Alongside correct, positive interpretations of natural phenomena, the Kyrgyz also held incorrect, illusory views that often led to misconceptions and superstitious fears.
People's ideas about the universe were formed in ancient times. It was an era when humans, in their struggle for existence, learned to harness the forces of nature, but the sources and essence of these forces remained unknown to them for many centuries and thus seemed mysterious. The helplessness of people in the face of numerous natural phenomena gave rise to and developed faith in supernatural forces that supposedly created the world and filled all the space surrounding humans.
“The imagination of the Kyrgyz,” claimed the researcher of pre-revolutionary Kyrgyz, Zeiland, “animates the surrounding world with the mysterious activities of various spirits. The mountain peaks are inhabited by them…”
The Kyrgyz explained solar and lunar eclipses as the death of khans, padishahs, impending wars, or national disasters (terrible droughts, famine, earthquakes, etc.), although there is no connection between these natural and social phenomena. A solar eclipse occurs only during a new moon: the Moon, positioned between the Sun and the Earth, obscures the Sun. At this time, the lunar shadow falls on the Earth, and wherever the shadow of the Moon falls, a solar eclipse is observed. A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon: at this time, the Earth, positioned between the Sun and the Moon, casts its shadow towards the Moon, and if the Moon enters the Earth's shadow, the sunlight illuminating the Moon is blocked by the Earth, resulting in a lunar eclipse.
In ancient times, it was believed that an Учкан жылдыз (shooting star-meteor) is the soul of a deceased person: each star in the sky corresponds to the soul of a specific individual, and when that person dies, their star falls to the ground; it was believed that stars influence a person's fate. According to other beliefs, stars fall because angels (Периште) shoot arrows or guns at Кагара — an evil spirit (a little demon, servant of shaitan). The evil spirit possesses a person who succumbs to its temptation and seduction, and this corrupted person kills another — an innocent one, whose soul belongs to Кагар, to deliver it to hell, but the angels prevent this by rescuing the innocent soul on the road of darkness.
These shooting stars-meteors may carry news of the existence of life on other planets. Someday, by deciphering this cosmic “pigeon post” of the Universe, we, the inhabitants of Earth, will learn for sure that we are not alone in the cosmos.
British scientists studying an eight-kilogram meteorite discovered in Antarctica concluded that it could have arrived on Earth thousands of years ago as a result of an eruption of one of Mars' volcanoes or due to a collision between Mars and an asteroid. Organic carbon residues and hydrogen compounds were found in the meteorite, which could have been the raw material for the emergence of life. Researchers exclude the possibility that these substances could have been introduced while it was on the surface of the Earth.
Meteorites formed before the Sun became a star. Science has proven that the age of the oldest meteorites is 4.53 billion years, while according to the latest data, the age of the Sun is 4.49 billion years.
Organic compounds were also discovered on the Wilson comet by Australian astronomers. This discovery of organic compounds on a comet that came into the Solar System from outside supports the hypothesis that life on Earth originated from organic material brought by comets.
Comet — Куйруктуу жылдыз (literally, hairy star), its unusual appearance and sudden appearance frightened many. Various disasters — widespread diseases in animals and humans, crop failures, famine, devastating wars — the Kyrgyz associated with the appearance of the comet.
The planet Mars was called Кызыл жылдыз (red star) by the Kyrgyz and was also considered a sinister star that brings misfortune to people. In reality, the bloody-red color of the planet is due to its very thin atmosphere and the color of Mars, whose surface is mainly covered with deserts, and the sand, as is known, consists of iron oxides. This planet was long imagined as a “twin” of Earth, but it is very different from it. The moments of great oppositions — the approach of the planets to a distance of 60-65 million kilometers, occur once every 15-17 years, and then Mars majestically shines in the southern part of the sky. We all witnessed when on September 28, 1988, at midnight, the opposition of Mars occurred.
Mercury was called Кичи Чолпон (literally, small Чолпон), Чычктуу жылдыз (literally, impatient star), and Нарк жылдыз (literally, star that determines market prices) by the Kyrgyz. They believed that if Нарк жылдыз is visible high above the horizon (жогорудан тууса) at sunset in early April, then dairy products would rise in price (ак кымбат болот), and if it is low above the horizon, prices would be lower.
The visibility conditions of planets from Earth differ sharply for inner planets, whose orbits lie within Earth's orbit, and for outer planets (Venus and Mercury are inner planets, while the others are outer). An inner planet can be positioned between the Earth and the Sun or behind the Sun, meaning the planet may be invisible as it gets lost in the rays of the Sun.
The angle between the directions from Earth to the Sun and to the inner planet is called the greatest elongation from the Sun. For Mercury, it is no more than 27 degrees, which is the reason for its rare visibility against the backdrop of the solar dawn. However, experienced astronomers who studied the sky have observed this planet as well.
In April, Mercury is at the perihelion of its ellipse (i.e., it approaches our Sun very closely), and at this time, it strongly affects the internal processes occurring on the Sun. The more active the Sun becomes, the more the weather conditions on Earth change: with an abundance of moisture and rain, grasses, grains, etc. grow well; herders and farmers receive good offspring and harvests, everything becomes cheaper in the market, and the year will be prosperous — жыл жакшы болот.
In these representations, the Kyrgyz reflected their intuitive guesses about the universal connection and the influence of celestial bodies on earthly natural processes. The desire to understand the surrounding world, to comprehend natural phenomena, to unveil the mysteries of the Universe has always been inherent in humans. The dark sky with its numerous shining bodies was mysterious and enigmatic. It attracted, drew people in, and inspired the creation of legends, tales, and songs. Thus, the famous akyn Женижок celebrated the night sky in his verses as follows:
Countless stars in the universe.
Twinkling from afar,
They illuminate the world.
Shooting stars blaze.
The Great Bear
Revolves around the North Star.
The Pleiades — a cluster of stars,
Resembling frightened mares.
As Venus sets,
The stars become invisible.
The akyns sought not only to reflect the beauty of celestial bodies and the movement of stars, their positions and distances, their rising and setting, but also to find the reasons for certain celestial phenomena.
