Incredible astronomical clock. Astronomical clock - literally and figuratively

The term "astronomical clock" in various reference books has an ambiguous meaning. Modern encyclopedias and scientific sources categorically state that this is an accurate instrument used in astronomical observations and for storing time (and further - the permissible absolute error in milliseconds). "Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron" gives a second interpretation.

What clock is considered astronomical?

According to the definition of this publication, an astronomical clock can be considered a device that performs the functions of not only a precision chronometer, but also a "mechanical" planetarium, demonstrating the movement of large celestial bodies of the solar system, the phases of the moon in projection onto the starry sky. The most complex watches of this class are capable of reflecting more than a hundred different variables directly related to astronomy, and the best examples are not only works of high engineering art, but also the greatest masterpieces of world culture.

Antikythera artifact

Raised from the seabed near the island of Antikythera (Greece) in 1902, fragments of an ancient mechanism shocked archaeologists and researchers. The age of the parts significantly damaged by time (bronze gears, dials and hands) was estimated at 2,200 years. Prior to this discovery, the most daring assumptions about the invention and creation of gears were attributed to the year 800.

For more than a hundred years, the fragments were carefully studied, miraculously surviving inscriptions were deciphered. Only the use of modern research methods (computed tomography, polynomial texture mapping) made it possible to create a model of the Antikythera mechanism and determine its functionality. The device was identified not only as an astronomical clock showing the current position of the Sun, Moon and five planets known at that time against the background of the zodiac constellations, but also as the first analog computer in the history of mankind, capable of determining their place in the celestial sphere at any moment of the past and future to perform arithmetic operations. The study of the artifact continues, and perhaps new discoveries await us.

Created by Giovanni Dondi

In historical sources, there are quite early references to watchmakers and their products, but the past centuries have left neither names nor any details. G. Dondi's watch is the first device of its kind, the existence of which is documented.

The mechanism of the Italian watchmaker, unfortunately, has not been preserved. It was burned along with the monastery of St. Justus, where it was kept until 1809. Historians have only a detailed description made by the Italian himself.

J. Donny (1318-1387) created his creation for more than 15 years. The astronomical clock ("Astrarium") was installed on the square in Padua in 1364. The applied technical solutions were at least a century ahead of their time. So, to compensate for the libration of the moon (minor pendulum oscillations), the master used gears with an uneven angular distance between the teeth. By the dials it was possible to determine the annual dates of the rolling Catholic holidays.

Many mechanical planetariums have become an ornament and an integral part of the cities of Western Europe. Among them are the clocks on the Cathedrals of Strasbourg (France) and Lund (Sweden), the city square of Olomouc (Czech Republic), as well as the famous Feichtinger chimes (Austria, Linz). The astronomical clock of St. Peter's Cathedral (Beauvais, France) is considered the largest in the world (1868). With a height of 12 m, a width of 6 m and a depth of about 3 meters, the product contains more than 90,000 details.

And one of the oldest in the world is the Lyon tower clock, the first mention of which dates back to 1379. From their three dials you can find out the time and calendar data, the location of celestial bodies over the French city and church holidays until 2019.

In 1562, the clock was destroyed, but by the end of the 17th century it was restored by Guillaume Nurrisson. During the restoration, another tier was added. From noon until 3:00 p.m., the crowing of a rooster announces every hour that has passed, and under the melodious chime of bells, automatic figures play scenes of the Annunciation.

Staromestsky Orloj - the chimes, which received its own name and became a real symbol of the capital of the Czech Republic. They have been decorating the city hall tower since 1410. The author of the clock project is astronomer and mathematician Jan Shindel. According to his sketches, the master from Kadani Mikulash made the oldest part of Orloi - clockwork and astronomical mechanisms.

The sculptural decoration was made in the workshops of the architect P. Parlerge. And if you do not take into account the mandatory restoration work, guests of the Czech capital see the chimes almost in their original form. The exceptions are the moon phase indicator, equipped in 1597, the figures of Death and the twelve apostles (1659).

The original calendar dial, made at the end of the 15th century by craftsman Jan Rouge, has not been preserved. The author of the current version is the Prague archivist K. J. Erben. The mechanism was assembled in 1866. The decoration of the dial today is another copy of the original work of the artist J. Manes.

Orloi is not just an astronomical clock. In Prague, many legends are associated with him, one of which claims that nothing threatens the people of the Czech Republic while the arrows of Orloi are moving.

From tower to pocket

Over time, astronomical functions have become popular in personal timepieces - in floor, table and even pocket devices.

The unique astronomical clock, created by the serf Ural inventor E. G. Kuznetsov (Zhepinsky) more than 250 years ago, today can be seen in the historical and technical museum "House of the Cherepanovs" (N. Tagil). The front panel, in addition to the dial showing hours and minutes, contains slots for demonstrating the phases of the moon and the position of the sun. The calendar mechanism, in addition to the usual data (day, month, year), shows the Saints - a separate window displays the name of the saint corresponding to a specific day. The watch plays six musical compositions. The theatrical part depicts a blacksmith shop.

The devices of other ingenious Russian mechanics and inventors - I. P. Kulibin, L. S. Nechaev, also cause admiration.

Life's work

Dane Jens Olsen devoted his whole life to his watches. Since childhood, he dreamed of being a watchmaker, and when he saw an astronomical clock in Strasbourg in 1897, he decided to create an equally perfect mechanism. It took the master about 30 years to calculate and draw up drawings. Only in 1943 the necessary money was allocated to him. The project took another 12 years to complete, and, unfortunately, Olsen did not see his watch in metal and glass. He died in 1945, and the work was continued by his student O. Mortensen.

Jens Olsen's watch at the time of launch in December 1955 in the Copenhagen municipality was recognized as the most complex mechanical device on the planet (15448 parts).

In addition to the usual functions, the Olsen watch shows the movement of all known planets (except Pluto), the precession of the earth's axis (turn for 25753) and the starry sky over Denmark, while demonstrating amazing accuracy (0.4 second rate error for 300 years).

time keepers

Do not forget about another function of stellar chronometers - keeping the exact time. Until the twentieth century, this task was assigned to an accurate astronomical clock with a second pendulum. To ensure the uniformity of oscillations, they tried to create ideal conditions:

• constant temperature;
• reduced air pressure;
• elimination or compensation of even minor external mechanical influences.

High accuracy is demonstrated by Short's devices with two pendulums and a limit of daily variation of the stroke up to 0.003 sec. In the fifties of the last century, the Soviet scientist and engineer F. M. Fedchenko managed to reduce this value by an order of magnitude by improving the thermal compensation of the pendulum and developing a new suspension design.

The essence of the invention lies in the fact that the free pendulum is connected to the clock mechanism of the dial only by an electric circuit, which makes it possible to place a sealed cylinder with a pendulum in ideal conditions (deep cellar or thermostatic room), and the chronometer - directly at the place of observation. Fedchenko's electronic-mechanical astronomical clock completed the evolution of pendulum devices.

Atomic standards

Quartz clocks have not received distribution as a reference time sample. Although the accuracy of their course is a few thousandths of a second per day, the quartz crystal is subject to aging, and the error progresses.

Atomic clocks are based on the use of quantum energy levels of atoms (molecules) as a source of resonant frequency. The transitions of the "nucleus of an atom - electrons" system from level to level creates a kind of oscillatory circuit. Since 1967, the duration of 9192631770 transitions between the levels of the ground state of the stable cesium-133 isotope has been taken in one second.

Today's atomic clock is a completely autonomous device. Work is underway to miniaturize it. The first batch of wrist atomic clocks has already been released in the USA.

"Academic hour is how much"- if you drive such a request into a search engine on the Internet, the answer will be simple: 45 minutes. However, the answer to a question like "3 ordinary hours - how many academic hours is this?" will depend on the standards established in a particular educational institution. Let's figure out what kind of unit of measurement this is ...

Hour astronomical and academic

The term "academic hour" itself is not as familiar as "academic hour", but it has been used for a long time: its definition is recorded in dictionaries published before the 70s of the XX century.

However, it is not as definite a unit of time as the astronomical hour (the one that is equal to 60 minutes). Therefore, if we take a certain period of time in the measurement we are used to, simply saying how many academic hours it will be will not work: the answer will depend on what exactly the duration of the academic hour is set in each specific case.

For example, according to the SanPiN and the decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation, which regulate the process of education in general and professional educational institutions, the duration of an academic hour in them is on average 45 minutes. At the same time, for a general school, such a rule almost always applies (only for lower grades, a reduction to 35-40 minutes is acceptable), and in vocational schools and universities, the duration is established by the charter. However, even there, as a rule, an academic hour is 45-50 minutes. It is this number that should be guided by when converting astronomical hours into academic ones.

Where is the term used?

Since the term "academic hour" denotes a unit of study time, it is clear that it is used in educational institutions: when scheduling, calculating the workload of teachers, etc. And if students are more interested in the duration of the academy. hours, then teachers are more interested in their number, since this parameter is the main one in the calculation of wages.

nsovetnik.ru

"Academic hour - how much is it?"- often sounds from freshmen who are used to standard lessons of 45 minutes.

However, in universities, the unit of measurement is the academic hour, the parameters of which are highly dependent on the educational institution itself.

The whole life of a person is built around the concept of an astronomical hour, which consists of 60 minutes and is accepted throughout the world.

But in educational institutions, a different system of measurement is used - an academic or academic hour.

Lessons and a calendar are built on it, this measurement system is used when taking into account the work of teachers and the material covered.

Important to know: the academic hour is used in all educational institutions - primary, secondary and higher.

This concept appeared in the 70s of the XX century. The reduction of the usual hour to the academic one in schools has become necessary due to the physical and mental characteristics of the kids: it is difficult for them to keep their attention for a long time, they need regular rest.

The reduction has also become useful for teachers, since their salary depends on the number of academic hours passed.

According to SanPiN, an academic hour lasts 45 minutes, but this is not an exact figure - it depends on the age of the students.

In the first grade in the first half of the year, one lesson is 35 minutes (34 lessons per day), and starting from January, the lessons "grow" to the usual 45 minutes.

For one subject, students are given 72 hours a year.

In kindergarten, classes are even shorter:

1. For children 3-4 years old, they are 15 minutes;
2. For children 4-5 years old - 20 minutes;
3. For children 5-6 years old - 25 minutes.

All of them are carried out after sleep in the afternoon. This helps to gradually increase the load, accustoming kids to it.

This is interesting: in other countries, the lesson lasts 60 minutes and is divided into 2 parts: 15 minutes of break and rest from the last lesson and 45 minutes of the lesson itself.

However, institutions may apply other intervals depending on the rules established by the institution. Most often, replacement does not occur, but such an opportunity is still provided. For example, some universities prefer to focus on the astronomical clock.

How long does a couple last

The concept of "couple" is not legally defined, but is often used in higher education institutions.

It is a block of 2 combined training hours of 45 minutes each, that is, one pair is equal to 90 minutes. Most often, a small (5-10 minutes) break is made between these hours, but it may not be.

The total number of hours spent on teaching a particular subject is recorded in the diploma.

It is worth considering: there is no exact call at universities, and the students themselves and the teacher monitor compliance with the measures, they also determine the need for a break, and when it comes.

In other countries, double lessons of 90 minutes are also used, but there may also be blocks of 50 or 75 minutes.

Also, the term can be used in additional classes and courses. It is advisable to clarify in advance how long an hour lasts in a particular institution, so as not to run into fraud: for example, having paid for an hour of classes, study for 40-45 minutes.

The concept of "academic" hour" is usually found in educational institutions and differs from the usual 60 minutes in an astronomical hour. A school hour is a 45 minute learning process during which children do not get tired or lose focus.

sovetnik.guru

The duration of our courses is indicated in astronomical hours:

1 astronomical hour = 60 minutes.

Some study centers show course duration in academic hours.

Keep this in mind when comparing course lengths.

1 academic hour = 45 minutes.

According to regulatory documents:

1. An academic hour is the minimum accounting unit of study time. The duration of an academic hour is, as a rule, 45 minutes (Ministry of Education of Ukraine "Order on approval of the Regulations on the organization of the educational process in higher educational institutions (clause 4.1 of the Regulations) N161 dated 02.06.93, Kyiv)
2. Two academic hours form a pair of academic hours (hereinafter referred to as a pair) (Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine "Order on approval of the Regulation on the organization of the educational process in higher educational institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine" (Regulation, clause 1.2.9) 14.02.2008 N 69)

Minute is a unit of time, equal to 60 seconds or 1/60 of an hour. Abbreviated Russian designation: min, international: min. "Minute" is a word of Latin origin. Its meaning in translation into Russian sounds like "smallness".

Academic hour- this is the name of the training hour in vocational education institutions.

It is not equal to astronomical and is established by regulatory documents. In general, an academic hour lasts 45 minutes (may vary between 45-50 minutes). In universities, one lesson lasts 2 academic hours, that is, 90 minutes and is called a “training couple” (“couple”).

Translation formulas

In one academic hour - 45 minutes, in one minute - 1/45 of an academic hour.

How to convert academic hours to minutes

To convert academic hours to minutes, you need to multiply the number of academic hours by 45.

NUMBER OF MINUTES = NUMBER OF ACADEMIC HOURS * 45

For example, in order to find out how many minutes are in 4 academic hours, you need 4 * 45 = 180 minutes.

How to convert minutes to academic hours

To convert minutes to academic hours, you need to divide the number of minutes by 45.

NUMBER OF ACADEMIC HOURS = NUMBER OF MINUTES / 45

For example, in order to find out how many academic hours are in 360 minutes, you need 360/45 = 8 academic hours.

At the beginning of their studies at the university, freshmen are faced with many new realities, and almost the first of them is double classes, the duration of which is not always easy to navigate and understand how long a couple lasts.

A couple at a university is a lesson lasting two academic hours, the duration of which is less than astronomical. One academic hour is a unit of study time in all educational organizations. It is used in the preparation of plans and accounting for the work of teachers.

Each university has the right to independently set the time frame for an academic hour within 45-50 minutes and determine how long the couple will last.

On average, a couple at a university or institute goes for about a hundred minutes, including a five-minute break between half-pairs, if it is not provided, then 90 minutes.

How many couples per day

The maximum allowable daily number of pairs is calculated based on the norms prescribed in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 71 of February 14, 2008.

It indicates the maximum amount of teaching load (hours allotted in total for classroom and extracurricular activities) for students of various forms of education:

• full-time - 54 per week;
• evening - 16 per week;
• part-time - 200 per year.

The maximum classroom load for daytime education is set by the Federal State Educational Standard for each specialty separately.

Study load means:

• lectures;
• workshops;
• control, laboratory work;
• self-preparation;
• colloquia;
• production, undergraduate practice;
• internship;
• consultations;
• all types of research work;
• course design and other types of classes established by the university.

Therefore, a 54-hour study load does not mean that with a five-day week there should be 10.4 academic hours of lectures, that is, approximately 5 pairs per day. Universities set the maximum weekly volume of classroom training on their own, but usually at the hospitals of institutes and universities it is about 27 hours a week.

When does the school year start and end

Classes in all universities usually begin on September 1 and end according to the educational plan of each specialty. During the period of study, vacations are provided, the total duration of which is not less than seven weeks, two of them fall in the winter. The dates for the start of training may be postponed by the management of the institution for no more than sixty days.

Academic (training) hour - a period of time (usually 40-45 minutes long) for classes in educational institutions, as well as a measure of the volume of material planned for study during this time.

The academic hour is used when compiling the academic calendar when planning and accounting for the completed educational material by weeks, as well as when taking into account the work of teachers in universities, institutions of primary, secondary and secondary vocational education.

In universities

Until 2014, the size of an academic hour in Russian universities was established by the charter of the university, but was limited to 45-50 minutes, and now any university has the right to set the duration of the hour by local documents.

In addition, it is allowed to use not academic, but astronomical clocks.

"Pair"

In Russian universities, classroom classes traditionally take place in the form of two combined academic hours, which have the colloquial name "training couple" ("couple"). This concept has not been legally established.

In other countries

Universities and colleges outside of Russia and the CIS (Germany, Sweden, Poland, etc.) have a tradition of dividing one 60-minute study hour into two parts:

• a 15-minute break after the previous lesson called the “academic quarter” (English academic quarter, German Akademisches Viertel, Swedish akademisk kvart, Polish kwadrans akademicki).
• the actual lecture or seminar is 45 minutes long, so it corresponds to the Russian concept of an academic hour;

The abbreviation c is used to designate "academic quarter". t. (lat. cum tempore - "over time"). Thus, for example, 9:00 c. t. in the timetable means that the class actually starts at 9:15. In the case of an exact indication of time, the abbreviation s is used. t. (lat. sine tempore - "without time"). For example, 9:00 s. t. means that the class starts exactly at 9:00.

Also, in many universities, classes take place either in the form of "blocks" of 90 minutes (sometimes according to the system: 45 minutes plus a break of 5-15 minutes, plus the remaining 45 minutes), or periods of 50 or 75 minutes.

In Russian realities, the concept of “academic quarter” has been transformed into the concept of “academic lateness” of 15 minutes.

in colleges

For all types of classroom studies in secondary educational institutions (colleges, technical schools, lyceums, vocational schools, etc.), the academic hour is set to 45 minutes, and the volume of classes is not more than 36 academic hours per week.

School

In accordance with sanitary standards, the duration of an academic hour in schools is:

• For first grade lessons:
  • September-October - 3 lessons per day, 35 minutes each;
  • November-December - 4 lessons of 35 minutes each;
  • January-May - 4 lessons of 45 minutes each;
• In other classes - no more than 45 minutes (clause 10.9).

In kindergartens

For preschool organizations, the duration of continuous directly educational activities per day is set:

• for children from 3 to 4 years old - no more than 15 minutes;
• for children from 4 to 5 years - no more than 20 minutes;
• for children from 5 to 6 years - no more than 25 minutes.

Educational activities can be carried out in the afternoon after a nap.

Lund Cathedral has long been the main cathedral of Denmark and all of Scandinavia - before the transfer of the city to Sweden, it was built in 1085.

The medieval astronomical clock in Lund Cathedral was installed in 1424. The dial of the clock located on top shows, in addition to the time of day, the time of sunrise and sunset, the location of the Sun, and the phases of the Moon.

The bottom panel of the clock is a calendar. With its help, you can calculate when there will be a passing church holiday and on which weekday a certain date will fall. In the middle of the calendar is Saint Lawrence, the patron saint of the cathedral, surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists.

Instead of a chime in the clock, you can hear the melody In dulci jubilo of the smallest church organ. At this time, six wooden figures, representing the three wise men and their servants, pass in front of Mary with the baby Jesus. The clock is played twice a day - at 12:00 and 15:00 every day, except on Sundays when the earliest game takes place at 13:00 so as not to interrupt the morning mass.

The watch has been restored several times. Their dial changes once every hundred years. It will next need to be replaced in 2123.

The main attraction of Bern (Switzerland) is the medieval clock tower - Zytglogge (translated from German as "time bell").
The tower was built at the beginning of the 13th century. It was part of the city wall and performed a defensive function, serving as the western gate of the city.

The clock device on its eastern side was installed in the first half of the 16th century. The chimes, installed in 1530, are among the oldest clock towers in Switzerland.
Under the clock face, showing the time, there is an astronomical clock, which determines the days of the week, the month, the phase of the moon and the zodiac sign.

The mechanism of Kaspar Brunner's work is connected with a golden hammer, which strikes a small bell every hour, and before the chimes strike, a golden rooster crows, figures of bears (the symbol of the city of Bern) come out of the window on the tower and demonstrate their outfits with the symbols of the city.

According to legend, this watch inspired Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, which made a real revolution in science. Living near the Zytglogge and each time watching the movement of buses passing by the tower, he once suggested what would happen if the buses traveled at the speed of light

The Zimmertoren Astronomical Clock on the Zimmer Tower in Lier, Belgium
One of the most interesting sights in the Flemish city of Lier is the 14th-century Zimmertoren, once part of the city wall and converted into an astronomical clock by Louis Zimmer in 1930. This watch has a central dial showing the time and surrounded by 12 sub dials showing the signs of the zodiac, lunar and solar calendar, day of the week, month, season, tides, and the like.

The statues of the burgomasters and the kings of Belgium ring the bell every hour on the right side of the tower. Inside the tower is a planetarium with 57 astronomical dials powered by a complex system of gears. This clock was shown in 1939 at the World's Fair in New York.

Astronomical clock in Lund

Prague chimes show three hour measurements(Central European, Old Bohemian and sidereal time), as well as indicate the zodiacal location of the Sun and Moon. Chimes include astronomical(upper) and calendar(lower) dials. Every hour, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Orloi puts on a small performance in a medieval spirit (see video at the end of the article), and on holidays (in the evening) a light show is arranged here. At this time, in front of the attraction is especially crowded. A comfortable place to watch the clock is a few terraced cafes opposite (convenient, but expensive: the cost of a glass of beer is from 150 kroons).

The astronomical (upper) dial is an astrolabe with a clockwork. It was created by Jan Schindel (professor of mathematics and astronomy, rector of Charles University), and made in 1410 watchmaker Mikulas from Kadani. In 1490, the master Ganush (real name - Jan from Rouge) added a calendar (lower) dial and decorated the facade with Gothic sculptures. Moving figures of the apostles appeared in the 17th century.

A special caretaker was responsible for maintaining the Old Town Clock in working order. There were long periods when a knowledgeable specialist could not be found for this position, and then the astronomical clock was left unattended or stopped for an indefinite time. As a rule, the difficulties in repair were associated with a misunderstanding of the design, because there was no written description or operating instructions. For example, during the years 1791-1866. only the clockwork worked, and the astrolabe remained broken.

On May 8, 1945, the Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj), along with the entire Old Town Hall, burned down from an incendiary shell. The restoration took three years. Now they are 3/4 of old, original parts. The mechanism of the Old Town Clock also remained the same (with the exception of minor improvements). Serious changes were made only in decoration and decor.

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According to medieval thinking, any building is susceptible to the unfavorable influence of supernatural forces, so the astronomical clock in Prague has a lot of security decorative elements. On the conical roof are two mythical basilisks(they have a bird's beak, a crown, two wings and a snake body). The basilisk is a dangerous creature, people, animals and plants can be petrified from its gaze.

The next "guard" of the Old Town Clock - rooster, an ancient symbol of courage and vigilance; he meets the new day and the sun. In legends and fairy tales, at his first singing, spirits and devils run away. The presence of a rooster can be found on almost all medieval large-scale buildings. It is always installed at the top.

Under the rooster is angel- the best possible protection. It is believed that this is the very first sculpture on the Prague Astronomical Clock. To the left and right of the angel are windows from which 12 apostles appear. The Czechs also call them "doctors", since not all of them were the very first 12 apostles of Christ. Faith teachers participate in a theatrical performance, which you can read about here.

The astronomical (upper) dial is clockwork and astrolabe simultaneously (to be more precise: the dial is a derivative of the planispherical astrolabe common at that time, which is set in motion by the clock mechanism). The dial depicts the region of the Sun's movement - it is based on the projection of the sky from the North Pole to the plane of the equator. There are no minute hands.

From the outside, the dial is surrounded by Arabic numerals, which are made in the Schwabacher font popular in the 15th century and show Old Bohemian time. Next you can see the Roman numerals - they show Central European Time. The arrow for Arabic and Roman numbers is a pointer with a golden hand. Before the advent of the era of technological progress and the beginning of globalization, Prague lived according to Old Bohemian local time. The countdown of the day began at sunset, which means it varied throughout the year. A shot from a cannon announced the approach of noon to the inhabitants of the capital.

Figures for Central European Time have appeared recently. It turns out that the beginning of the Old Czech day is the onset of darkness in modern time. Since it gets dark earlier or later during the year, the circle with the old Czech time moves forward or backward relative to the main part of the dial.

The next element of the Prague Astronomical Clock is again Arabic numerals, although this time there are only 12 of them. They are on a blue background at the top of the dial and indicate daylight hours of a sidereal day. In the sector with the numbers "1" and "12" there are inscriptions in Latin ORTUS (sunrise) and OCCASUS (sunset), and on a dark orange background - AURORA (dawn) and CREPUSCULUM (twilight). The pointer for sidereal days is an arrow with a small asterisk. The night time of a sidereal day is indicated by a dark blue circle in the lower half of the dial.

In the center of the dial is the planet Earth (blue circle), around which the Zodiac ring, showing which constellation the Sun is in. The outer circle of the Zodiac ring is divided into 72 cells, which serve to separate months into days. One cell represents 5 days. The pointer for the Zodiac ring is an arrow with the Sun. There is also an arrow with the Moon, showing its phases depending on the position of the Sun: at night it glows with reflected light, and on a new moon it shows the entire bright half.

- group tour (up to 10 people) for the first acquaintance with the city and the main attractions - 3 hours, 20 euros

- a walk through the little-known but interesting corners of Prague away from the tourist routes to feel the real spirit of the city - 4 hours, 30 euros

- bus tour for those who want to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Czech Middle Ages - 8 hours, 30 euros

Decor and exterior finish of the Astronomical Dial

Around the dial you can see a circular gallery of sculptures of various animals (some are fictitious). Each has its own meaning, in addition, many of them continue the defensive line of the basilisk-rooster-angel-12 apostles):

• a lion rests on top of the circular gallery. In the kingdom of animals, mythology and symbolism, he always has the meaning of a king and protector. The lion commands respect and is a symbol of valor in an equal and fair fight;
• next to the lion is a dog. She was the first domesticated animal and symbolizes loyalty and vigilance. In the legends, the dog guards treasures. On knightly tombstones, the dog at the feet symbolizes natural death;
• an amazing figure with a snake body and a sharp cone-shaped cap. This is a Phrygian cap - a symbol of the freedom of ancient Rome. By handing it over to a slave, the master granted him freedom. Perhaps the builders conceived it as a symbol of purification and perfection, the transformation of a crawling unclean snake (a symbol of low, sinful and diabolical creatures) into a person;
• the guard line is continued by the cat. She also sometimes guards treasures, but is not so reliable. The cat is a companion of magicians and sorcerers, as well as a symbol of independence, cheap and false affection, malice;
• mascarons scare away and drive away dangerous external elements. Such an element, when it flies by and sees that it is already occupied here, is looking for another place. No less fantastic companions of mascarons are gargoyle sculptural gutters that protect the masonry from moisture;
• the sleeping bat is a symbol of the transformed devil who drinks blood and can turn into other animals;
• the toad is a Christian symbol of sin and heretics. They supposedly abide in mud (in lies) and croak their untruth;
• the hedgehog is a nocturnal animal, considered the protector of domestic happiness, but greed, aggressiveness and anger prevail in the character;
• the shapeless face in the east and the goblin in the west emphasize the expressiveness of the warning against the dark forces. Goblin - a symbol of natural, forest and underworld forces;
• below, under the astrolabe, is the devil himself (animal face, alert ears, bulging eyes).

Statues on the sides of the Astronomical dial

• Miser- a miserly man shakes a bag of money (there is a version that there used to be a Jewish moneylender in his place, but his appearance was changed, trying to be politically correct).
• Mage- with the help of a mirror looks beyond the boundaries of the world of sensations. This is considered a noble spiritual pursuit, as opposed to the Miser who is busy accumulating possessions. Some believe that the statue symbolizes Vanity, looking at his face in the mirror.
• Skeleton- a warning that everything around is perishable. Its bell and hourglass emphasize Memento mori.
• Turk- the meaning is not clear. Perhaps a symbol of sin and pleasure. Or perhaps a reminder of the long-term Turkish threat to the entire Austrian Empire.

The lower dial of the Orloi is a calendar. Its original version has not been preserved, and today tourists watch the dial, which was designed by the poet and Prague archivist Karel Jaromir Erben in the middle of the 19th century based on a 1659 copy. The artwork was done by Josef Manes. Understanding the historical value of the project, he agreed to a very modest fee, and also ignored the superstition that a person who made significant changes to Orloi would not live a long life. In 1866, Manes completed the painting. The next few years of his life, the artist experienced physical pain, depression and mental suffering. In 1871 he died.

The calendar dial of the Prague Astronomical Clock includes internal gold-plated disc with constellations and external copper disk with cells for each day of the year. In order to protect the masterpiece-dial of Manes from the destructive effects of the weather, it was transferred to the Capital Gallery of Prague, and a copy was ordered for Orloj. Ironically, the author of the copy (E. K. Lischka) achieved more payment than Josef Manes received for the original.

- acquaintance with the history and traditions of Czech brewing, visiting a traditional brewery with its own brewery - 3 hours, 40 euros

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Internal gold-plated disc

The disc depicts the coat of arms of Prague, the signs of the zodiac and a calendar cycle of frescoes on the theme of Czech rural life in the Middle Ages. The frescoes symbolizing the 12 months depict:

• in January, the celebration of the birth of a child, as the onset of the new year;
• in February, the peasant warms his feet by the fire, and the wife brings firewood;
• in March the peasant plows;
• in April - ties up trees;
• in May, a guy decorates a hat, and a girl picks flowers;
• in June they mow the grass;
• wheat is harvested in July;
• in August, grain is threshed;
• in September, the time of sowing winter crops;
• grapes are harvested in October;
• in November, trees are cut down and firewood is harvested;
• in December a piglet is slaughtered.

External copper disk

The disk is divided into 365 cells, in which is recorded tsisioyan - a poetic syllabic calendar, where the days of the holidays of the most important saints are mentioned. The first syllable of the saint's name is written on the corresponding day of the calendar. Non-holidays are filled with any syllables (not related to saints) so that the verses make some sense.

Qisioyan on an external copper disk

Decor and exterior finish of the Manes Calendar Dial

The surroundings of the calendar are made on the themes of plant motifs and symbols of life. The dial is surrounded by a vine on all sides. Wine was considered a divine drink that frees from earthly worries, brings joy, youth and eternal life.

To the right of the dial are a monkey and a phoenix bird. The fire bird was revered by all civilizations as a symbol of eternity, the cycle of renewal and resurrection. In the stone branches, she seems to be talking with a monkey, which in Antiquity was a pet, dexterous and intelligent, but in the Middle Ages it became a symbol of sinfulness, greed and the embodiment of the devil.

An astronomical clock is a high-precision clock in which a uniform time scale is set by the oscillations of a pendulum. Astronomical clocks have been used for many years to keep time (see Time Service).

One of the first systems of astronomical clocks was created in 1657 by X. Huygens. The basis of their design was a pendulum device, which provided a countdown of equal time intervals with very high accuracy.

Since the accuracy of the astronomical clock depends on the pendulum device, the designers' efforts were aimed at ensuring the most favorable conditions for its operation.

It is known that the period of oscillation of a pendulum depends on its length: as the length increases, the period increases. In addition, the period of oscillation of the pendulum changes with a change in the density of the surrounding air. To prevent these reasons from affecting the accuracy of the clock, special measures are taken to maintain a constant temperature in the rooms where the astronomical clock is installed. And so that even small temperature fluctuations do not change the length of the pendulum, starting from the 18th century. pendulums of astronomical clocks began to be made from several rods connected in such a way that when the temperature changes, some of them, while lengthening, increase the total length of the pendulum, while others, on the contrary, reduce it. The use of such a compensation mechanism made it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of the astronomical clock.

In order to protect astronomical clocks from the influence of atmospheric pressure drops and reduce the air resistance to pendulum oscillations, they began to be placed inside a hermetic casing, in which a reduced pressure was maintained.

In addition, to protect against all kinds of fluctuations and vibrations, astronomical clocks were placed in basements, at a depth that guaranteed against various concussions.

The most advanced pendulum mechanism with a special suspension and an improved thermal compensation system was created at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. Soviet engineer F. M. Fedchenko. The accuracy of the clock designed by Fedchenko reached c per day, which is comparable to the accuracy of the quartz clock.

Short's astronomical clock uses two pendulums. One of them, the so-called independent, is placed in the basement under a reduced pressure hood; this pendulum sets the rhythm of the clock. With the help of a system of electromagnets, the oscillations of the independent pendulum control the oscillations of the second, so-called dependent, pendulum, which directly controls the clock mechanism.

Now in the service of time, mechanical pendulum astronomical clocks have given way to quartz and atomic clocks.