Abstract
Abstract. The Gregorian calendar, despite being more precise than the Julian (which now lags 13 d behind Earth), will also lag a day behind nature in this millennium. In 1923, Milutin Milankovitch presented a calendar of outstanding scientific importance and unprecedented astronomical accuracy, which was accepted at the Ecumenical Congress of Eastern Orthodox churches. However, its adoption is still partial in churches and nonexistent in civil states, despite nearly a century without a better proposition of calendar reform in terms of both precision and ease of transition, which are important for acceptance. This article reviews the development of calendars throughout history and presents the case of Milankovitch's, explaining its aims and methodology and why it is sometimes mistakenly identified with the Gregorian because of their long consonance. Religious aspects are briefly covered, explaining the potential of this calendar to unite secular and religious purposes through improving accuracy in both contexts.
Highlights
Milutin Milankovic (1879–1958; see Fig. 1), or Milankovitch as he is widely known through his works, was a brilliant scientist
In 1923, Milutin Milankovitch presented a calendar of outstanding scientific importance and unprecedented astronomical accuracy, which was accepted at the Ecumenical Congress of Eastern Orthodox churches
He was the first to explain the Earth’s cyclical longterm climate changes in terms of three orbital motions whose combined variable effects cause the advance and retreat of polar ice caps, affecting how and when Earth enters an ice age or undergoes global warming based on the insolation
Summary
Milutin Milankovic (1879–1958; see Fig. 1), or Milankovitch as he is widely known through his works, was a brilliant scientist. Therein he collected the results of his 28 research publications and assembled them into one monograph with some new analyses and supplements, and he gave the basis for calculation of climates for all the planets of the Solar System; he himself calculated that daily temperatures on the Moon exceed 100 ◦C (the boiling point of water at 1 atm or 101.325 kPa pressure) and that Mars temperatures are too low for liquid water or any sentient life to exist This “cosmography” was, in his own words, one of his first and main motives for working out his theory – he said so in the first of his popular books on the history of science, which includes much autobiographical detail (Milankovitch, 1928). A good elementary source for more knowledge on his life and theories is The Encyclopedia of Earth biography,, but it is always worth remembering
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