Platonic Year (Noun)
Meaning
Time required for one complete cycle of the precession of the equinoxes, about 25,800 years.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- A platonic year is the length of time it takes the Earth's rotational axis to complete one cycle of precession.
- The ancient Greeks used a platonic year to describe the shifting of the North Star due to the precession of the equinoxes.
- A platonic year lasts approximately 25,800 years, a cycle caused by gravitational forces from other celestial bodies.
- The gradual change in the North Star due to precession takes one platonic year, which is roughly 25,800 years.
- Since a platonic year spans almost 26,000 years, the position of the constellations in the sky appears to shift over time.