七夕は旧暦の七月七日であるべき・・・今年は８月２９日

　今日は７月７日で七夕といわれますが、七夕の星である琴座の１等星ベガ【織姫星】と、わし座の１等星アルタイル【彦星】は東の空低くに位置し、この時季は例年、未だ梅雨の真っ最中であることから、実際には、よく見えません。

　これらの星は有名な「夏の大三角」内の右上と下(南)にあり、８月中旬から下旬になると日本でも上空によく見えます。織姫星の位置は赤緯３８度付近なので、仙台～佐渡島の上空を通過します。一方の、彦星の位置は赤緯９度付近なので、フィリピンのミンダナオ島上空を通過します。

　因みに、七夕には関係しませんが、冬の大三角の一角を成す白鳥座のデネブの位置は赤緯４５度なので、日本最北の地である稚内市上空を通過します。このため、８月中旬から下旬になると天候も安定し、午後９時以降には、これらの３つの１等星か日本列島を覆うかの如くよく見えます。

　本来、七夕という文字は星を表すのではなく、月の満ち欠けを表し、月が「七」日目の「夕」方という意味です。この月が織姫星と彦星を含む「夏の大三角」の西の位置に来ると、月の欠けた部分が上向きになり、丁度、船の形になります。

　常に天の川を挟んでる２つの星が舟の形をした月の舟に乗り、１年に一度会えるという中国の伝説です。その日である今年の旧暦七月七日は現行歴の８月２９日です。因みに今宵の月は月齢１３であり、満月に近い明るい月で、お椀の舟の形には程遠いです。

　旧暦が使われていた明治５年から今年はすでに１５０年以上経過してます。単純に現行歴の７月７日を七夕とするのでなく、織姫星と彦星２つの１等星が日本列島上空に来て、しかも、月の満ち欠けが七日目である旧暦の７月７日を本来の七夕とし、未来ある子供たちに正しい天体教育をすべきです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about astronomy and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

..................................................

　Today is July 7th, and is called as Tanabata. However, the Tanabata stars Vega which is the first magnitude star in the constellation Lyra, and Altair which is the first magnitude star in the constellation Aquila, are located low in the eastern sky. Moreover the two stars are not actually visible because this season of year is still in the middle of the rainy season in Japan.

　These stars are located in the upper right and lower (south) of the famous "Summer Triangle" as the photo and will come to the sky above Japan from mid-to late August, when they become clearly visible. Vega is located at a declination of around ＋38 degrees, so it passes from east to west over the sky between City of Sendai and Sado Island. On the other hand, Altair is located at a declination of around ＋9 degrees, so it passes over the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.

　Incidentally, although it has nothing to do with Tanabata, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, which forms part of the Winter Triangle, is located at a declination of ＋45 degrees, so it passes over Wakkanai City, the northernmost place in Japan. For this reason, the weather becomes stable from mid to late August in Japan, and after 9 p.m., these three first magnitude stars are clearly visible, as if they are covering the Japanese archipelago.

　Originally, the Japanese character Tanabata does not represent stars, but the phases of the moon, and means the "evening" of the moon's "seventh" day. When the moon is in the western position of the "Great Summer Triangle" that includes Vega and Altair, the waning part of the moon faces upwards and forms the shape of a boat.

　It is a Chinese legend that the two stars that always sandwich the Milky Way ride on the boat-shaped moon and meet once a year. This year's seventh day of the moon of the lunar calendar, which is August 29th of the current calendar. Incidentally, tonight's moon is 13 days old, a bright moon that is close to a full moon, and is far from the shape of a bowl boat.

　This year, more than 150 years have passed since the lunar calendar was used till in 1872. Rather than simply celebrating Tanabata on July 7th in the current calendar, we should recognize the real Tanabata as July 7th in the lunar calendar, the day when the two first magnitude stars, Vega and Altair appear over the Japanese archipelago and the seventh day of the waxing moon. We should provide proper astronomical education to the children who have brilliant future.

月面から日本列島を眺めてみたい

【画像を拡大すると月に近づいた感じになります。If you enlarge the image, it looks like you are getting closer to the moon. 】

　雨の毎日でしたが、いよいよ西から日本列島は高気圧に覆われ始め、明日から天気が回復です。それを先取りしてるのが今宵の月で、月齢４の上弦の月です。まるで私の青春時代の顔のようで、今宵は西の空に光ってます。月面の左下のクレーターは直径２００Kmほどと考えられ、関東地方がすっぽり入ってしまう広さほどでしょう。また、高い山に太陽光が当たってることも分かります。

　月が太陽と同じほどの大きさに見える理由は、月の直径は約3470kmで太陽の直径の４００分の1といわれます。一方、偶然にも月までの距離は太陽までの距離【一天文単位】の約４００分の１といわれます。このため、宇宙空間にできる大きな相似形となり、地球から見ると、太陽と月はほぼ同じ大きさに見えることになります。

　それにしても、生きてる間に一度くらいは、月面から日本列島を眺めてみたいものです。私の想像では予想よりかなり大きく見えると想います。その理由は地球の直径は12756kmで、月の３.６倍だからです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about astronomy and great music.

　It's been raining every day, but finally the Japanese archipelago is starting to be covered by high pressure from the west, and the weather will improve from tomorrow, I guess. Tonight's moon is the waxing moon with 4th lunar phase. It looks like the face of my adolescence, and tonight it shines in the western sky. The crater on the lower left of the moon's surface is thought to be about 200 km in diameter, which is large enough to fit the entire Kanto region. You can also see that the sunlight is hitting the high mountains.

　The reason why the moon appears to be the same size as the sun is that its diameter is about 3,470 km, which is 1/400 of the diameter of the sun. On the other hand, coincidentally, the distance to the moon is said to be about 1/400 of the distance to the sun [one astronomical unit]. This coincidence creates a large similar shape in space. Therefore when we view from the earth, the sun and the moon appear to be almost the same size.

　Even so, I would like to see the Japanese archipelago from the moon surface at least once in my life. I imagine it would look much larger than I expected. The reason is that the Earth's diameter is 12,756 km, which is 3.6 times larger than Moon's diameter.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

「雨水」における地球の公転上の位置について

　今日は二十四節気の一つ「雨水」です。私にはこの「雨水」がとても待ち遠しかったのですが、群馬県高崎市では今のところ雨がほとんど降らず、庭の井戸は涸れたままです。昨日も枝垂れ桜や、枝垂れ桃など植え替えたばかりの植物に少しだけ水を根元にかけ、我慢してもらいました。ですから、水をたくさん出すと出なくなってしまい、無駄にできません。現在、地下水が井戸に入るまで待っている状態です。

　先ず、二十四節気とは、地球が公転軌道を１年かけて一周する３６０°を２４で割ります。つまり、１５°ごとにやって来ます。ところが、二十四節気と次の二十四節気までの距離は同じではありません。それは地球の公転軌道がやや楕円形だからです。それでも、平均すると、その距離は1天文単位【太陽・地球間の距離】×２πｒ÷２４でおよそ３千９百万㎞で、計算すると地球は１秒間に平均して約２９㎞の速さで公転しています。速いですね。今後、二十四節気は「啓蟄」「春分の日」と続きます。

　ところで、「雨水」の今日、私たちを載せた地球は宇宙空間の一体どの辺を浮遊しているでしょうか。

　　

　それは深夜０時に真南を見れば分かります。そこには黄道十二星座の一つ「獅子座」があります。このため、「雨水」の今日、地球は「獅子座」の方向にあります。「獅子座」は東の空では天に上る形となり、南の空では図のように横向きになり、西の空に沈むときは下向きになります。この現象は地球の自転に因ります。「獅子座」の中心の星は一等星のレグラスです。全部で２１個ある一等星のうち太陽が通過する道【黄道】に位置してるのは、このレグラスだけです。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about astronomy and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation in English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast Japan time.

.............................................................

　Today is "Usui" one of the twenty-four solar terms in Japan. I was really looking forward to this "Usui" but there has been almost no rain in Takasaki City, Gumma Prefecture, so the well in the garden remains dry. Yesterday, I watered a little on the roots of newly replanted weeping cherry and weeping peach trees to make them bear it. So, if I give them too much water, it won't come out and I can't waste it. I'm currently waiting for the groundwater to enter the well.

　First of all, the twenty-four solar terms are calculated by dividing the 360° that the Earth takes to complete one revolution in one year by 24. In other words, they come every 15°. However, the distance from one solar term to the next solar term is not the same. This is because the Earth's revolution orbit is slightly elliptical. Even so, on average, the distance is 1 astronomical unit [distance between the Sun and Earth] x 2πr ÷ 24, which is about 39 million km. If you calculate, the Earth revolves at an average speed of about 29 km per second. That's fast isn't it. The next 24 solar terms will be "Keichitse that means Awakening of Insects" and "Vernal Equinox".

　By the way, on this day of "Usii", where is the Earth floating in space with us on it?

You can find out by looking due south at midnight. There is "Leo", one of the twelve zodiacal constellations. Therefore, on this day of "Usui", the Earth is situated in the direction of "Leo". When "Leo" rises in the eastern sky, looking up, in the southern sky it's facing sideways as shown. and faces downward when it sets in the western sky. This phenomenon is due to the rotation of the Earth. The central star of "Leo" is the first magnitude star Regulus. Of the 21 first magnitude stars in the sky, Regulus is the only one that lies on the path of the sun (the ecliptic).

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

かなり北の位置から出た今宵の月

　今の季節のため当然でしょうが、誠に驚きます。それは日没の位置がかなり南西に近いことから、その反対の位置にある満月も北東に近い位置から昇ってることです。普段ではないことです。今宵は、正式には真北から計って５５°の位置から月が出ました。なお、月のすぐ左下の星は「火星」です。

　ところで、今日の午後は「アンサンブルパーティー」を拝聴し、アンサンブル【数人による室内楽】は、聴く人も、演奏する人も、音楽を心から楽しむものであることが再確認できました。FB友人・直子さんはピアノにバイオリンに活躍され、音楽界では稀な二刀流です。「アンサンブルパーティー」を拝聴した感想を明日書きたいと思います。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about nature and great music

　This is perhaps to be predicted in this season of the year, but I was truly surprised to see the moon. As you know, the sun sets quite close to the southwest recently, and the full moon, which is in the opposite position, also rises in a position close to the northeast. This is not normal through the year. Tonight the moon officially rose 55° from due north. The star just to the lower left of the moon is Mars.

　By the way, this afternoon I attended the "ensemble party," and was reminded that ensembles [chamber music by several instrumentalists] are a way for both listeners and performers to truly enjoy music. My FB friend Ms. Naoko is an active pianist and violinist, who is a rare dual-skill in the music world. I would like to write about my impressions of listening to "Ensemble Party" tomorrow.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

地上も天空も大きな節目の今日

　地球上ではアメリカ大統領選挙でトランプ氏の当選確実が伝わると同時に、すぐに反応したのが米国株価で、その大幅な上昇に世界の多くの人が驚愕したことでしょう。この状況は経済に強い彼に期待する大きな表われでしょう。それはダウ１５００ドル以上、ナスダック５００ポイント以上で、近年、こんな凄い上昇を見たことがありません。日本経済に波及してほしいものです。

　それと共に、彼がアメリカ大統領になったことで、中東やウクライナで続く戦乱が、果たして、収束に向かって行って行くでしょうか。

　ところで、話題は地上から宇宙へと変わりますが、今日は二十四節気の一つの「立冬」です。一周９億４千万kmほどある地球の公転軌道上の、どの辺の空間を、私たちを載せた地球は現在進んでいるでしょうか。地球の公転速度は秒速約２９kmという途轍もないスピードです。

　ご存知の通り、太陽系の周囲には黄道十二星座がほぼ等間隔で並んでます。このため、それらの星座を見て、私たちは現在の地球の位置を知.ることになります。地球が公転軌道上の何処に今浮いてるかを知るには、午前０時に真南を見れば分かります。

　そこには「牡羊座」が光り輝いてます。ですから、立冬とは、公転してる地球が「牡羊座」の方向に来た日です。「牡羊座」の位置は星が固まって光ってる有名な「スバル星団」のすぐ西です。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..........................................................

　On Earth, as soon as it was announced that Mr. Trump had won the US presidential election, the US stock market immediately reacted, and many people around the world were astonished by the large increase. This situation is a great sign of the expectations placed on him, who is strong in the economy. The Dow rose by more than $1,500 and the Nasdaq rose by more than 500 points compared by previous day, and we have not seen such a huge increase in recent years. I hope that this will have an impact on the Japanese economy.

　At the same time, will the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine come to an end now because he has become the US president?

　By the way, our topics are now moving from the earth to space, and today is the "Rittoh" meant beginning of winter, one of the 24 solar calendars in Japan. Where in the space are we moving on the Earth's orbit which is about 940 million km in circumference? The Earth's orbital speed is an incredible 29 km per second.

　As you know, the 12 zodiac constellations are lined up at almost equal intervals around the solar system. For this reason, by looking at these constellations, we can find out the current position of our Earth. To find out where the Earth is currently floating on its orbit, simply look due south at midnight.

　The constellation Aries shines there. Therefore, the "Rittoh" is the day when the Earth moves in the direction of the constellation Aries. The position of Aries is just west of the famous Pleiades star cluster, which is a cluster of shining stars.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...　【上の拙い英文をネイティヴの発音で聴くとき、コピーして、ここに貼り付けてください。】

明日の夕刻、西南の空に「月と金星がランデヴー」か

　今日の夕方、西南の空に暫くぶりに金星が明るく出ていましたが、気づかれましたか。明日は旧暦の１０月５日ですから、夕刻には西南の空に写真のような細い月が出ます。しかも、ラッキーなことに、そのすぐそばに金星が出るので「ランデブー」しているでしょう。

　金星はこれから当分の期間、おそらく来年２月頃まで、西南の空に出るので、毎晩のように見られると思います。ご存じの通り、金星は地球より内側を巡っているので、地球から見ると、常に太陽の近くですから、深夜には決して出ません。明け方【明けの明星】か、夕刻【宵の明星】のみです。明日の夕刻、細い月と金星のランデブーに期待しましょう。何か良いことがあるかもですね。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in astronomy

　Did you notice that Venus appeared brightly in the southwestern sky this evening after a long interval? Tomorrow is October 5th on the lunar calendar in Japan, so in the evening the thin moon will appear in the southwestern sky in Northern hemisphere as shown in the photo. What's more, lucky for earthlings, Venus will appear right next to it, so they will be "rendezvousing" together.

　Venus will be appearing in the southwestern sky for the time being, probably until around February next year, so you should be able to see it almost every evening to night. As you know, Venus orbits inside the Earth, so it is always close to the Sun as seen from our Earth, and so it never appears late at night. It only appears at dawn [as the morning star] or in the evening [as the evening star]. Shall we look forward to a rendezvous with the thin moon tomorrow evening. Something good might happen!

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

早朝の月を見て、若き日のインド時代と内モンゴルを思い出す。

　今朝、早く目が覚め、窓を開けたら４時に二つの天体がよく見えました。東の空高くに木星が、また、西南の空には満月直後の月で、ご覧のように右側が少し欠けてます。十六夜の月よりもっと欠けて月齢１８程です。このため、旧暦が使われてた明治５年まで、今日は６月１８日です。この暦で７月7日になると本来の「七夕」で、この日は太陽暦で今年は８月10日です。

　月をよく眺めると、地上は(北半球)では猛暑の日々が続いていても、月面は荒涼とした冷たい月世界が感じられ、暗黒の宇宙にぽっかり浮いてます。地球も同様で月のように宇宙にぽっかり浮き、私たち人類を載せ、自転と公転を繰り返し、すでに46億年ほど経過してると言われます。

　一方、暗黒の宇宙に見える月は太陽と同じくらいの大きさに見えるのに、実際の大きさは直径約3470kmと計測され、太陽の直径の約400分の1です。一方、地球から太陽までの距離は月までの距離の約400倍なので、地球から見る太陽と月の大きさは同じくらいに見えます。

　また、地球からは見る緯度によって月面の紋様が異なります。東から昇った満月を見ると日本では恰もウサギが餅をついてるように見えても、南半球で同じ月を見ると、日本で見るのとは逆さまに見え、ウサギが餅をついてるようには見えません。昔、インドでもよく月を見ました。インドの人は月をチャンドラと言ってました。中国内モンゴルではユエと言ってました。

Dear my friends who are interested in celestial bodies

　I woke up early this morning, opened the window, and at 4 o'clock I could see two celestial bodies clearly. Jupiter was high in the eastern sky, and in the southwestern sky was the moon just after the full moon, which is slightly on the wane on the right side as you can see. It is more waned than the moon on the 16th night, so that it is about 18 days old. For this reason, until the lunar calendar was used in the 5th year of the Meiji era, 1872, today was June 18th. According to this calendar, the original "Tanabata" that means "Vega festival2 would be July 7th, and this year it is August 10th in the solar calendar.

　If we look closely at the moon, even though the earth (Northern Hemisphere) is experiencing scorching hot days, the surface of the moon looks like a desolate, cold lunar world, floating in the dark universe. The earth is similar, floating in space like the moon, rotating and revolving, and it is said that it has been about 4.6 billion years since it began.

　Meanwhile, although the Moon seen in the dark universe appears to be about the same size as the Sun, the moon's actual size is measured at about 3,470 km in diameter, which is about 1/400th of the diameter of the Sun. Meanwhile, the distance from the Earth to the Sun is about 400 times the distance to the Moon, so the Sun and Moon appear to be about the same size when viewed from our Earth.

　Also, the patterns on the surface of the Moon differ depending on the latitude of the Earth. When we look at the full Moon rising in the east in Japan, it looks just like a rabbit is pounding rice cakes, but when looking at the same Moon in the Southern Hemisphere, it appears upside down compared to when we see it in Japan, and it does not look like a rabbit is pounding rice cakes. In the past, people often looked at the Moon in India as well. Indians people called it Chandra. In Inner Mongolia, China, people called Yue.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

冬の星座に、これほど合う音楽も珍しい

　今の時季は寒いですが、「冬のダイアモンド」を中心に星空が誠にきれいです。防寒をしっかりして「自らも宇宙に漂ってることを実感しつつ」、冬の星座を見つめてみましょう。

　南東から南にかけて一際明るい一等星が「シリウス」です。この星が午前０時に真南に来る時が新年になる瞬間です。人類の先達は誠に素晴らしいことに気づきました。今宵は１月８日ですから午前０時には真南より少し西に移動してます。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I31jJF_UXo

Dear my friends who are floating in the Universe as a earthling

　Although it is cold this season of year in Northern hemisphere, the starry sky, especially the "Winter Diamond", is truly beautiful. Make sure to protect yourself from the cold and gaze at the winter constellations while "realizing that you are floating in space."

　"Sirius" is the brightest star from the southeast to the south. The moment when this star comes due south at midnight is the moment when the new year begins. Humankind's ancestors realized the amazing reality. Tonight is January 8th, so that at midnight it will be moving slightly west of due south.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.co

一際明るく輝く「明けの明星」で一日が始まる

　今朝６時に窓を開けて撮った東南東の方角の写真です。今の時季、午前６時の群馬県は、ご覧の通り、まだ薄暗いです。一際、明るく輝いてる星は金星で「明けの明星」です。ご存じの通り、金星は内惑星なので見える時間帯は朝か夕刻だけで、深夜には見られません。

　一方、木星については今の時季、毎晩南東の高い位置に出て、外惑星なので夜中に輝き続け、未明に西の空に沈みます。

　調べてみると群馬県では、今日１２月２６日の日の出は６時５４分、正午の太陽高度は３０°、日の入りは１６時３５分です。しかし、群馬県の東は関東平野ですから日の出時刻この通りでも、西部は山岳なので私の住む高崎市での実際の日の入りは１６時２０分頃です。

　ところで、太陽高度は夏至では７７°ですが、今頃の太陽高度は３０°で年間で最も低く、夏至の半分以下の高さです。このため、毎日の気温が低いです。このようなことは地軸が２３度半ほど傾いたまま公転してる結果です。明日と明後日の晩は「双子座」近くに満月が出ます。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Lucifer

　This is a photo taken the east-southeast direction from the window at 6 o'clock this morning. As you can see, it's still dark in Gumma Prefecture, Japan at 6 am in this season. The star that shines brightly is Venus, the morning star or we say Lucifer. As you know, Venus is an inferior planet, so it can only be seen in the morning or evening, and cannot be seen late at night.

　On the other hand, Jupiter appears high in the southeast every beginning of night in this season, continues to shine throughout the night as it is a superior planet, and sets in the western sky before dawn.

　In Gumma Prefecture, today, December 26th, the sun rises at 6:54, the solar altitude at noon is 30°, and sunset is 16:35. However, since the eastern part of Gumma Prefecture is the Kanto Plain, the sunrise time is as shown here, but the western part is mountainous, so the actual sunset in Takasaki City where I live, is around 4:20 pm.

　Not change the subject, but the solar altitude is 77° at the summer solstice, but the solar altitude at this time is 30°, the lowest of the year, less than half the height of the summer solstice. As a result, daily temperature is low. This is the result of the Earth's axis orbiting at an angle of about 23 and a half degrees. There will be a full moon near the constellation Gemini tomorrow and the night after tomorrow.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/

空が澄み、今宵の月は一際よく見えます。

【画像をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】

　この半月は先程、午後５時に撮影しました。今日は太陽暦では１０月２２日ですが、明治５年まで日本でも使われてた太陰太陽暦では９月８日です。従って月齢８です。

　地球の自転により、時間と共に次第に西に移動し、それに伴ってクレーターや山脈が見える弦の位置が上になって西の空に沈むので「上弦の月」です。

　これから、同じ時刻であれば、毎日１２°ほど東に移動します。これは月が地球から３８万kmほどの距離を保ちつつ反時計回りに２９日ほどかけて公転してるからです。

　それにしても、弦の近くでは太陽光が横から当たるので、長い山脈が見えたり、直径２００kmほどある大きなクレーターの内部に影ができてることが分かります。

Dear my overseas friends

　The simultaneous interpretation for you will be later, because from now on I will take a dinner alone. Then I'll interpret into English for your understanding above mentioned contents.

　This half moon was photographed just now at 5pm. Today is October 22nd according to the solar calendar, but it is September 8th according to the lunar-solar calendar which was used in Japan until 1880. Therefore, the age of the month is 8.

　Due to the Earth's rotation, it gradually moves westward over time, and as it does so, the moon sets in the western sky with the top of the moon where craters and mountain ranges can be seen, which is reason called the "waxing moon."

　From now on, if the time is the same, it will move about 12 degrees east day by day. This is because the moon revolves counterclockwise in about 29 days while maintaining a distance of about 380,000 km from our Earth.

　Even so, near the string, sunlight hits from the side, so you can see long mountains and the shadows forming inside a large crater about 200 km in diameter.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/