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Register a new userAlgol as Horus in the Cairo Calendar: the possible means and the motives of the observations
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An ancient Egyptian Calendar of Lucky and Unlucky Days, the Cairo Calendar (CC), assigns luck with the period of 2.850 days. Previous astronomical, astrophysical and statistical analyses of CC support the idea that this was the period of the eclipsing binary Algol three millennia ago. However, next to nothing is known about who recorded Algols period into CC and especially how. Here, we show that the ancient Egyptian scribes had the possible means and the motives for such astronomical observations. Their principles of describing celestial phenomena as activity of gods reveal why Algol received the title of Horus.
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This paper examines the predictions made by Chinese, Muslim and Jesuit astronomers of the eclipse of 21 June 1629 in Beijing, allegedly the event that determined Emperor Chongzhens resolution to reform the calendar using the Western method. In order to establish the accuracy of these predictions, as reported at the time by the Chinese scholar and convert Xu Guangqi, we have compared them with an accurate reconstruction of the eclipse made at NASA. In contrast with current opinions, we argue that the prediction made by the Jesuits was indeed the most accurate. It was in fact instrumental in dissipating Chongzhens doubts about the need to entrust Jesuit missionaries serving at the Chinese court with the task of reforming the calendar, leading to the first important scientific collaboration between Europe and China.
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Time-series, multi-color photometry and high-resolution spectra of the short period eclipsing binary V Tri were obtained by observations. The completely covered light and radial velocity curves of the binary system are presented. All times of light minima derived from both photoelectric and CCD photometry were used to calculate the orbital period and new ephemerides of the eclipsing system. The analysis of $O-C$ diagram reveals that the orbital period is $0.58520481 days$, decreasing at a rate of $dP/dt=-7.80times10^{-8} d yr^{-1} $. The mass transfer between the two components and the light time-travel effect due to a third body could be used to explain the period decrease. However, a semidetached configuration with the less-mass component filling and the primary nearly filling each of their Roche lobes was derived from the synthesis of the light and radial velocity curves by using the 2015 version of the Wilson-Devinney code. We consider the period decrease to be the nonconservative mass transfer from the secondary component to the primary and the mass loss of the system, which was thought to be an EB type while it should be an EA type (semi-detached Algol-type) from our study. The masses, radii and luminosities of the primary and secondary are $1.60pm0.07 M_odot$, $1.64pm0.02 R_odot$, $14.14pm0.73 L_odot$ and $0.74pm0.02 M_odot$, $1.23pm0.02 R_odot$, $1.65pm0.05 L_odot$, respectively.
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