Lordoy, kami'ata, deles silam, oren pyr.
Gentles of the Atysian Sky Observer Club --
After several very long sessions of observing the night sky on clear nights near Oflovak's Oasis and making very careful lumios at short intervals, I was able to trace stars and groups of stars across the heavens from dusk until dawn.
I veryified that in fact the stars seem to rise in the SE and set in the NW (although not precisely). Therefore, if the stars are set on a sphere above Atys, as proposed by my friend Placio, and since they seem to rotate as a unit (at least to first impression), then as any child in the New Lands knows, if you rotate a ball, then there must be two points (stillspots) that do not move, and around which the nearby surface of the ball makes small circles as it rotates.
It is also self-evident that if there is a pattern drawn on the surface of the ball that it remains the same as the ball rotates, and the same would be true if a homin were very small and viewing from the inside of a transparent ball made, perhaps, of oiled cloth.
If we assume as Placio does, that the stars are on such a sphere, and that the sphere turns around us [1], then we should be able to see such a motionless point, or if it is too close to the horizon, then at least see the circular arcs that the stars make.
And if we are at the center of the ball, then if one stillspot is below the horizon, the other must be above the horizon by the same amount, since they are opposite each other on the ball.
It was these observations that I tested in the desert. I present to you my composite views of the motion of several groups of stars across the sky viewed both to the southwest and to the northeast. In each case I have marked out some star patterns either with dots or with lines representing the distance and direction between two stars.
It is immediately clear from my observations that not only is there no stillspot to be observed in either direction, but that while small patterns are stable, the relationship between patterns that are separated by any distance changes during the hours of the night. In addition, the stars do not move in a circular arc near the horizon, at least not a small circular arc.
Observations:
Viewed to the southwest (motion of stars is to the right):
Viewed to the northeast (motion of stars is to the left). The hook shapes are a fragment of a circular arc of stars.
Viewed to the north and a little bit east (motion of stars is to the left): Note the reduction in length of the "vertical" separation of the stars.
Conclusions:
The stars are not fixed to their ball. The ball of the stars does not turn with Atys at the center. Therefore the stars must be put in place by the Powers to test the faith of their followers, or they are just some phenomenon of the atmosphere.
My next area of study will be the ringed object and the orange object. [2]
Respectfully submitted,
Bitttymacod
Research Fellow
New Trykoth Council of Scientists.
[OOC
[1] This is geometrically equivalent to Atys rotating within a view of a pattern of fixed stars far distant from the surface. Note that this does not rely on the shape of Atys itself, only the assumption that the stars are fixed and distant.
[2] The obvious conclusion is that the devs were really f-ing sloppy in designing the sky.
/OOC]
Gentles of the Atysian Sky Observer Club --
After several very long sessions of observing the night sky on clear nights near Oflovak's Oasis and making very careful lumios at short intervals, I was able to trace stars and groups of stars across the heavens from dusk until dawn.
I veryified that in fact the stars seem to rise in the SE and set in the NW (although not precisely). Therefore, if the stars are set on a sphere above Atys, as proposed by my friend Placio, and since they seem to rotate as a unit (at least to first impression), then as any child in the New Lands knows, if you rotate a ball, then there must be two points (stillspots) that do not move, and around which the nearby surface of the ball makes small circles as it rotates.
It is also self-evident that if there is a pattern drawn on the surface of the ball that it remains the same as the ball rotates, and the same would be true if a homin were very small and viewing from the inside of a transparent ball made, perhaps, of oiled cloth.
If we assume as Placio does, that the stars are on such a sphere, and that the sphere turns around us [1], then we should be able to see such a motionless point, or if it is too close to the horizon, then at least see the circular arcs that the stars make.
And if we are at the center of the ball, then if one stillspot is below the horizon, the other must be above the horizon by the same amount, since they are opposite each other on the ball.
It was these observations that I tested in the desert. I present to you my composite views of the motion of several groups of stars across the sky viewed both to the southwest and to the northeast. In each case I have marked out some star patterns either with dots or with lines representing the distance and direction between two stars.
It is immediately clear from my observations that not only is there no stillspot to be observed in either direction, but that while small patterns are stable, the relationship between patterns that are separated by any distance changes during the hours of the night. In addition, the stars do not move in a circular arc near the horizon, at least not a small circular arc.
Observations:
Viewed to the southwest (motion of stars is to the right):
Viewed to the northeast (motion of stars is to the left). The hook shapes are a fragment of a circular arc of stars.
Viewed to the north and a little bit east (motion of stars is to the left): Note the reduction in length of the "vertical" separation of the stars.
Conclusions:
The stars are not fixed to their ball. The ball of the stars does not turn with Atys at the center. Therefore the stars must be put in place by the Powers to test the faith of their followers, or they are just some phenomenon of the atmosphere.
My next area of study will be the ringed object and the orange object. [2]
Respectfully submitted,
Bitttymacod
Research Fellow
New Trykoth Council of Scientists.
[OOC
[1] This is geometrically equivalent to Atys rotating within a view of a pattern of fixed stars far distant from the surface. Note that this does not rely on the shape of Atys itself, only the assumption that the stars are fixed and distant.
[2] The obvious conclusion is that the devs were really f-ing sloppy in designing the sky.
/OOC]
---
Remembering Tyneetryk
Phaedreas Tears - 15 years old and first(*) of true neutral guilds in Atys.
(*) This statement is contested, but we are certainly the longest lasting.
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