Guest Commentary

Re: Luni-Solar Relations, by John N. Harris, M.A.(Cmns)

Recently, the Binary Research Institute had asked Mr. Harris for his opinion concerning the accuracy and import of the luni-solar computations applied by their research group to refute the current understanding of the precession of the equinoxes.

We sincerely thank Mr. Harris for his careful evaluation of these computations and for his permission to post it on our website.

We also appreciate his acknowledgments at the end of his article, entiteled Spira Solaris Archytas-Mirabilis VII-II. SPIRA SOLARIS AND THE LAST TWO PARTS OF THE WISDOMS OF THE WORLD http://www.spirasolaris.ca/sbb4g2.html.

_______________________________________________

Dear sirs,

.... In so much as the major conclusions concerning this matter are similar for the Binary Research and Sirius Research Groups I have naturally expanded the analysis to include both.

First of all, having performed these exercises, I should tell you that I agree with the conceptual understanding, methodology and numerical details provided by both of you. Nevertheless, the more I have come to examine this subject and the materials involved, the more I have come think that the general synodic formula

[ Ts = (T2*T1)/(T2-T1), T2> T1 ] could well be applied to advantage throughout.

For example, based on the Sirius Research Group's periods:

TYR = The Tropical Year (365.24219878 days)

MSM = Mean Synodic Month (29.53058867 days)

MTROP = Tropical Month (27.32158214 days)

MDRAC = Draconic Month (27.212221 days)

and the detailed methodology provided in the following:

(http://www.siriusresearchgroup.com/moon.htm)

Quotation: “... The cycle of solar eclipses - the so-called Saros-cycle (known since the times of the Sumerian)- offers clear proof for the real celestial mechanical process of precession. This cycle, as we know, is based on the civil calendar, which in turn is based on the tropical year. The occurrence of solar eclipses, which can be accurately predicted for more than a thousand years, is calculated from the period of the node (one complete cycle takes 18.6134 tropical years) and is based on a non-precessing earth.” .... “The following mathematical equations prove that the moon's orbit around the sun is indeed a 360° cycle, and that it is derived from the tropical year:

365.24219878 ÷ 29.53058867 (synodic month) = 12.36826677 rotations

365.24219878 ÷ 27.32158214 (tropical month) = 13.36826677 rotations.”

(http://www.siriusresearchgroup.com/astro-logic.htm)

Quotation: “... both periods are equal to 6798.4014364 mean solar days of 86400 seconds. That's because the calculation is based on the rigorous relationship between the (360-degree) tropical and the draconic lunar month. There are exactly 248.82898075 tropical lunar months and 249.82898075 draconic months in the same period.”

it may nevertheless still be helpful to restate the above conclusions and details in the following form:

STEP 1. Determine the 346.6-day nodal cycle from the Synodic and Draconic months:

NODAL Cycle: MSM*MDRA/(MSM-MDRA) = 346.62013086 days

STEP 2. Determine the 18.6-year eclipse cycle from the Tropical Year and the Nodal Cycle just obtained:

ECLIPSE Cycle: TYR*NODAL/(TYR-NODAL) = 6798.40172709 days (18.61340708 years)

STEP 3. Obtain the number of Draconic months in the Eclipse Cycle:

NDRAC = ECLIPSE/MDRAC = 249.82899143

STEP 4. Obtain the length of the “other” month in the Eclipse cycle from:

ECLIPSE/ (NDRAC-1) = 27.3215821353 days, (thus the Tropical Month).

Either way, strength to both your endeavors.

Best Regards,

John N. Harris.

john_harris@telus.net

_______________________________________________________

For more information on Mr. Harris' work, please click on the following links:

http://www.spirasolaris.ca/index.html

http://www.spirasolaris.ca/sbb2c.html

http://www.spirasolaris.ca/sbb4g2.html