THE CONSTANT AND INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR ETERNITY

 

Ioannis Fakas

Fakas Institute

78, Laranakos Ave. 1046 Nicosia, Cyprus

E-mail: fakas@zenon.logos.cy.net

 

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

With my present work I wish to present a calendar that will be Constant, International and Eternal. For its compilation I took into consideration the mathematical measurements as far as the duration of the tropical year which were reported since the era of the Greek mathematicians and astronomers Aristarchos of Samos and Iparchos up until the more accurate ones that are recorded in the “Astronomical Almanac 2000 AD ”. I call it eternal due to the change I introduced as far as the leap milleniums are concerned which are kept sychronized with the tropical year. I call it constant because by using blank days a calendar of 4 equal trimesters, of exactly 13 weeks each, is created, where each date has the same name day. I call it International because it has great potentiality of becoming accepted internationally through the UN.

 

 

 

1.     INTRODUCTION

 

For the last 3 – 4 years, as the second millenium was approaching to its end, I have been working on the issue of a calendar. As a mathematician it has always given me food for thought but, especially, now that we are approaching the end of the 2nd millenium. I do believe that mathematicians hold the key to a lot of social problems, especially those concerning mathematical calculations, as it is the case with the Calendar for which I am about to elaborate.

Since the ancient times humanity without taking into consideration exact measurements was sinchoning with moon months, which is the time between two consecutive full moons (synodius month). This month was directed into 4 weeks according to the moon´s phases: new moon, 1st quarter, full moon, and last quarter.

As far as the year is concerned the humanity had a very early alignment with the 4 seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. By watching the Sun and very correctly, indeed, the four seasons with its palindromic movement along the western horizon. It noticed that in the winter it set on the far south point of the horizon (December Solstice) and in the summer on the far northern point of the horizon (June Solstice). The duration of the year was equal two consecutive reinstalments of the sun on the December Solstice. They are created also suitable buildings [6] in which the rays of the Sun penetrated once a year so as to notify the phenomenon with great accuracy and everything was going on smoothly! ! !

Problems were created when, we, the scientists told the people: Not to worry! Stop watching the moon and the Sun we will create for you a calendar with days, weeks and months. In this way calendars were created since the dawn civilization. The more recent ones are those of the Roman Emperor Unman (700 BC), the calendar of the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar (44 BC) and even more recent one of Pope Gregorius the 13th (1582 AD).

All calendars presented error, because they were not exactly in alignment with the tropical year. The most recent one of those approached the duration of the tropical year.

The calendar which I have the honor to present to you today I believe that it will not have an error because I have synchronized it with the tropical year which duration has been calculated at times as follows:

 

(a)  from the mathematician and astronomer Aristarchos of Samos (3rd century BC):365d 5h 45m 50s = 365,240162 days [2].

             (b) from the mathematician and astronomer Iparchos (2nd century BC)

: 365d 5h 55m 12s = 365,2466666 days [2]

(b)  According to the astronomer Stavros Plakides

                   : 365d 5h 48m 48s = 365,242217d [2].

and (d) according to the Astronomical Almanac for the year 2000 AD

             : 365d 5h 48m 45,2s = 365,242190 [4].

 

2.     WHICH CALENDARS HAVE I USED AS A BASIS

 

The international, constant calendar for eternity is an evolution of the following 3 calendars:

      a) The Julian Calendar

The Julian Calendar is the creation of the Greek – Alexander astronomer Sosigenis who was called to Rome by the Emperor Julius Caesar [2], [7].

The Julian Calendar was in use in all countries from 44 BC up until 1582 AD. In that year became no longer valid for countries which were Roman – Catholic. It remained in use in Great Britain up until 1752, in Greece up until 1923 [2] and in Turkey up until 1927 [1].

This calendar is in use, even today, by most Christian – Orthodox Churches but only as an ecclesiastical name-day calendar. It has 365,25 days (average) instead of 364,242190 of that of the tropical year. It is divided into 12 months which have names and as many days as those which are found in the Gregorian Calendar which is used worldwide at present.

Every normal year of the Julian Calendar has 365 days whereas the leap year, 366 days. The extra day is added at the end of February as the 29th day. Leap years are those, which can be divided by 4 such as : 1996, 2000, 2004, 2100 etc. [2] . [ 7].

 

The Error of the Julian Calendar

The error of the Julian Calendar according to Plakides amounts to 11,208 minutes per year and it is estimated as follows:

(365,25days – 365,242217days) x 24hours x 60minutes = 11,208 m [2].

If we take into consideration the more recent measurements Almanac 2000AD [4] the error amounts to 11,246 minutes per year and it calculated as follows:

(365,25d – 365,242190d) x 24h x 60m = 11,246m

      b) The Gregorian Calendar

 

The Gregorian Calendar was created by the Calavries astronomer Lilio under order by Pope of Rome Gregory the 13th. Pope Gregory the 13th in 1582 AD noticed that the spring equinox by which Easter is determined was no longer the 21st of March as the A´ Ecumenical Synodos in 325 AD had declared but it had moved and so the date of Easter was calculated in the wrong way. Lilio suggested to Pope Gregory two corrective measurements: to sent a declaration to all catholic states determining the following day of the 4th of October 1582 to be called the 15th of October 1582, as well as, leap century years will be only those divided by 400.

According to this calendar leap centuries are 2000, 2400, 2800… etc. With this new arrangement every 400 years the leap years will be only 97 instead of the 100 the Julian Calendar has. For example in 400 years from 2000 – 2399 AD amounts the Julian´s leap centuries 2000,2100,2200 and 2300 only 2000 is a leap year, according to the Gregorian Calendar. With this arrangement the Gregorian Calendar has 365,2425 days (average).

Pope Gregarious with its new calendar had brought no other improvement on the Julian Calendar.

 

The Error of the Gregorian Calendar

 

The Gregorian Calendar exits the tropical year by 24,4512 second per year; this time is estimated as follows:

(365,2425d – 365,242217d) x 24 hours x 60m x 60 s = 24,451s per year

And according the newest measurements (Almanac 2000 AD) the Gregorian Calendar is bigger than the tropical year by 26,784sec

Calculation: (365,2425d-365,242190d) x24hx60mx60s=26,784sec 

 

This error amounts to a whole day in 3533,56 years according to Plakides and 3225,8064 years according to Almanac 2000AD.

Calculation (24hx60mx60s): 24,45123s=3533,56 years

Calculation: (24h x 60m x 60s): 26,784s=3225,8064 years.

 

and c) The Universal Calendar

 

In 1887 Mastrofini created a calendar and named it “The new Universal Calendar”. Mastrofini had no intention of correcting astronomically the Gregorian Calendar but only some imperfections it had, such as the inequality in the number of days of every month and of every quarter of the year and the continually change of the 1st day of year resulting to a generalized change of all days in the year. The Gregorian Calendar has to proceed by using 14 different calendars 7of normal years and 7 of leap years. Each of the above mentioned calendars has the 1st day of its year as a different day.

The Universal Calendar solved this problem by introducing one blank day for each of the normal years and two blank days for each of the leap years. Blank days belong to no month and have no name. This way we have a single calendar, which is divided into 4 equal quarters of 91 days each.

Mastrofini´s calendar has never been applied despite the two unsuccessful attempts to do so. (1st January 1939.by the Society of Nation and 1st January 1950 by the U.N: both days been Sundays) [2] ,[ 7].

The Error of the Universal Calendar

The error of the Universal Calendar amounts to 26,784sec per year as in the Gregorian Calendar.

 

3. THE CONSTANT AND INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR ETERNITY (C.I.C.E.)

 

Having taken into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of the above mentioned calendars I suggest a calendar which can be called eternal because in the future it will need no adjustments because it will always be synchronized with the tropical year. This can be achieved by a) preserving the leap years of the normal years as determined by the Julian Calendar b) Preserving the leap century years as determined by the Gregorian Calendar and c) Introducing a new rule for the millenium years. This will be leap years when they are divided by 4000. By this arrangement the calendar approaching even more the tropical year. (e.g. leap milleniums will only be 4000,8000,12000,16000,20000 etc)

According to this arrangement every 20,000 years we will have 4845 leap years instead of 4850 that the Gregorian Calendar has and 5000 that the Julian Calendar. The Calendar will have a duration 365,242250 and will be bigger than the tropical year only by 0,00006 days or 5,184 sec. every year.

Calculation: (365,24225days – 365,2419 days) x 60minutes x 60 seconds = 5,184sec.

This error amounts to 24 hours every …16667 years.

Calculation: (24h x 60m x 60s): 5,184s = 16666,666 years.

The difference of 5,184 seconds that still exists with the tropical year is corrected introducing a second rule:

Those leap milleniums that come before the year during which the error of 5,184 seconds amounts to a whole day (24 hours) those leap milleniums loose their extra day as leap years.. This decision will be taken from a universal authority which can be called International Earth Revolving Service as the International Earth Rotation Service, which already exists, and it is mentioned below.

In this way our calendar will not differs the tropical year more or less than a day.

A similar process is enforced by the International Earth Rotation Service which decides every 1 – 2 years and adds 1 second on the current time of the International Atomic Time (I.A.T.) to synchronies it with the time of the daily revolving of our planet. In this case, also a constant period of time has not been determined in which this adjustment will take place. The error is corrected as soon as it reaches 0,9 second so that the difference will not exceed the second.

Apart from calling it eternal we can also call it constant as I use Mastrofini´s blank days but with a vital difference. Mastrofini gave these days no name or date. I, on the other hand, call them also “blank days” but they do have a date: the 31st of December for all years and also the 31st of June for the leap years. In a different approach the blank day proceeds the first of January and has number 00 January for all the year and for leap years as 00 July.

 

The existence of date doesn´t create any problems to the calendar being constant but on the contrary it is a very useful arrangement

One third arrangement I have done has to do with the day with which the year it commences whereas for the Universal Calendar the first day is always a Sunday here we can have the first day as Saturday or for that matter any other day chosen. Sundays and Saturdays are preferred because they are days off.

Personally, I prefer Saturday as we can have both the celebrations of the 1st day of the year and on Sunday it´s religious day. It should be taken under consideration that Mastrrofini suggested Sunday because then it used to be the only day off.

Another suggestion is that the 1st of the year is blank day and instead of blank to be called the 1st of the year.

 

The error of the  Constant and International Calendar for eternity

By being constantly sychronized with the tropical year it is expected to have no future errors.

 

Advantage of the Calendar

This calendar contains all the advantages of the 3 previously mentioned calendars and avoids all their disadvantages.

As a result we have:

a)     It consists of 4 equal quarters of 91 days each and each one has exactly 13 weeks. (13 weeksx7days=91days)

b)     All the days have their own date even the blank days.

c)     All months have the same number of days either 30 or 31.

d)     It is easy to memorize it , as it is repeated every year, even every quarter

e)     It is eternal because it will equal the tropical year and need no future adjustment.

All these are great advantages for the Commerce, the Industry, Transportation and generally the Society as a whole.

Having in view all of the above I introduce to you the three Plans of the Calendar

(C.I.C.E.) and the table No.1 which describes the leap years.

 

Table 1: Definition of the leap year

The leap year of the normal years is that which is divided by 4.

The leap year of the centuries is that which is divided by 400.

Leap year of the millenium years is that which is divided by 4000 except if it is the millenium divided by 4000 and is proceeding the year for which the 5,184sec. error completes a whole day (24 hours).

 

 

 


The three plans are as follows:

 

Plan 1: 1st of the year Saturday

 

THE CONSTANT AND INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR ETERNITY

(normal years)

 

JANUARY                                       FEBRUARY                                 MARCH

APRIL                                           MAY                                     JUNE         

JULY                                           AUGUST                                 SEPTEMBER        

S.    S.   M.   T.    W.   T.   F.        S.   S.   M.    T.    W.    T.   F.          S.    S.    M.    T.    W.     T.    F.

 

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22    23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                        24   25     26   27    28    29    30

 

 

OCTOBER                                          NOVEMBER                                       DECEMBER

S.    S.   M.    T.    W.   T.   F.        S.   S.   M.    T.    W.    T.   F.          S.    S.    M.    T.    W.     T.    F.    B. 

,,,

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22    23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                        24   25     26   27    28    29    30    31

 

 

(leap yeas)

 

JANUARY                                             FEBRUARY                                MARCH

JULY                                                      AUGUST                                     SEPTEMBER

S.    S.   M.    T.    W.   T.   F.        S.   S.   M.    T.    W.    T.   F.          S.   S.    M.    T.    W.     T.    F.     

 

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22    23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                        24   25     26   27    28    29    30

 

 

APRIL                                              MAY                                                 JUNE

OCTOBER                                        NOVEMBER                                    DECEMBER

S.    S.   M.    T.    W.   T.   F.        S.   S.   M.    T.    W.    T.   F.          S.    S.    M.    T.    W.     T.    F.      B.

 

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22    23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                        24   25     26   27    28    29    30    31

 

 


Plan 2: 1st of the year Sunday

 

THE CONSTANT AND INTERNATION, CALENDAR FOR ETERNITY

(normal years)

 

JANUARY                                        FEBRUARY                                  MARCH

APRIL                                               MAY                                               JUNE

JULY                                                 AUGUST                                        SEPTEMBER

S.    M.   T.    W.    T.   F.   S.        S.   M.   T.    W.    T.    F.   S.          S.    M.    T.    W.    T.     F.    S.

 

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22     23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                         24   25     26    28    29  30

 

 

OCTOBER                                     NOVEMBER                                  DECEMBER

S.    M.   T.    W.    T.   F.   S.        S.   M.   T.    W.    T.    F.   S.          S.    M.    T.    W.    T.     F.    S.     B.

 

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22     23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                        24   25     26   27    28    29     30   31

 

 

(leap years)

 

JANUARY                                      FEBRUARY                                       MARCH

JULY                                               AUGUST                                            SEPTEMBER

S.    M.   T.    W.    T.   F.   S.        S.   M.   T.    W.    T.    F.   S.          S.    M.    T.    W.    T.     F.    S.

 

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22     23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                        24   25     26   27    28    29     30

 

 

APRIL                                            MAY                                                   JUNE

OCTOBER                                     NOVEMBER                                      DECEMBER

S.    M.   T.    W.    T.   F.   S.        S.   M.   T.    W.    T.    F.   S.          S.    M.    T.    W.    T.     F.    S.     B.

 

01   02    03   04   05   06   07                             01   02   03   04                                                 01    02

08   09   10   11   12    13  14        05   06   07    08   09   10   11          03   04    05    06   07     08    09

15   16   17   18   19   20   21        12   13   14   15    16   17   18          10   11    12    13   14     15    16

22   23   24   25   26   27   28        19   20   21   22    23   24   25          17   18    19    20    21    22     23

29   30   31                                    26   27   28   29    30                        24   25     26   27    28    29     30   31

 


Plan 3: 1st of the year Blank Day

 

THE CONSTANT AND INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR ETERNITY

(normal years)

 

JANUARY                                               FEBRUARY                                      MARCH

B.D.   S.   M.    T.   W.    T.   F.   S.         S.   M.    T.    W.    T.    F.    S.          S.    M.    T.     W.    T.     F.   S.

00      01   02    03   04   05   06   07                      01   02   03     04   05                                          01    02   03

          08   09   10   11   12    13   14        06   07   08   09   10    11    12        04    05     06     07    08    09   10

          15   16   17   18   19   20    21        13   14   15   16   17    18    19        11    12     13     14    15    16   17

          22   23   24   25   26   27    28        20   21   22   23   24    25    26        18    19     20     21    22    23   24

          29   30                                            27   28   29   30                               25    26     27     28    29    30   31

 

 

 

APRIL                                                MAY                                               JUNE

JULY                                            AUGUST                                         SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER                                    NOVEMBER                               DECEMBER

          S.   M.    T.   W.    T.   F.   S.         S.   M.    T.    W.    T.    F.    S.          S.    M.    T.     W.    T.     F.   S.

 

          01   02    03   04   05   06   07                      01   02   03     04   05                                          01    02   03

          08   09   10   11   12    13   14        06   07   08   09   10    11    12        04    05     06     07    08    09   10

          15   16   17   18   19   20    21        13   14   15   16   17    18    19        11    12     13     14    15    16   17

          22   23   24   25   26   27    28        20   21   22   23   24    25    26        18    19     20     21    22    23   24

          29   30                                            27   28   29   30                               25    26     27     28    29    30   31

 

 

(Leap years)

JANUARY                                                   FEBRUARY                                     MARCH

JULY                                                      AUGUST                                      SEPTEMBER

B.D.   S.   M.    T.   W.    T.   F.   S.         S.   M.    T.    W.    T.    F.    S.          S.    M.    T.     W.    T.     F.   S.

 

00      01   02    03   04   05   06   07                      01   02   03     04   05                                          01    02   03

          08   09   10   11   12    13   14        06   07   08   09   10    11    12        04    05     06     07    08    09   10

          15   16   17   18   19   20    21        13   14   15   16   17    18    19        11    12     13     14    15    16   17

          22   23   24   25   26   27    28        20   21   22   23   24    25    26        18    19     20     21    22    23   24

          29   30                                            27   28   29   30                               25    26     27     28    29    30   31

 

 

APRIL                                                     MAY                                                 JUNE

OCTOBER                                          NOVEMBER                                                  DECEMBER

          S.   M.    T.   W.    T.   F.   S.         S.   M.    T.    W.    T.    F.    S.          S.    M.    T.     W.    T.     F.   S.

 

          01   02    03   04   05   06   07                      01   02   03     04   05                                          01    02   03

          08   09   10   11   12    13   14        06   07   08   09   10    11    12        04    05     06     07    08    09   10

          15   16   17   18   19   20    21        13   14   15   16   17    18    19        11    12     13     14    15    16   17

          22   23   24   25   26   27    28        20   21   22   23   24    25    26        18    19     20     21    22    23   24

          29   30                                            27   28   29   30                               25    26     27     28    29    30   31

 

 


 

5. ACKNOWLEGDEMENT

 

I would like to thank the priest f. Constantinos Koukos, the Archbishop of Greece Christodoulos, the astronomer and academic professor Mr. Georgios Kontopoulos who encouraged me to compilation this Calendar.

I would also, like to thank Mr. Lakis Hatzinikolaou, astrodynamic reader, with whom I discussed many details of the Calendar, Mr. Petros Papageorgi, teacher of literature who corrected the Greek text. and Mr. G Papadopoulos and Miss Christiana Papaeleftheriou who correct the English text.

Finally, by looking at the Astronomical Tables drawn by Jean Meeus [5] we see the reconstitution of the Sun per year at point γ from 1 AD up until 3000 AD which takes place at the same time with a mistake of only 3 to 4 minutes every year. We conclude that: our planet bearing our houses, our belongings and all of us rotating around its axis in a very great speed completes its revolving around the sun at the same time every year. By looking at all these we can not but accompany the Profit and King David and pray with him to the Creator and Lord of Heavens, of the Earth, of the Moon and of the Sun: [9]:

“ O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches”. “ The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy-work. Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge…”.

 

6. REFERENCES

 

[1] Peter Duffet – Smith: Easy P.C. Astronomy – Cambridge University Press

{2} Stavrou Plakide

Introduction to Mathematical Astronomy

Volume A (Athens 1959)

[3] Laurence G. Taff Celestial Mechanics

A computational guide for the practitioner

[4] The Astronomical Almanac for the year 2000 - Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office London: The stationery office

[5] Jean Meeus

Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon, and Planets (Willmann – Bell, Inc.)

[6] Nicolaou D. Nicolaou

The Great Cosmography – Publishing House Afon D. JAKA – Athens (1963)

[7] D. Cotsaki – K. Chasapi Cosmography - Athens (1970)

[8] P. Kenneth Seidelmann Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac – University Science Books Mill Valley, California

[9] Old Testament, Brotherhood Theologon “ZOI” (1950)