Constellations Thesis Book by Nesrin Zidan

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sun only moves in latitude but can move
in circles (Van der Waerden, 1952).
These developments in astrology
birthed the concept of the seasons. Within
the zodiacal scheme, the year is divided
into four sections, with each segment
corresponding to a quarter of a circle. This
scheme explains that the twelve months
of the year are divided so that there are
three months in each segment of the circle.
This is familiar because recent knowledge
about the signs is still heavily based
on these ancient data. The concept of a
relationship between months and constellations
is very old. It dates back to the
Astrolabe lists (1100 BC or earlier), which
assigned 3 stars or constellations to each
month that were thought to rise in that
month.
The correspondence was poor
under this outdated approach, as numerous
constellations failed to rise within the
months that were designated for them.
Since at least one constellation could be
found in almost every sign of the zodiac’s
12th house, the correlation between zodiacal
constellations and months was considerably
better, and it was made even better
by the invention of the term “zodiacal
sign” (Van der Waerden, 1952).
There are diaries that record incidents
involving comets, meteors, and
more. If anything, this shows us how advanced
they were with their observation
skills, which is evident when comparisons
are drawn between the archaic tablets and
recent studies. It is still not clear how the
Babylonians made these observations. Did
they use any specific instruments? Were
their studies conducted individually or
in groups? This does not change the fact
that the level of achievement in this field
in such primitive societies is astounding
(Steele, 2019).
Fig. 2.10. 8-pointed Star of Innana
(Venus or Morning Star)