Star reading: Astronomy in Mexico. (Mexico on the Web).The history of astronomy Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences, dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious, mythological, and astrological practices of pre-history: vestiges of these are still found in astrology, a discipline long interwoven with public and governmental astronomy, and in Mexico extends thousands of years. Pre-Hispanic civilizations developed what today is oastronomy." planning their cities, as well as much of their social, economic and political activities based on the movements of the stars. That said, such information was not considered of value to the Spanish conquistadors See also
A
Spanish Ciudad de México City (pop., 2000: city, 8,605,239; 2003 metro. area est., 18,660,000), capital of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), it is officially coterminous with the Federal District, which occupies 571 sq mi . In the 20th century, Mexico's National Autonomous University's (UNAM) Institute of Astronomy and the National Institute of Astrophysics astrophysics, application of the theories and methods of physics to the study of stellar structure, stellar evolution, the origin of the solar system, and related problems of cosmology. have educated thousands of professional astronomers. The national university now operates two observatories, the larger being in the Sierra of San Pedro Martir, Baja California. You'll find the directions to the observatory online, 132.248.3.38/Opciones/textol.html#oanspm, as well as celestial maps, academic work and beginner's guides. MAYA ASTRONOMY PAGE www.michielb.nhlmayalastrO.html **** (out of five *'s) This reader-friendly guide introduces basic details about Mayan astronomy, including their unique math system. Astronomical observations take center stage with explanations of the importance of Venus, the sun, moon and Milky Way Galaxy Milky Way Galaxy Large spiral galaxy (roughly 150,000 light-years in diameter) that contains Earth's solar system. It includes the multitude of stars whose light is seen as the Milky Way, the irregular luminous band that encircles the sky defining the plane of the galactic . The author also includes a brief summary of political aspects of Mayan cosmology www.michielb.nl/maya/politics.html. The website is geared toward beginners, but it also includes a lively forum, www.michielb.nl/cgi-bin/maya/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi, which welcomes reader interaction. MEXICO CITY SEARCH www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Yoursky **** This feature is courtesy of the "Your Sky" website, www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky, and provides a skywatcher's guide for residents City-if the skies are clear and the smog isn't too thick above the megalopolis megalopolis (mĕgəlŏp`lĭs) [Gr.,=great city], a group of densely populated metropolitan areas that combine to form an urban complex. ! The site is not limited to Mexico City. You can produce maps for any time and date, viewpoint and observing location. INSTIIOTO HE ASTRONOMIA www.astroscu.Unam.mx *** Mexico's Institute of Astronomy is housed within the UNAM. This frequently updated site offers news of upcoming events and scientific colloquia col·lo·qui·a n. A plural of colloquium. as well as related Web links, including the observatories in Ensenada, Morelia, San Pedro Martir and Tonanzintla. For the serious astronomer, this is a must-visit site. CARL SAGAN OBSERVATORY AT CERRO AZUL cosmos.cifus.uson.mx *** Located in northwestern Mexico, this observatory is part of a larger project run by the University of Sonora Physics Department, cosmos.cifus.uson.mx/index.htm. The site has not been updated for two years, but it documents the conceptualization con·cep·tu·al·ize v. con·cep·tu·al·ized, con·cep·tu·al·iz·ing, con·cep·tu·al·iz·es v.tr. To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: and construction of the observatory. The website also provides helpful links in Spanish and English for budding astronomers. OTHERS ASTRONOMY WEBSITES: Astronomy in Latin America--LANIC lanic.utexas.edu/la/region/astronomy A regional index compiled by the University of Texas at Austin “University of Texas” redirects here. For other system schools, see University of Texas System. The University of Texas at Austin (often referred to as The University of Texas, UT Austin, UT, or Texas This Week's Sky at a Glance SkyandTelescope.com/Observing/ataglance A regularly updated feature courtesy of Sky and Telescope magazine Latin American Astronomy Institutions www.astro.ugto.mx/~ala/listal.html A regional index to academic institutions in the region. The page has not been updated in some time. World Beat: Mexico www.aspsky.org/mercury/mercury/9506/mexico.html This 1995 article by Marco Arturo Moreno-Corral and Mars A. Rodriguez traces the history of astronomy in Mexico. Ron Mader is the host of the popular www.planeta.com website and co-founder of The Mexico Network www.mexiconetwork.info. More recently, Ron won the "Lente de Plato" award for his coverage of Mexican tourism. Planeta.com's Astronomy Guide is online www.planeta.com/ecotravel/resources/space.html |
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