Astronomy
- Messier object M56, a magnitude 9.5 globular cluster in the constellation Lyra.
- The New General Catalogue object NGC 56, an unverified object in the constellation Pisces. NGC 56 does not appear to be a real object.
- The Saros number of the solar eclipse series which began on -1172 July 17 and ended on 144 September. The duration of Saros series 56 was 1316.2 years, and it contained 74 solar eclipses.
- The Saros number of the lunar eclipse series which began on -852 May 7 and ended on 428 June. The duration of Saros series 56 was 1280.1 years, and it contained 72 lunar eclipses.
Read more about this topic: 56 (number)
Famous quotes containing the word astronomy:
“It is noticed, that the consideration of the great periods and spaces of astronomy induces a dignity of mind, and an indifference to death.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Awareness of the stars and their light pervades the Koran, which reflects the brightness of the heavenly bodies in many verses. The blossoming of mathematics and astronomy was a natural consequence of this awareness. Understanding the cosmos and the movements of the stars means understanding the marvels created by Allah. There would be no persecuted Galileo in Islam, because Islam, unlike Christianity, did not force people to believe in a “fixed” heaven.”
—Fatima Mernissi, Moroccan sociologist. Islam and Democracy, ch. 9, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. (Trans. 1992)