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The Sun has been an object of veneration in many cultures throughout human history. Humanity's most fundamental understanding of the Sun is as the luminous disk in the sky, whose presence above the horizon causes day and whose absence causes night. In many prehistoric and ancient cultures, the Sun was thought to be a solar deity or other supernatural entity. The Sun has played an important part in many world religions, as described in a later section. | The Sun has been an object of veneration in many cultures throughout human history. Humanity's most fundamental understanding of the Sun is as the luminous disk in the sky, whose presence above the horizon causes day and whose absence causes night. In many prehistoric and ancient cultures, the Sun was thought to be a solar deity or other supernatural entity. The Sun has played an important part in many world religions, as described in a later section. | ||
In the early first millennium BC, Babylonian astronomers observed that the Sun's motion along the ecliptic is not uniform, though they did not know why; it is today known that this is due to the movement of Earth in an elliptic orbit around the Sun, with Earth moving faster when it is nearer to the Sun at perihelion and moving slower when it is farther away at aphelion. | In the early first millennium BC, Babylonian astronomers observed that the Sun's motion along the ecliptic is not uniform, though they did not know why; it is today known that this is due to the movement of Earth in an elliptic orbit around the Sun, with Earth moving faster when it is nearer to the Sun at [[perihelion]] and moving slower when it is farther away at aphelion. | ||
One of the first people to offer a scientific or philosophical explanation for the Sun was the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras. He reasoned that it was not the chariot of Helios, but instead a giant flaming ball of metal even larger than the land of the Peloponnesus and that the Moon reflected the light of the Sun. For teaching this [[heresy]], he was imprisoned by the authorities and sentenced to death, though he was later released. | One of the first people to offer a scientific or philosophical explanation for the Sun was the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras. He reasoned that it was not the chariot of Helios, but instead a giant flaming ball of metal even larger than the land of the Peloponnesus and that the [[Moon]] reflected the light of the Sun. For teaching this [[heresy]], he was imprisoned by the authorities and sentenced to death, though he was later released. | ||
The theory that the Sun is the center around which the planets orbit was first proposed by the ancient Greek Aristarchus of Samos in the third century BC, and later adopted by Seleucus of Seleucia. This view was developed in a more detailed mathematical model of a heliocentric system in the 16th century by [[Nicolaus Copernicus]]. | The theory that the Sun is the center around which the planets orbit was first proposed by the ancient Greek Aristarchus of Samos in the third century BC, and later adopted by Seleucus of Seleucia. This view was developed in a more detailed mathematical model of a heliocentric system in the 16th century by [[Nicolaus Copernicus]]. | ||
The invention of the telescope in the early 17th century permitted detailed observations of sunspots by Thomas Harriot, [[Galileo Galilei]] and other astronomers. Galileo posited that sunspots were on the surface of the Sun rather than small objects passing between [[Earth]] and the Sun. | The invention of the telescope in the early 17th century permitted detailed observations of sunspots by Thomas Harriot, [[Galileo Galilei]] and other astronomers. Galileo posited that sunspots were on the surface of the Sun rather than small objects passing between [[Earth]] and the Sun. | ||
The movement of the earth around the sun is the basis of the [[Gregorian calendar]]. | |||
==Solar Religion== | ==Solar Religion== | ||
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Solar deities play a major role in many world religions and mythologies. Worship of the Sun was central to civilizations such as the [[Egyptian religion|ancient Egyptians]], the Inca of South America and the Aztecs of what is now Mexico. In religions such as [[Hinduism]], the Sun is still considered a god, he is known as Surya Dev. Many ancient monuments were constructed with solar phenomena in mind; for example, stone megaliths accurately mark the summer or [[winter solstice]]; Newgrange, a prehistoric human-built mount in Ireland, was designed to detect the winter solstice; the pyramid of El Castillo at Chichén Itzá in Mexico is designed to cast shadows in the shape of serpents climbing the pyramid at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. | Solar deities play a major role in many world religions and mythologies. Worship of the Sun was central to civilizations such as the [[Egyptian religion|ancient Egyptians]], the Inca of South America and the Aztecs of what is now Mexico. In religions such as [[Hinduism]], the Sun is still considered a god, he is known as Surya Dev. Many ancient monuments were constructed with solar phenomena in mind; for example, stone megaliths accurately mark the summer or [[winter solstice]]; Newgrange, a prehistoric human-built mount in Ireland, was designed to detect the winter solstice; the pyramid of El Castillo at Chichén Itzá in Mexico is designed to cast shadows in the shape of serpents climbing the pyramid at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. | ||
The ancient Sumerians believed that the Sun was Utu, the god of justice and twin brother of Inanna, the Queen of Heaven, who was identified as the planet [[Venus]]. Later, Utu was identified with the East Semitic god Shamash. Utu was regarded as a helper-deity, who aided those in distress, and, in iconography, he is usually portrayed with a long beard and clutching a saw, which represented his role as the dispenser of justice. | The ancient Sumerians believed that the Sun was Utu, the god of justice and twin brother of Inanna, the Queen of [[Heaven]], who was identified as the planet [[Venus]]. Later, Utu was identified with the East Semitic god Shamash. Utu was regarded as a helper-deity, who aided those in distress, and, in iconography, he is usually portrayed with a long beard and clutching a saw, which represented his role as the dispenser of justice. | ||
===Egypt=== | ===Egypt=== | ||
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==Abrahamic religions== | ==Abrahamic religions== | ||
In the [[Bible]], Malachi 4:2 mentions the "Sun of Righteousness" (sometimes translated as the "Sun of Justice"), which some [[Christianity|Christians]] have interpreted as a reference to [[Jesus Christ]]. In ancient Roman culture, Sunday was the day of the sun god. It was adopted as the | In the [[Bible]], Malachi 4:2 mentions the "Sun of Righteousness" (sometimes translated as the "Sun of Justice"), which some [[Christianity|Christians]] have interpreted as a reference to [[Jesus Christ]]. In ancient Roman culture, Sunday was the day of the sun god. It was adopted as the [[Sabbat]]h day by Christians who did not have a [[Judaism|Jewish]] background. The symbol of light was a [[pagan]] device adopted by Christians, and perhaps the most important one that did not come from Jewish traditions. | ||
In [[Kabbalah]], the sun rules over the [[sefirot]] of [[Tiferet]] and its opposing [[qlippoth]] [[Thagiriron]]. | |||
==Astrology== | ==Astrology== | ||
[[File:The Sun Marseilles.jpg|350px|thumb|The Sun card from the [[Tarot of Marseilles]]]] | [[File:The Sun Marseilles.jpg|350px|thumb|[[The Sun]] card from the [[Tarot of Marseilles]]]] | ||
Sun sign [[astrology]], or star sign astrology, is a modern simplified system of Western astrology which considers only the position of the Sun at birth, which is said to be placed within one of the twelve [[zodiac]] signs, rather than the positions of the sun and the other six planets. This sign is then called the sun sign or star sign of the person born in that twelfth-part of the year. | Sun sign [[astrology]], or star sign astrology, is a modern simplified system of Western astrology which considers only the position of the Sun at birth, which is said to be placed within one of the twelve [[zodiac]] signs, rather than the positions of the sun and the other six planets. This sign is then called the sun sign or star sign of the person born in that twelfth-part of the year. | ||
Sun sign astrologers take this basic twelve-fold division and relate all the current movements of all the planets to each other, using traditional rules to divine meanings for each sign separately. Because the [[Moon]] has the fastest apparent movement of all the heavenly bodies, it is often used as the main indicator of daily trends for sun sign astrology forecasts. | Sun sign astrologers take this basic twelve-fold division and relate all the current movements of all the planets to each other, using traditional rules to divine meanings for each sign separately. Because the [[Moon]] has the fastest apparent movement of all the heavenly bodies, it is often used as the main indicator of daily trends for sun sign astrology forecasts. | ||
===Spiritual rulers=== | |||
* The [[Olympic spirit]] [[Och]]. | |||
* The [[Planetary intelligence]] [[Nachiel]]. | |||
* The [[Planetary spirit]] [[Sorath]]. | |||
[[Category:Astrology]] | [[Category:Astrology]] | ||