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ASTRO-RESEARCH CENTER ' ZENITH '

" BABYLONIA"
a program for
BABYLONIAN
ASTROLOGY & ASTRONOMY
a
INSTALLATION
It's a standrd windows procedure. Insert the CD and click on the
setup.exe file. Follow the instructions. After the installation, manually
create a shortcut of the program to the desktop.
COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
Should have windows 2000 or 98. Settings on the 'Display': 'true
color' and screen area '1024 / 768 pixels'. Math coprocessor recommended
(all presentday computers have it) and speed of more than 60 MHz.
PURPOSE:
1 To compute the (most likely dates of the) real, practically observed
heliacal phases of the planets and the Moon. Good visibility and average
eyesight assumed.
2 To compute the Babylonian Calendar for any place where it can be
valid (latitudes less than 66). Only second Addar is added (no second Ulul).
1st of Nisan is the first NewCrescent with Sun in tropical Aries.
3 To give useful astronomical information helping the eventual observer.
(Here are the azimuths and the arcus visionis at rise and set of the plan-
ets, the time when the Sun reaches -18, -16... degrees below horizon and so
on...for any chosen day...)
4 In short, the purpose of the program is to help everyone who wants to
watch the sky the babylonian-way (with unaided eyes observing the heliacal
phases and the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset.
THE MATH BASIS:
1 Schoch's Oxford tables (for arcus visionis of the planets)
2 the astronomical algorithms propagated by Jean Meuus (VSOP 87)
3 My own observations for 2 years that so far closely agree with the val-
ues of Schoch
Director: Rumen Kirilov Kolev
E.Mails: [email protected]
[email protected]
WEB: babylonianastrology.com
BY-PRODUCTS:
1 The dates of the program for the Babylonian Calendar and the heliacal
phases of the planets agree extremely good with the dates from the cuneiform
texts (-600 to 0 mainly checked out)
2 The heliacal phases of the planets (by the program) agree best with
cuneiform texts with proven theory A descent
NOTES:
1 My practical observations are for the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.
To a less extent to Mercury and Mars.
2 More work is needed (in the eventual future versions) on the heliacal
phases of Mercury, Mars and the stars.
( Because the magnitudes of Mars and Mercury in one and the same heliacal
phase, but different heliacal cycles, are considerably different due to their
greater eccentricity of orbit. This may have impact on their respective arcus
visionis. So, the heliacal dates for these planets, produced by the program,
are somewhat for orientation purposes mainly )
3 The program computes the heliacal phases of the planets according to
the babylonian theory A (to my knowledge) which I have found correct from
my personal observations for the last 2 years.
The data given by the program is almost 100% identical with the data
from the cuneiform texts. I made a special database with all horoscopes
given by Franceska Rochberg in her study 'Babylonian Horoscopes'.
4 The price of Babylonia is $ 150. The book about Babylonian Astrol-
ogy, which is essential for understanding the program, costs $ 25. $5 are for
packaging and postal fees. A short manual comes with the program.
THE FIRST SCREEN
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The first screen shows the sky at the
present moment at the city of Varna.
If you want to change the location, enter the
coordinates in the 'Observatory Place' Panel
and click on the red arrow in the same panel
to refresh. If you want these coordinates to become default, just click on the
button 'make default'. The program is in MODE 'NOW'. It will refresh the
screen every 10 seconds. To switch on or off the refresh, look in the upper
right corner:
THE MODES 'NOW', 'OBSERV.(ATORY)' AND 'RECORD'
The program works in 3 modes. The mode panel is in the center of the
program.
'NOW' mode uses the momentaneous date and time and the coordinates
in the 'Observatory Place' panel.
'OBSERV.' uses the same coordinates, but the date/time come from the
'GREGORIAN DATE' panel. You may enter time there and then click on the
red arrow (refresh-date arrow) in the 'Observ. Place' Panel.
'RECORD' mode uses the date and time and the coordi-
nates from a record you have opened. First you need to
open a database from the list at the top left. Just click
once on a database and then again twice to open it. Then
the records list below the database list will fill up. To
open a record, do the same with a record in the list. Now
the 'LOCATION' panel in the top center will fill up and
in the 'Observatory Place' panel will come up 'DataBase
Place' inscription, in order to remind you that you work
with the geo. coordinates of the record now. However,
because you are still in MODE 'NOW' and the 'refresh' is
on, the program will change the time. Don't worry. Just
click on the option 'RECORD' in the MODE panel and
you can work safely with the record now.
MODE PANEL
REFRESH BOX
OBSERV. PLACE PANEL
LOCATION PANEL
GREG. DATE PANEL
refresh-date arrow
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DATABASE AND
RECORDS LIST
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After you are done, you should
click on the button 'SAVE' to save
the new record. The button 'DEL'
deletes a record.
You can enter dates directly in Babylonian Calendar. You just choose the Era
and then enter the bab. date. Then You have to convert it in gregorian date by click-
ing on the big arrow (on blue background) in the left of the MODE panel.
Now you can click on the refresh-date red arrow to update the screen or click
'SAVE' button if you want to save a new record. In any mode except the 'NOW'
(with refresh box checked), you can enter dates and click on the arrows to convert
between them. In 'RECORD' mode, the location comes from the record.
In 'OBSERV.' and 'NOW' modes : from the 'OBSERV. PLACE' panel.
Arrow to
convert from
BAB. to
GREG. dates
Babylonian
ERA options
Arrow to
convert from
GREG. to
BAB. dates
Panel for
animation
Below the database and records list, there are 3 buttons: 'New', 'Del' and 'Save'
If you want to enter a new record, you first click on the button 'NEW' below the
record list ( bottom left ), then enter the date/time in the 'Gregorian Date' panel.
Then you click on the 'CITY BASE' button from the 'LOCATION' panel and choose
a place. If you do not find the place you want there, you can add.
BABYLONIAN DATE PANEL
THE PLANETS PANEL
It is below the screen. With it, you control the info on the screen. The options with
the symbols of the planets give info about the heliacal cycles of the planets. The
STAR shows a picture of the sky. The SUN symbol gives info about the twilight
time. The 'R' symbol has many options that show when you click on it. 'VIS' is
visual info about the rise/set of the planets. 'RISE/SET' is in text. 'GEO' and
'HELIO' are coordinates. 'DRAWHELIO' draws the orbits of the planets with
center SUN.
GREGORIAN DATE PANEL
SKY PICTURE
The Meridian and Horizon are thin green
lines. On left is East; on right: West. The
ecliptic is a yellow circle. The center is the
South Pole of the ecliptic. The breath of the
ecliptic is from -20 to +20 latitude.
If you want to see it bigger, you click on the
button-icon on the right:
In the animation panel
that is a part of the GREG
DATE panel, you can choose step and click
on the '>>' button to animate all pictures
coming on the screen:
ANIMATION
THE PLANETS PANEL: MOON
THE PLANETS PANEL: OTHER PLANETS
The phases and the time go clockwise. MF is
at the left by analogy that it is the EAST where
we see the Morning Star phase of a planet,
facing South... The dates of the heliacal
phases are given greg. and bab. Then follow
the AV and the brightness (magnitude). You
should look into the book 'The babylonian
Astrology and Astronomy' for the abreviations.
In the left top corner are given the tropical
ecliptical coordinates of where the planet is in
its phases.
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The bab. days are in the inside circle. The
greg. days in the outside. In the center is the
month and whether the previous month has
had 29 or 30 days. Ulul 30 means that previ-
ous month has had 29 days. Ulul 1 that it has
had: 30 days. The phases and the time go
counterclockwise. NC is at the right by
analogy that it is the WEST where we see the
New Crescent for the first time, facing
South... In the upper left corner: info about
the NC of the month. Bottom, left: info
about the next NC. In the upper right corner
is info about the altitude and the 'na' of the
Moon in her AR and CS phases in the month.
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THE PLANETS PANEL: THE 'R'ISE / SET
'DRAW-HELIO' draws the orbits of the planets and their
aphelions (most distant point form Sun) and perihelions
(most near point). This is useful when we assess the global cycles of the
planets (consult the book).
'HELIO' gives the helio coordinates of the planets.
'Radius' is their distance from the Sun; RtoEarth: distance from Earth; RMin: their mini-
mal distance from the Sun in their orbit and Rmax: maximal distance from Sun.
'GEO' gives the geocentric coordinates of the planets.
'Rise/Set' gives info about the rise and set of the planets for
Hours
Dashed Line
This option shows another panel:
This option gives the time of the given babylonian day when the Sun is approach-
ing the horizon: at sunset and sunrise. From -18z to 0z with step of 2z.
This is useful for practical purpose of observation.
THE PLANETS PANEL: THE SUN
When you click it for the first time it
automatically goes on 'VIS' which is
'VIS'UAL RISE / SET of the plan-
ets. The graph above shows the
hours in the given babylonian day.
The picture visualizes the sunset
twilight (left), night (black), sunrise
twilight (center) and day ( yellow,
right). The dash line shows exactly
where is on the picture the moment
of the given day (hour and minute).
For each planet are given its RISE,
TRANSIT (when in culmination on
the Meridian) and SET.
The DASHED LINE shows where in the picture is the time moment (in the GREG
Date Panle). In the case, it's about 5:50 AM and the Sun is already above horizon!
The 'VIS' suboption of the RISE/SET option, is very important in the prognosis!
the given babylonian day. Time, AV, eastern or western of the Meridian position of the
Sun, brightness of the planet and azimuth of rise or set. Very useful for practical obser-
vations
THE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS PANEL
It's above the picture for drawing.
We talked about:
Calls a panel below from which you can print the lunar or planets heliacal
phases for the given year and place.
The PRINT-PHASES button
Calls a horoscopic chart with animation bar and coordinates info. Useful to
adjust the time by the MC or ASC or other parameters.
The ADJUST-CHART button
Works only if you are in a 'record' MODE. Calls a small horoscope with the
directions of the planets to the angles( mundo and zodiacal). You may check
them with different keys (time-measures). Screen area should be enough ( ~
1000 / 800 pixels) to enlarge the form. On the screen with the directions
show 2 buttons. One is for printing. The other is for rectification of
the birth-time. It calls one big picture where you can see the hits
of the directions and the years of the hits. Moving the mouse over a
graphed time-table, the hits change.
The PRIMARY DIRECTIONS button
The BABYLONIAN PROGNOSIS
The HOROSCOPE button calls a horoscope
Works only if you are in a 'record' MODE. Calls a control panel below where you can
switch between 6 prognosis time-span relations and the 'radix'. The prognosis methods
are in order of their time lenght and time sensitivity:
0: 'radix'
1: 4 time-minutes = 1 b. year (similar to the primary directions)
2: 1 kash-bu = 1. b. year ( 1 kash-bu=2 seasonal hours)
3: 1 b.day = 1 b. year (similar to the progressions)
4: 1 b. day = 1 b. month
5: 1 b. month = 1 b. year
6: 1 b. day = 1 b. day ( transits)
When you click on one of these, the picture above changes as to the correlated
time. You may see the real time (correlated time) in a long green panel at left. Below
these options, there is an animation/time-input panel. You may input time there, then
click on the 'REFRESH' button and see the astro parameters in force at that time.
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From the graphic options, I recommend you stay in the 'VIS' suboptions of the 'R'
( 'Rise/Set' option) when you use the prognosis.
Suppose you want to see the situation with you on 1st of Sep, 2000 accord-
ing to the relation 1 babylonian day = 1 babylonian year...
You open your own record, then click on the 'PROGNOSIS' icon
Then you click on the 'R' option and then on
Then you click on Then you input Sep 1, 2000 in the time
/ animation bar below:
and click 'REFRESH'
You watch where is the dashed line on the 'VIS' screen and if it goes through rise,
transit or set of a planet, then this 'quick' primary direction will be in force at that
time. You may use also the animation bar. Input a step and click on '>>' or
'<<' buttons. Then wait for the dashed line to come over rise/transit/set of a planet.
You may view all different graphic options like Lunar cycle or DrawHelio
or planets Cycle... in a certain prognosis method. The best, however, for practical
purposes, are 'VIS' (from 'R') and the SKY VIEW ( the star symbol). In the sky
view you may see in what year of life of the native are different stars approaching
the horizon and meridian. The real time and the time corresponding to it, are in
the long green label at left.
Refresh the
screen after
you input
date/time of
interest
Print the hits
according to
the technique
Close the prognosis
panel
Move
forward
auto
Move back
with 1 step
only
Stop the
anima-
tion
Panel for
animation
Panel for
view options
Panel for
technique (time
correspondance)
Input Date
Panel
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