Editing Lunar node (section)

==Names and symbols==
[[File:Astronomicum Caesareum (1540).f18.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|The dragon in [[Petrus Apianus|Peter Apian]]'s ''[[Astronomicum Caesareum]]'', 1540]]

The nodes are called by different names in different cultures of the world.

In medieval [[Arabic (language)|Arabic]] texts, alongside the seven [[Classical planet|classical planets]], it was believed that an eighth pseudo-planet was the cause of solar and lunar eclipses, termed ''al-Tinnīn'' (the Dragon) or ''al-Jawzahr'' (from [[New Persian|Classical Persian]] ''Gawzahr'').<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Azarpay |first1=G. |last2=Kilmer |first2=A. D. |title=The Eclipse Dragon on an Arabic Frontispiece-Miniature |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |date=1978 |volume=98 |issue=4 |pages=363–374 |doi=10.2307/599748 |jstor=599748}}</ref> The planet was split into two parts representing the lunar nodes, termed the Head (<i>ra’s</i>) and Tail (<i>dhanab</i>) of the mythological dragon.<ref>{{cite book |last=Carboni |first=Stefano |date=1997 |title=Following the Stars: Images of the Zodiac in Islamic Art |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Following_the_Stars_Images_of_the_Zodiac_in_Islamic_Art |location=New York |publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |page=23}}</ref> Similarly, the nodes are termed ''rosh ha-teli u-zenavo'' (ראש ה[[WIKT:תלי|תלי]] וזנבו){{vn|date=January 2022|I think that may refer to the head and tail of Draco}} in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], and ''caput draconis'' (head of the dragon) or ''cauda draconis'' (tail of the dragon) in [[Latin (language)|Latin]].<ref>{{ Citation | last = Sela | first = Shlomo | date = 2003 | title = Abraham Ibn Ezra and the Rise of Medieval Hebrew Science | series = Brill's Series in Jewish Studies | volume = 32 | publisher = Brill | place = Leiden / Boston | pages = 124–126, 244–245 | isbn = 9789004129733 }}</ref>  The ascending node is referred to as the '''dragon's head''' with the [[astronomy|astronomical]] or [[astrology|astrological]] symbol of ☊ and the descending node is known as the '''dragon's tail''' with the symbol ☋.

In [[Hindu astronomy]], the nodes are considered with the [[Classical planet#Indian astrology|seven planets]] to form the nine [[Navagrahas]]; the ascending node ☊ is called ''[[Rahu]]'' and the descending node ☋ is called ''[[Ketu (mythology)|Ketu]]''.<ref>{{ Citation | last = Hartner | first = Willy | author-link = Willy Hartner | date = 1938 | title = The Pseudoplanetary Nodes of the Moon's Orbit in Hindu and Islamic Iconographies: A Contribution to the History of Ancient and Medieval Astrology | journal = Ars Islamica | volume = 5 | issue = 2 | pages = 112–154 | jstor = 4520926 }}</ref> '''Rāhu''' ([[Sanskrit]]: राहु, ) is one of the nine major celestial bodies ([[navagraha]]) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the Moon in its precessional orbit around the Earth, also referred as the north lunar node, and along with [[Ketu (mythology)|Ketu]], is a "shadow planet" that causes eclipses. Despite having no physical existence, Rahu has been allocated the status of the planet by ancient seers owing to its strong influence in astrology. Rahu is usually paired with [[Ketu (mythology)|Ketu]], another shadow planet. The time of day considered to be under the influence of Rahu is called ''[[Rahu kala|Rāhu kāla]]'' and is considered inauspicious.

In [[Tibetan astrology]] (partially based on the [[Kalachakra#Astrology|Kalachakra Tantra]]) these nodes are respectively named ''Rahu'' and ''[[Kalagni Rudra Upanishad#Name|Kalagni]]''.<ref>{{Citation |last = Berzin | first = Alexander | author-link = Alexander Berzin (scholar) | date = 1987 | title = An Introduction to Tibetan Astronomy and Astrology | journal = The Tibet Journal | volume = 12 | issue = 1 | pages = 17–28 | jstor = 43300228 }}</ref>