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KF5JRV > TECH 25.06.16 13:58l 19 Lines 1062 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 5054_KF5JRV
Read: GUEST
Subj: Partheon Sundial
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<N0KFQ<KF5JRV
Sent: 160625/1139Z 5054@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQK1.4.65
One of the most iconic buildings in the world, the Pantheon in Rome
is an enduring testament to the power and glory of ancient Rome. At
the same time, it has also always posed something of a mystery. The
only source of natural lighting is a thirty-foot diameter hole at the
very top of the hemispherical dome, often referred to as the "oculus".
Working since 2009, scholars Guilio Magli and Robert Hannah discovered
that at midday on the equinoxes, a shaft of circular light shines
through the oculus and illuminates the Pantheon's entrance.
As it turns out, the size and shape of the beam almost exactly matches
a semi-circular stone arch set above the doorway. Its been suggested
that the positioning of the beam of light would have had significant
ceremonial significance if the arrival of the Roman emperor was timed
to coincide with the times of favorable alignment. This discovery
adds yet another example of technical prowess to the long list of
engineering achievements which have long been regarded as a hallmark
of the Roman era.
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