 13 (337) Al Muakhar 1
April 17 (107) 18 19
Cb1-1 (393) Cb1-2 Cb1-3
E tupu - ki roto o te hau tea
Polaris, Baten Kaitos (26.6), Metallah (26.9), Segin, Mesarthim, ψ Phoenicis (27.2), Sheratan, φ Phoenicis (27.4) no star listed Alrisha, χ Phoenicis (29.2)
October 16 17 (290) 18
Assarfa 9 10 (154) 11
ν Centauri (208.7), μ Centauri, υ Bootis (208.8) Muphrid (210.1), ζ Centauri (210.3) φ Centauri (211.0), υ¹ Centauri (211.1)

These night-side stars seem quite uninteresting. However, due to my method of arranging stars according to their heliacal positions Benetnash (η Ursae Majoris) at 208.5 has been - rather arbitrarily - located in October 15 (288), i.e. not in the night sky of April 17 but in the night sky of April 16.

On side a glyph 3-14 was possibly referring to how Antares was visible close to the full Moon in the night sky of May 25 - because November 25 (when Antares rose heliacally) ís 6 months earlier (or later) than May 25. However, according to my discussion above we maybe should arrange the night-side stars 182.625 days later than the heliacal stars:

Sheratan 9 10 11
May 25 (145) 26 27
Ca3-14 Ca3-15 Ca3-16
tapamea - tagata hoi hatu ki te ariki kiore i te henua
no star listed Ain, θ¹ Tauri, θ² Tauri (65.7)  no star listed
Yed Posterior, Rukbalgethi Shemali (246.6). δ Apodis (246.7), ο Scorpii (246.8), σ Scorpii (247.0), Hejian (247.2) ψ Ophiuchi (247.7), ρ Ophiuchi (248.1), Kajam (248.3), χ Ophiuchi (248.5) She Low, ι Tr. Austr. (248.7), ζ Tr. Austr. (248.8), Antares (249.1), Marfik Ophiuchi, φ Ophiuchi (249.5)

Ain (65.7) + 182.625 = 248.325. The reason for 3-14 at May 25 could therefore be e.g. that 5-25 was meant to be read as 52 * 5 = 260 (= 20 * 13).

Another - and better - idea is that 3-14 refers to σ Scorpii (247.0). In the Chinese list this star is connected with the idea of a 'heart':

1 Horn α Virginis Crocodile
2 Neck κ Virginis Dragon
3 Root α² Librae Badger
4 Room π Scorpii Hare
5 Heart σ Scorpii Fox

The Hindu list has σ Scorpii in its 18th station:

14 Chitra α Virginis Bright jewel or pearl
15 Svāti α Bootis Shoot of plant, coral
16 Visakha α, β, γ and ι Librae Triumphal arch, potter's wheel
17 Anuradha β, δ, and π Scorpii Triumphal archway, lotus
18 Jyeshtha α, σ, and τ Scorpii Circular amulet, umbrella, earring
19 Mula ε, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and μ Scorpii Bunch of roots tied together, elephant goad

At the bottom of a plumb-line there is a 'heart' (of lead, the metal of Saturn).