next page

table of contents home

2. The Age of Taurus thus should have began around 4000 B.C. and it could have ended with the Pleiades at spring equinox around 2100 B.C. (= 1900 A.D. minus 55.3 * 72):

Gb8-22 (*55) Gb8-23 Gb8-24 Gb8-25 Gb8-26 Gb8-27
Atiks, Rana (55.1) The Pleiades (55.3-56.3)   Menkhib (57.6) Zaurak (58.9)  
'May 15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 (140)

Although we can see that the stars ξ and ο are rising earlier. We should map these and at the same time also incorporate λ and ν in our data base:

ο 03h 24m 48.84s 03h 24.814m 51.2
ξ 03h 27m 10.12s 03h 27.169m 51.8
λ 04h 00m 40.82s 04h 00.680m 60.3
ν 04h 03m 09.38s 04h 03.156m 60-9
Aldebaran 04h 35m 55.20s 04h 35.920m 69.2
Menkar α Ceti 2.54 03º 54' N 03h 00m 45.7
Algol β Persei 2.09 40º 46' N 03h 05m 46.9
Misam κ Persei 3.79 44º 40' N 03h 06m 47.2
Botein δ Arietis 4.35 19º 32' N 03h 09m 47.9
Zibal ζ Eridani 4.80 09º 00' S 03h 13m 49.0
Algenib α Persei 1.79 49º 41' N 03h 21m 51.0
  ο Tauri 3.61 09° 02′ N 03h 22m 51.2
  ξ Tauri 3.73 09° 44′ N 03h 24m 51.8
Atiks ο Persei 3.84 32º 08' N 03h 41m 56.1
Rana δ Eridani 3.52 09º 56' S
Celaeno 16 Tauri 5.45 24º 08' N 03h 42m 56.3
Electra 17 Tauri 3.72 23º 57' N
Taygeta 19 Tauri 4.30 24º 19' N
Maia 20 Tauri 3.87 24º 13' N 03h 43m 56.6
Asterope 21 Tauri 5.76 24º 24' N
Merope 23 Tauri 4.14 23º 48' N
Alcyone η Tauri 2.85 23º 57' N 03h 45m 57.1

Atlas

27 Tauri 3.62 23º 54' N 03h 46m 57.3

Pleione

28 Tauri 5.05 23º 59' N
Menkhib ζ Persei 2.84 31º 44' N 03h 51m 58.6
Zaurak γ Eridani 2.97 13º 39' S 03h 56m 59.9
  λ Tauri 3.41 12° 29′ N 03h 58m 60.3
  ν Tauri 3.91 05° 59′ N 04h 01m 60-9

Beid

ο¹ Eridani

4.04

06° 58′ S

04h 09m

63.2

Hyadum I

γ Tauri

3.65

15° 31′ N

04h 14m

64.4

Hyadum II

δ¹ Tauri

3.77

17° 26′ N

04h 17m

65.2

 

θ² Tauri

3.40

15° 45′ N

04h 23m

66.7

Ain

ε Tauri

3.53

19º 04' N

04h 23m

 

θ¹ Tauri

3.84

15° 51′ N

04h 23m

Aldebaran

α Tauri

0.87

16° 25′ N

04h 33m

69.2

Theemin

υ² Eridani

3.81

30° 40′ S

04h 34m

65.5

Hassaleh

ι Aurigae

2.69

33° 05′ N

04h 54m

74.6

Almaaz

ε Aurigae

3.03

43° 49′ N

04h 59m

75.7

Haedus I

ζ Aurigae

3.69

41° 05′ N

04h 59m

75.8

After adjusting the right ascension positions of λ and ν Tauri with 1 day they will find their places at Gb8-26--27:

Gb8-22 (*55) Gb8-23 Gb8-24 Gb8-25 Gb8-26 Gb8-27
Atiks, Rana (55.1) The Pleiades (55.3-56.3)   Menkhib (57.6) Zaurak (58.9), λ Tauri (59.3) ν Tauri (59.9)
'May 15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 (140)
Gb8-28 (*61) Gb8-29 Gb8-30 (472)
  Beid (62.2) Hyadum I (63.4)
4h (60.9) '22 '23 (143)

The same procedure puts ο and ξ close to the 'wing' of Perseus and they are today rising heliacally ca 50 days beyond equinox.

Gb8-17 (*50) Gb8-18 Gb8-19 Gb8-20 Gb8-21
Algenib Persei (50.0), ο Tauri (50.2)  ξ Tauri (50.8)      
'May 10 (130) '11 '12 '13 '14
1700 B.C        

50 * 72 = 3600, i.e. the date was around 1700 B.C.

People evidently found it difficult to abandon the Pleiades as a sign of where the new year began. Today they rise heliacally around May 17 or ca 2 months after the equinox.

Gb8-22 (*55) Gb8-23 Gb8-24 Gb8-25 Gb8-26 Gb8-27
Atiks, Rana (55.1) The Pleiades (55.3-56.3)   Menkhib (57.6) Zaurak (58.9), λ Tauri (59.3) ν Tauri (59.9)
'May 15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 (140)
  2100 B.C