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A Sky Map at Lascaux Caveby
David C. BossardLascaux.19thpsalm.org
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained,What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"
Psalm 8:3-4
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An
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tion
: A
Sky
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au
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Bulls 15 (left) and 18 (right)at Lascaux Cave
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aint
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from
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lpap
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ASSERTIONS:• This is a star chart• This was painted between 13,200 BC and 17,000 BC• Its preservation is an act of God's providence
(or, if you prefer, an incredible accident of history)
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Sky Map 15,000 BC July 2 5:30 AMView from Lascaux Cave
Below Horizon
Above Horizon
Sky
cha
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… Showing Stars, Orion, Taurus & Pleiades – all visible to the naked eye
All stars up to magnitude 5.3 are shownStar Circles are 30 arc-minutes diameter
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jpeg
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Outline of Stars (continues below and to the right)
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…Showing Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Aldeberan, Pollux, al Nath and Pleiades (true position and "inset")
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The Orion Constellation
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Supplement:A Larger view -- Painting
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Supplement:A Larger view -- Map
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Supplement:A Larger view -- Map
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Supplement:A Larger view – Map + Painting
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Supplement:A Larger view – Map + Painting + Lines
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Lascaux.19thpsalm.org
Bulls 15 (left) and 18 (right)at Lascaux Cave
Lasc
aux
Cav
e P
aint
ing
from
fre
e-hd
wal
lpap
ers.
com
ASSERTIONS: √• This is a star chart • This was painted between 13,200 BC and 17,000 BC • Its preservation is an act of God's providence
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Lascaux.19thpsalm.org
Horizon Line when Orion Falls08,000 BC
09,000 BC
10,000 BC – Skewed
11,000 BC
12,000 BC
13,000 BC
14,000 BC
15,000 BC – Parallel
16,000 BC
17,000 BC – Skewed
18,000 BC
19,000 BC
20,000 BC
21,000 BC
22,000 BC
The horizon line limits the timeof painting to between 10,000 BCand 17,000 BC at the extremes.
2,000 AD30
15,000 BC
Lascaux.19thpsalm.org
Visibility of Orion's Belt
• Between 8,350 BC and 13,200 BC Orion's belt is always below the horizon
- 12,900 BC: 1 of 3 stars barely visible at horizon- 13,200 BC: 2 of 3 stars barely visible at horizon
Hence, the painting must be earlier than 13,200 BC and later than 17,000 BC.Later than 9,000 BC the horizon
line is quite skewed
Lascaux.19thpsalm.org
Bulls 15 (left) and 18 (right)at Lascaux Cave
Lasc
aux
Cav
e P
aint
ing
from
fre
e-hd
wal
lpap
ers.
com
ASSERTIONS: å This is a star chart å This was painted between 13,200 BC and 17,000 BC
-- from the painting itself, apart from other dating.• Its preservation is an act of God's providence (or, if you prefer, an incredible accident of history)
32
Lascaux.19thpsalm.org
THE END
Lascaux Cave Painting from free-hdwallpapers.com 33
Lascaux.19thpsalm.org
Animation: A Skymap at Lascaux
Animation
34Animation: A Skymap at Lascaux
