Papers by Daniel Brown
The interpretation of astronomically orientated ancient sites has frequently led to the conclusio... more The interpretation of astronomically orientated ancient sites has frequently led to the conclusion that an astronomy cast needs to exist; a group that is thought to be highly educated as apparent within discussions and comments with researchers even if never published. This group within an ancient society would have a deeper knowledge of the movements of the Sun, Moon and stars derived through observations and analysis similar to the modern day scientific methodology and not accessible to the un-initiated. However, cultural astronomy has started to overcome this mistake by describing such sites not as observatories but as places where a certain phenomenon can be experienced and watched.
This paper will discuss this act of watching and how it is closely linked to a definition of place by introducing the notion of the dialectical image. The triplet of land-, sea-, and skyscape offer common themes and characteristics that allow the watcher to critically negotiate the surroundings and experience the place by dwelling therein. All three form a trinity and are actually part of one skyscape that invokes feelings, illustrates tensions and asks for action. Experiencing this unity is essential to watching. At this stage there is no deeper astronomical knowledge required that is only accessible to the initiated few. Cosmic cycles that manifest themselves through the motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars as well as seasonal and tidal rhythms become obvious to everyone. Skyscapes at astronomically orientated sites capture this meaning. When stepping back from observing and engage in watching, the meaning can be recaptured in the trinity of land-, sea-, and skyscape.
What exactly was the impact of the skyscape on ancient cultures and how could this experience be ... more What exactly was the impact of the skyscape on ancient cultures and how could this experience be shaped? These are key questions when interpreting material remains of ancient cultures within the wider context of astronomy. One can only extrapolate backwards from our contemporary experience into the past. Therein lies a huge challenge since modern societies are generally less aware of the skyscape than their forefathers.
This chapter will show how a dark sky project offers a unique opportunity for individuals to see the need to negotiate the meaning and importance of the celestial environment through the current topic of sustainability, especially light pollution. Such raised awareness of the skyscape has established the idea that the cultural heritage of the skies that is worth conserving.
This real contemporary agenda will help to explore what the skyscape would have meant in the past by interpreting it as a dialectic image and embracing the place experience. Overall this work illustrates how the emotional connection is important to achieve a deeper understanding of a monument within its skyscape.
A unique triangular shaped monolith located within the Peak District National Park at Gardom‟s Ed... more A unique triangular shaped monolith located within the Peak District National Park at Gardom‟s Edge could be intentionally astronomically aligned.
It is set within a landscape rich in late Neolithic and Bronze Age remains. We show that the stone is most likely in its original orientation owing to its clear signs of erosion and associated to the time period of the late Neolithic. It is tilted towards South and its North side slopes at an angle equal to the maximum altitude of the Sun at mid-summer. This alignment emphasizes the changing declinations of the Sun during the seasons as well as giving an indication of mid-summers day. This functionality is achieved by an impressive display of light and shadow on the North-facing side of the Monolith. Together with other monuments in the close vicinity the monolith would have represented an ideal marker or social arena for seasonal gatherings for the else dispersed small communities.
Environmental issues have recently grown in importance. Moreover, we face an economic crisis with... more Environmental issues have recently grown in importance. Moreover, we face an economic crisis with unclear employment prospects. To face these challenges the buzz-word of sustainability has appeared. It is used in politics, economy and education. Governments claim to be green and universities strive to be green.
In Higher Education, research is helping to clarify what sustainability is, how it can be supported in HE curricula. One such example in the field of education for sustainable development is the combination of place-based pedagogies and critical pedagogy introduced by Davis Gruenewald.
The aim of this work is how critical place-based pedagogy can be successfully supported. A case based methodology is chosen, selecting the Peak District Dark Sky Group. Semi-structured interviews of participants are used to develop narratives that show transformation and action. The activities, artefacts, and the landscape confirm how the outdoor classroom formed such experiences, supporting education for sustainable development.
This work concludes that the outdoor classroom is extremely effective in our case. It illustrates that any environment supports education for sustainable development when there are moments to reflect upon experiences in a realistic, relevant and local context; Dasein will then glimpse the sublime and place will evoke action.
The interdisciplinary topic of archaeo-astronomy links science subjects such as astronomy with ar... more The interdisciplinary topic of archaeo-astronomy links science subjects such as astronomy with archaeology and sociology to explore how ancient societies perceived the heavens above. This is achieved by analysing ancient sites such as megalithic monuments (e.g. Stonehenge), since they are
the most common remains of these societies and are wide spread in Europe. We discuss how archaeoastronomy and ancient sites can be transversal to many topics in school. The links to the science curricula in different countries are highlighted. However, especially the subject of citizenship can be
supported by exploring the diversity of culture, ideas, and identities including the changing nature of society in the past millennia. We conclude that archaeo-astronomy offers many opportunities for citizenship.
Learning more about megalithic monuments in different countries (e.g. England, Portugal, and Germany) supports tolerance and understanding. Furthermore, the distribution of these sites lends itself to exploring beyond borders, introducing international networking, and truly developing students
into global citizens.
arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.5515, Jan 1, 2010
Our landscape has been shaped by man throughout the millennia. It still contains many clues to ho... more Our landscape has been shaped by man throughout the millennia. It still contains many clues to how it was used in the past giving us insights into ancient cultures and their everyday life. Our summer school uses archaeology and astronomy as a focus for effective out-of-classroom
learning experiences. It demonstrates how a field trip can be used to its full potential by utilising ancient monuments as outdoor classrooms. This article shows how such a summer school can be embedded into the secondary curriculum; giving advice, example activities, locations to visit, and outlines the impact this work has had.
arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.5289, Jan 1, 2010
Global citizenship plays an important role in today's schools. Many subjects taught in schools ha... more Global citizenship plays an important role in today's schools. Many subjects taught in schools have already incorporated such ideas. Science and physics have also followed suit. However, when dealing with astronomy - a topic so seemingly far removed from society - it becomes difficult to imagine any links with global citizenship.
At Nottingham Trent University observatory we have developed an activity ideal to transport the idea of global citizenship and deal with common astronomical misconceptions. It incorporates role playing in the inspiring environment of an astronomical observatory.
In this activity stellar constellations with their myths and history pose an ideal
opportunity to explore global citizenship. Students not only place themselves in someone else’s situation, but also compare their different reactions when faced with a common situation. This idea is extended to analyse the change in constellation culture throughout time and the affect politics has had on constellations.
In this article we outline the details of this activity and how it deals with common astronomical misconceptions. We also demonstrate its implementation into astronomy taught at schools. First results showing the impact the activity had on the students will also be given.
arXiv preprint arXiv:1110.3469, Jan 1, 2011
High precision photometry and spectroscopy of low-mass stars reveal a variety of properties stand... more High precision photometry and spectroscopy of low-mass stars reveal a variety of properties standard stellar evolution cannot predict. Rotation, an essential ingredient of stellar evolution, is a step towards resolving the discrepancy between model predictions and observations. The first rotating stellar model, continuously tracing a low-mass star from the pre-main sequence onto the horizontal branch, is presented. The predicted luminosity functions of globular clusters and surface rotation velocities on the horizontal branch are discussed.
High precision photometry and spectroscopy of low-mass stars reveal a variety of properties stand... more High precision photometry and spectroscopy of low-mass stars reveal a variety of properties standard stellar evolution cannot predict. Rotation, an essential ingredient of stellar evolution, is a step towards resolving the discrepancy between model predictions and observations. The first rotating stellar model, continuously tracing a low-mass star from the pre-main sequence onto the horizontal branch, is presented. The predicted luminosity functions of stars of globular clusters and surface rotation velocities on the horizontal branch are discussed.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Jan 1, 2005
Astronomische …, Jan 1, 2000
Abstract Current astronomical measurements analyzing every passband of the electromagnetic spectr... more Abstract Current astronomical measurements analyzing every passband of the electromagnetic spectrum imply a wealth of extremely sophisticated techniques with respect to accumulation, detection, and subsequent data processing. Thus, naked eye ...
Marine mammal …, Jan 1, 2005
Astronavigation is a possible mechanism of offshore orientation in marine mammals. However, the b... more Astronavigation is a possible mechanism of offshore orientation in marine mammals. However, the basic prerequisite for astronavigation is to see enough stars of the night sky. This cannot be taken for granted in seals as, due to adaptations of their dioptric apparatus to the optical properties of water, seals are supposed to be myopic and astigmatic when out of the water under low light conditions. Using various real and artificial stars in a go/no-go response paradigm we therefore determined the minimum brightness at which a harbor seal (Phocu vztulinu) can detect stars. The dark-adapted seal was trained to look through an empty tube ("seal telescope") and to retract its head only when a star appeared at the opposite aperture. The seal reliably detected Venus or Sirius becoming suddenly visible when the telescope was moved across the night sky. Detection thresholds were determined using artificial stars (parallel light identical to starlight coming from the universe) of predefined brightness generated by an optical system installed in front of the seal's telescope. The seal detected artificial stars down to 4.4 stellar magnitudes. Although these results cannot present evidence for astronavigation, they imply that seals should see enough stars to allow such orientation mechanisms.
Giant Sundial Reports by Daniel Brown
Am 17. Mai 2005 wurde als erste Station des geplanten Astronomischen Parks auf der Halde Hoheward... more Am 17. Mai 2005 wurde als erste Station des geplanten Astronomischen Parks auf der Halde Hoheward im Landschaftspark Emscherbruch die große Horizontalsonnenuhr mit einem Obelisken als Schattenwerfer eingeweiht und eröffnet.
Die Sonne erlaubt es, anhand ihrer Position am Himmel, die jeweilige Tageszeit zu ermitteln. Dies... more Die Sonne erlaubt es, anhand ihrer Position am Himmel, die jeweilige Tageszeit zu ermitteln. Dies ist schon früh mittels geschickter Konstruktionen in eine Uhr umgesetzt worden. Die ältesten Sonnenuhren stammen aus Ägypten, und einige ursprüngliche Ideen zu bestimmmten Typen aus Babylonien. Im allgemeinen dienen sie dazu, die Zeit anhand des Sonnenstandes zu bestimmen. Dazu wurde eine senkrecht stehende Steinsäule, auch Obelisk oder Gnomon genannt, verwendet, dessen Schattenlänge oder Schattenposition die Zeiteinteilung vorgab. Meist waren diese Sonnenuhren nicht allzu groß und dienten dem Besitzer als überschaubare Uhr um z.B. Öffnungzeiten zu regeln, wie zu Zeiten der Römer bei der Horizontalsonnenuhr in Wiesbaden. Je größer eine Sonnenuhr wurde, umso größer mußte auch der schattenwerfende Gnomon sein. Die größten Gnomone mit Maßen zwischen 20 m bis 40 m und einem Gewicht von 100 t bis 1 100 t stammen aus Ägypten (s. Abbildung 1 und 2). Dort wurden sie nicht als Sonnenuhr genutzt, sondern stellten eine Abwandlung eines Sonnenkultsymboles Benben−Stein) dar oder ein zu Stein gewordener Sonnenstrahl. Als die Römer das ägyptische Reich unterwarfen, wurden einige dieser Obelisken nach Rom gebracht, wo sie bald zu einem wahren Obeliskenwald anwuchsen. Einige wurden als Wendemarken im Circus Maximus genutzt. Der erste eingeführte Obelisk wurde als Schattenwerfer der Sonnenuhr des Kaisers Augustus' auf dem Marsfeld aufgestellt. Dieser 21 m hohe Obelisk wurde ursprünglich vom Pharao Psammetioch II. (594 − 588 v. Chr.) in Heliopolis errichtet und von Kaiser Augustus in Rom mit einer Höhe von ca. 30 m wieder aufgestellt (13 v. Chr.). Wieder entdeckt wurd der umgefallene Obelisk 1502 durch Lanciani und vollends ausgegraben im Jahre 1748 von J. Stuart Abbildung 2: Der größte aufgestellte Obelisk des Thutmosis' III auf dem Laternenplatz in Rom. Abbildung 1: Der älteste stehende Obelisk von Sesostris' I. in Heliopolis. und T. De Marchis. Seit 1792 steht er nun auf der Piazzi Montecitorio vor dem italienischen Parlament. Die Funktion des Gnomons als Sonnenuhr zu Zeiten von Augustus wird in Plinius (Naturalis historia 366, 72f) beschrieben. Sie diente "... zur Erfassung der Schatten der Sonne ...", und setzte Kaiser Augustus ein Denkmal, da das Mausoleum und die Ara Pacis an den Daten der Empfängnis und der Geburt Kaiser Augustus ausgerichtet wurden. Zudem stellte die Sonnenuhr des Augustus' sicherlich die Unterwerfung des ägyptischen Volkes dar. Ob sie nun eine vollständige Sonnenuhr mit Stundenlinien war oder lediglich auf ihren Meridian (s. Abbildung 3 und 4) begrenzt ist nicht geklärt. Durch die immense Größe des Gnomons war auch eine Funktion als Kalender gegeben, da dieser eine Bestimmung des Datums auf den Tag genau erlaubte. Das zeigt der von Buchner freigelegte Meridian mit seinen bronzenen Datumslinien. Um eine solch hohe Präzision zu erreichen, wurde ein fundiertes astronomisches und mathematisches Wissen benötigt. So mussten die Linien, ob nun Stundenlinien oder nur der Meridian, Zentimeter genau konstruiert werden. Für normale, kleine Sonnenuhren mag das sicherlich mit sehr anschaulichen Fadenkonstruktionen, zur Simulation des Sonnenlaufes, möglich gewesen sein. Allerdings sind diese Konstruktionen in Maßstäben von 30 m nicht mehr zu realisieren. Dann können die Linien nur verkleinert oder Maßstabsgetreu vor Ort konstruiert werden. Ein sehr einfaches Verfahren erläutert Vitruv (Vitruv, De Architectonis, IX, 8) anhand eines Analemma (Abbildung 5), welches den Lauf der Sonne auf den Meridian projiziert. Allerdings ist die Linienkonstruktion nur ein Teil der Bestimmung von Zeit oder Datum: Auch das Ablesen muss mit einer ähnlichen Präzision erfolgen. Der Schatten der Sonne weist an seinem Rande einen Halbschattenbereich auf, der umso größer wird, je weiter entfernt der Schatten entsteht. Bei dem Obelisken auf dem Marsfeld muss der Halbschattenbereich ca. 30 cm groß gewesen sein. Der wahre Ort der Ablesung ist in der Nähe der Mitte dieses Halbschattens, was allerdings abhängig von Abbildung 4: Die Ausgrabung des Meridians 1980/81. Abbildung 3: Das Liniennetz des Meridians bei der Sonnenuhr des Augustus' (flavisches Niveau). der Länge des Schattens ist. Um diesen Effekt der varierenden Fehlweisungen zu umgehen, wurde dem Obelisken vom Mathematicus Facundus Novus eine Kugel auf dessen Spitze aufgesetzt. (Die ägyptischen Obelisken besaßen eine einfache Spitze.) Weshalb die Kugel bevorzugt wurde, beschreibt Plinius: "... Dieser (Facundus Novus) fügte der Spitze eine vergoldete Kugel hinzu, durch deren Scheitel der Schatten auf sich selbst gesammelt werden sollte, da die Spitze sich sonst unregelmäßig bewegen würde, eine Erkenntnis, die er, wie es heißt, vom Kopf des Menschen gewonnen habe...". Damit zeigt sich, dass nicht nur die Konstruktion der Linien von höchster Wichtigkeit war, sondern auch die Gestaltung der Gnomonspitze. Zwar stellt eine Kugel vom künstlerischen Aspekt auch die Erdkugel dar und versinnbildlicht in dem Bauwerk zu Ehren des Augustus, wie ihm die Erde, als Schatten der Kugel, zu Füßen liegt (Buchner, Die Sonnenuhr des Augustus), aber auch sein geometrischer Nutzen bei der Optimierung der Abbildung des Schattens wurde bereits zu Zeiten des Kaiser Augustus von den Römer genutzt. Das Problem der Schattenablesung kannte man auch zu späteren Zeiten. Im alten China wurden ebenfalls Gnomone genutzt (Abbildung 6 und 7), um den Stand der Sonne zu bestimmen. Da dies mit hoher Präzision durchgeführt werden sollten, wurden hier ebenfalls Methoden entwickelt, den unscharfen Schatten zu schärfen. Abbildung 5: Analemma des Vitruv. Abbildung 7: Meridian mit Messskala und 9.8 m hohem Gnomon von Dengfeng, sowie ein 49 x 98 mm großen "Schattendefinierer". Abbildung 6: Turm des Gnomons bei Dengfeng.
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Papers by Daniel Brown
This paper will discuss this act of watching and how it is closely linked to a definition of place by introducing the notion of the dialectical image. The triplet of land-, sea-, and skyscape offer common themes and characteristics that allow the watcher to critically negotiate the surroundings and experience the place by dwelling therein. All three form a trinity and are actually part of one skyscape that invokes feelings, illustrates tensions and asks for action. Experiencing this unity is essential to watching. At this stage there is no deeper astronomical knowledge required that is only accessible to the initiated few. Cosmic cycles that manifest themselves through the motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars as well as seasonal and tidal rhythms become obvious to everyone. Skyscapes at astronomically orientated sites capture this meaning. When stepping back from observing and engage in watching, the meaning can be recaptured in the trinity of land-, sea-, and skyscape.
This chapter will show how a dark sky project offers a unique opportunity for individuals to see the need to negotiate the meaning and importance of the celestial environment through the current topic of sustainability, especially light pollution. Such raised awareness of the skyscape has established the idea that the cultural heritage of the skies that is worth conserving.
This real contemporary agenda will help to explore what the skyscape would have meant in the past by interpreting it as a dialectic image and embracing the place experience. Overall this work illustrates how the emotional connection is important to achieve a deeper understanding of a monument within its skyscape.
It is set within a landscape rich in late Neolithic and Bronze Age remains. We show that the stone is most likely in its original orientation owing to its clear signs of erosion and associated to the time period of the late Neolithic. It is tilted towards South and its North side slopes at an angle equal to the maximum altitude of the Sun at mid-summer. This alignment emphasizes the changing declinations of the Sun during the seasons as well as giving an indication of mid-summers day. This functionality is achieved by an impressive display of light and shadow on the North-facing side of the Monolith. Together with other monuments in the close vicinity the monolith would have represented an ideal marker or social arena for seasonal gatherings for the else dispersed small communities.
In Higher Education, research is helping to clarify what sustainability is, how it can be supported in HE curricula. One such example in the field of education for sustainable development is the combination of place-based pedagogies and critical pedagogy introduced by Davis Gruenewald.
The aim of this work is how critical place-based pedagogy can be successfully supported. A case based methodology is chosen, selecting the Peak District Dark Sky Group. Semi-structured interviews of participants are used to develop narratives that show transformation and action. The activities, artefacts, and the landscape confirm how the outdoor classroom formed such experiences, supporting education for sustainable development.
This work concludes that the outdoor classroom is extremely effective in our case. It illustrates that any environment supports education for sustainable development when there are moments to reflect upon experiences in a realistic, relevant and local context; Dasein will then glimpse the sublime and place will evoke action.
the most common remains of these societies and are wide spread in Europe. We discuss how archaeoastronomy and ancient sites can be transversal to many topics in school. The links to the science curricula in different countries are highlighted. However, especially the subject of citizenship can be
supported by exploring the diversity of culture, ideas, and identities including the changing nature of society in the past millennia. We conclude that archaeo-astronomy offers many opportunities for citizenship.
Learning more about megalithic monuments in different countries (e.g. England, Portugal, and Germany) supports tolerance and understanding. Furthermore, the distribution of these sites lends itself to exploring beyond borders, introducing international networking, and truly developing students
into global citizens.
learning experiences. It demonstrates how a field trip can be used to its full potential by utilising ancient monuments as outdoor classrooms. This article shows how such a summer school can be embedded into the secondary curriculum; giving advice, example activities, locations to visit, and outlines the impact this work has had.
At Nottingham Trent University observatory we have developed an activity ideal to transport the idea of global citizenship and deal with common astronomical misconceptions. It incorporates role playing in the inspiring environment of an astronomical observatory.
In this activity stellar constellations with their myths and history pose an ideal
opportunity to explore global citizenship. Students not only place themselves in someone else’s situation, but also compare their different reactions when faced with a common situation. This idea is extended to analyse the change in constellation culture throughout time and the affect politics has had on constellations.
In this article we outline the details of this activity and how it deals with common astronomical misconceptions. We also demonstrate its implementation into astronomy taught at schools. First results showing the impact the activity had on the students will also be given.
Giant Sundial Reports by Daniel Brown
Video Clips by Daniel Brown
This paper will discuss this act of watching and how it is closely linked to a definition of place by introducing the notion of the dialectical image. The triplet of land-, sea-, and skyscape offer common themes and characteristics that allow the watcher to critically negotiate the surroundings and experience the place by dwelling therein. All three form a trinity and are actually part of one skyscape that invokes feelings, illustrates tensions and asks for action. Experiencing this unity is essential to watching. At this stage there is no deeper astronomical knowledge required that is only accessible to the initiated few. Cosmic cycles that manifest themselves through the motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars as well as seasonal and tidal rhythms become obvious to everyone. Skyscapes at astronomically orientated sites capture this meaning. When stepping back from observing and engage in watching, the meaning can be recaptured in the trinity of land-, sea-, and skyscape.
This chapter will show how a dark sky project offers a unique opportunity for individuals to see the need to negotiate the meaning and importance of the celestial environment through the current topic of sustainability, especially light pollution. Such raised awareness of the skyscape has established the idea that the cultural heritage of the skies that is worth conserving.
This real contemporary agenda will help to explore what the skyscape would have meant in the past by interpreting it as a dialectic image and embracing the place experience. Overall this work illustrates how the emotional connection is important to achieve a deeper understanding of a monument within its skyscape.
It is set within a landscape rich in late Neolithic and Bronze Age remains. We show that the stone is most likely in its original orientation owing to its clear signs of erosion and associated to the time period of the late Neolithic. It is tilted towards South and its North side slopes at an angle equal to the maximum altitude of the Sun at mid-summer. This alignment emphasizes the changing declinations of the Sun during the seasons as well as giving an indication of mid-summers day. This functionality is achieved by an impressive display of light and shadow on the North-facing side of the Monolith. Together with other monuments in the close vicinity the monolith would have represented an ideal marker or social arena for seasonal gatherings for the else dispersed small communities.
In Higher Education, research is helping to clarify what sustainability is, how it can be supported in HE curricula. One such example in the field of education for sustainable development is the combination of place-based pedagogies and critical pedagogy introduced by Davis Gruenewald.
The aim of this work is how critical place-based pedagogy can be successfully supported. A case based methodology is chosen, selecting the Peak District Dark Sky Group. Semi-structured interviews of participants are used to develop narratives that show transformation and action. The activities, artefacts, and the landscape confirm how the outdoor classroom formed such experiences, supporting education for sustainable development.
This work concludes that the outdoor classroom is extremely effective in our case. It illustrates that any environment supports education for sustainable development when there are moments to reflect upon experiences in a realistic, relevant and local context; Dasein will then glimpse the sublime and place will evoke action.
the most common remains of these societies and are wide spread in Europe. We discuss how archaeoastronomy and ancient sites can be transversal to many topics in school. The links to the science curricula in different countries are highlighted. However, especially the subject of citizenship can be
supported by exploring the diversity of culture, ideas, and identities including the changing nature of society in the past millennia. We conclude that archaeo-astronomy offers many opportunities for citizenship.
Learning more about megalithic monuments in different countries (e.g. England, Portugal, and Germany) supports tolerance and understanding. Furthermore, the distribution of these sites lends itself to exploring beyond borders, introducing international networking, and truly developing students
into global citizens.
learning experiences. It demonstrates how a field trip can be used to its full potential by utilising ancient monuments as outdoor classrooms. This article shows how such a summer school can be embedded into the secondary curriculum; giving advice, example activities, locations to visit, and outlines the impact this work has had.
At Nottingham Trent University observatory we have developed an activity ideal to transport the idea of global citizenship and deal with common astronomical misconceptions. It incorporates role playing in the inspiring environment of an astronomical observatory.
In this activity stellar constellations with their myths and history pose an ideal
opportunity to explore global citizenship. Students not only place themselves in someone else’s situation, but also compare their different reactions when faced with a common situation. This idea is extended to analyse the change in constellation culture throughout time and the affect politics has had on constellations.
In this article we outline the details of this activity and how it deals with common astronomical misconceptions. We also demonstrate its implementation into astronomy taught at schools. First results showing the impact the activity had on the students will also be given.
This presentation addresses how to access the ancient skyscape experience. It analyses how the skyscape experience has been expressed in modern times and contrast it with the material record of the skyscape experience created by ancient people. The comparison illustrates how people have moved away from appreciating cosmic cycles towards moments in time and imagery, defining a transition in skyscape experience from past to present. An attempt is made to define the details of this transition as well as describing why it might make it seemingly impossible to interpret ancient skyscapes. As a conclusion it offers a way to cross this barrier by realising that researchers need to appreciate the common approaches of people in engaging with skyscapes rather than focusing on their final interpretation. At this point fieldwork in skyscape exploration becomes a self-reflection and an understanding of how the sublime of the sky is accessed.