Post by pochoclo on Sept 1, 2015 10:29:37 GMT -5
The people of Trivium have engaged in some form of astronomical study for as long as they've been able to look up at the skies. Currently, telescopes are a widespread instrument, and an analogue of Newtonian physics is the norm - orbital mechanics are well understood and calculated with precision. Compasses and sextants are used in navigation and cartography. While the nature of gravitational forces is unknown, the equations to describe its effects are well understood.
Shon
Also known as The Sun, that which feeds all life on Trivium.
Claris / an-Nayyir / Morningstar
A small planet orbiting Shon closely. Modern science concludes it to be extremely hot, but this planet has been in the imagination of the peoples of Trivium for thousands of years. It rises up quite frequently on the night sky, where it is prominently visible and rather beautiful - on some nights it is the first celestial body to light up - on others it sneaks up from the horizon in the wee hours of the morning. Its erratic behaviour and dazzling visuals have granted this planet a place in thousands of legends.
Trivium / al-Turuq
Trivium is the planet where everyone lives. It has two main landmasses, and remains mostly unexplored.
It is understood to have a worldwide magnetic field which allowed for the use of compasses and has all but determined the industry of mapmaking.
Regina / al-Malikah
Trivium's moon. A shining silvery disc on the nightsky, with predictable phases, which have ruled most calendars since the dawn of civilization. It has inspired myriad myths and stories, with its craters (the largest three of which the Church has at some point claimed are related to the Saints), and the Scar - a thick line graven on its surface, as if a heavenbound claw rent through it.
Tidal forces are known to be caused by Regina's gravitational attraction, as it orbits around Trivium.
Arcus-Caelum / al-Qaus / Sky-bow
Confirmed by astronomers to be a ring system of small ice corpuscles orbiting Trivium's equator, the Sky-bow has been a mystery for over a thousand years and more. It is a beautiful sight, both day and night - and it too has inspired its share of archery-related tales, probably since the first bow was crafted.
Gigas / al-Jabbar
While its rings have been seen over a thousand years ago, Gigas has been first studied in detail some 300 years ago. It is a massive mass of swirling stripes, theorized to be stormclouds. It has magnificent rings which dwarf Trivium's in every aspect, and two moons which were discovered rather recently by astronomer-priests of the Church: Eospa and Matea.
There is a large gap in distance between Gigas and Trivium, larger than that between Trivium and Shon.
Solitude
This celestial body has been discovered a mere 10 years ago. It is a minute speck in the sky, even through the lenses of the most powerful telescopes. Its highly eccentric orbit has been calculated, and it seems it only reasonably approaches Trivium once every thousand years or so. Most astronomers posit that it is probably an extremely cold rock, given its distance from Shon, and very small, given its orbital mechanics.
Hvithavn's Comet
Discovered by Hedda Hvithavn on a whaling trip about a hundred years ago, Hvithavn's Comet has an eccentric orbit, on a path that comes extremely close to Trivium every 43 years. According to elders that were present at the last predicted passing, it's a tremendous spectacle, accompanied by meteor showers and dancing lights in the sky. The next passing is predicted to be in a few months.
Universal model and stars
Shon is considered the center around which all things orbit (heliocentric model). There is a catalog of some 10 thousand stars organized by magnitude, hemisphere (thanks to some data sharing with Solatium academics), and constellation, along with several dozen cloud-like objects which are called nebulae. There are several hipotheses as to the nature of stars and nebulae, the most popular one being that stars are very distant celestial bodies similar to Shon, and nebulae are massive clouds of interstellar vapor. This remains pure conjecture, but is generally held to be the most likely explanation. Whether other planets orbit these other suns is anyone's guess and a subject of much debate. There have been some fiction books written about strange species of intelligent beings living on distant planets, crossing the black sea of space in huge steam ships, hulls made of pure adamantium, and such other crazy imaginations as might follow.
Stars, specifically constellations and their alignment, are used for navigation purposes - they are invaluable at sea along with compasses.
Naming Note: First column = Accepted Academic Name, Second Column = Modern Elvish name, Third Column, where available = Colloquial or Common Name.
Shon
Also known as The Sun, that which feeds all life on Trivium.
Claris / an-Nayyir / Morningstar
A small planet orbiting Shon closely. Modern science concludes it to be extremely hot, but this planet has been in the imagination of the peoples of Trivium for thousands of years. It rises up quite frequently on the night sky, where it is prominently visible and rather beautiful - on some nights it is the first celestial body to light up - on others it sneaks up from the horizon in the wee hours of the morning. Its erratic behaviour and dazzling visuals have granted this planet a place in thousands of legends.
Trivium / al-Turuq
Trivium is the planet where everyone lives. It has two main landmasses, and remains mostly unexplored.
It is understood to have a worldwide magnetic field which allowed for the use of compasses and has all but determined the industry of mapmaking.
Regina / al-Malikah
Trivium's moon. A shining silvery disc on the nightsky, with predictable phases, which have ruled most calendars since the dawn of civilization. It has inspired myriad myths and stories, with its craters (the largest three of which the Church has at some point claimed are related to the Saints), and the Scar - a thick line graven on its surface, as if a heavenbound claw rent through it.
Tidal forces are known to be caused by Regina's gravitational attraction, as it orbits around Trivium.
Arcus-Caelum / al-Qaus / Sky-bow
Confirmed by astronomers to be a ring system of small ice corpuscles orbiting Trivium's equator, the Sky-bow has been a mystery for over a thousand years and more. It is a beautiful sight, both day and night - and it too has inspired its share of archery-related tales, probably since the first bow was crafted.
Gigas / al-Jabbar
While its rings have been seen over a thousand years ago, Gigas has been first studied in detail some 300 years ago. It is a massive mass of swirling stripes, theorized to be stormclouds. It has magnificent rings which dwarf Trivium's in every aspect, and two moons which were discovered rather recently by astronomer-priests of the Church: Eospa and Matea.
There is a large gap in distance between Gigas and Trivium, larger than that between Trivium and Shon.
Solitude
This celestial body has been discovered a mere 10 years ago. It is a minute speck in the sky, even through the lenses of the most powerful telescopes. Its highly eccentric orbit has been calculated, and it seems it only reasonably approaches Trivium once every thousand years or so. Most astronomers posit that it is probably an extremely cold rock, given its distance from Shon, and very small, given its orbital mechanics.
Hvithavn's Comet
Discovered by Hedda Hvithavn on a whaling trip about a hundred years ago, Hvithavn's Comet has an eccentric orbit, on a path that comes extremely close to Trivium every 43 years. According to elders that were present at the last predicted passing, it's a tremendous spectacle, accompanied by meteor showers and dancing lights in the sky. The next passing is predicted to be in a few months.
Universal model and stars
Shon is considered the center around which all things orbit (heliocentric model). There is a catalog of some 10 thousand stars organized by magnitude, hemisphere (thanks to some data sharing with Solatium academics), and constellation, along with several dozen cloud-like objects which are called nebulae. There are several hipotheses as to the nature of stars and nebulae, the most popular one being that stars are very distant celestial bodies similar to Shon, and nebulae are massive clouds of interstellar vapor. This remains pure conjecture, but is generally held to be the most likely explanation. Whether other planets orbit these other suns is anyone's guess and a subject of much debate. There have been some fiction books written about strange species of intelligent beings living on distant planets, crossing the black sea of space in huge steam ships, hulls made of pure adamantium, and such other crazy imaginations as might follow.
Stars, specifically constellations and their alignment, are used for navigation purposes - they are invaluable at sea along with compasses.
Naming Note: First column = Accepted Academic Name, Second Column = Modern Elvish name, Third Column, where available = Colloquial or Common Name.