Oldest depiction of Milky Way discovered on Ancient Egyptian coffin
An Associate Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, Or Graur, discovered what is believed to be the oldest known depiction of the Milky Way in ancient Egyptian art.
Driven by his passion, Graur led a major project documenting mythological representations of the Milky Way across civilizations, RT reported.
The celestial bodies were associated with several Egyptian deities.
The scientist studied 125 images of the goddess Nut (the goddess of the sky) on 555 Egyptian coffins dating back approximately 5,000 years. He published the results of his study in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage.
In these images of the night and day sky, the goddess Nut appears as a nude woman sitting in a bow-like position, sometimes adorned with stars.
Nut was believed to protect the Earth from floods and also played a pivotal role in the solar cycle.
Graur believes this wavy line represents the Milky Way and points to the so-called 'Great Divide,' a dark dust band separating the bright parts of the galaxy.
'When you compare this drawing to a modern image of the Milky Way, there's a striking similarity,' he noted.
Similar wavy lines appear in four tombs in the Valley of the Kings. In the tomb of Ramesses VI, the ceiling is divided into the 'Day Book' and the 'Night Book,' both featuring arched figures of Nut separated by swaying golden lines.
The scientist explained, 'I have not observed a similar line in any of the other cosmic representations of Nut, which reinforces my belief that while Nut and the Milky Way are related, they are not one and the same. Nut is not the embodiment of the Milky Way; rather, the Milky Way is one of the celestial phenomena that adorn her body.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Egypt Today
a day ago
- Egypt Today
et guide: Is Egypt vulnerable to a major earthquake?
Earthquake - file CAIRO - 3 June 2025: Egypt among other countries felt an earthquake that struck earlier Tuesday, and its measuring recorded at a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale. No injuries or damages were reported as a result. The Egyptian Red Crescent announced that its operations room detected an earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, at a depth of 62 km, in the Dodecanese Islands border area with Turkey, 129 km south-southeast of Aydın, Turkey, at 11:17 a.m. The earthquake was felt by residents of Greater Cairo, the Delta, Alexandria, and Marsa Matrouh. The current situation is stable, and no reports of human or property damage have been received so far. Egypt has felt at least three strong earthquakes in less than a month. Is Egypt safe from destructive earthquakes? Sherif El-Hadi, head of the Seismology Department at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, explained in previous statements that Egypt is relatively safe from destructive earthquakes compared to other areas directly located on seismic belts. Although history indicates that the region may experience significant seismic activity in the long term, the timing of this event cannot be determined based on recent seismic activity. Although Egyptians have felt some recent tremors, these were mostly caused by earthquakes centered outside Egypt in seismically active areas. Egypt itself is not directly located on a seismic belt, and there is no indication that an unusually large earthquake is imminent in the near future based on these earthquakes. Recent Earthquakes and Their Feelings in Egypt Recently, some Egyptians have felt several earthquakes, all of which had their epicenters outside Egypt. This includes the earthquake that occurred at 2:00 AM Cairo local time on Tuesday, centered in Turkey. Another earthquake recently felt by Egyptians was centered south of the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. This region is known for its seismic activity, and earthquakes that occur in the Mediterranean are usually non-destructive to Egypt and do not pose any immediate threat to Egyptian territory. The Possibility of Predicting Earthquakes The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics confirmed that earthquakes cannot be predicted, and that the frequency of earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean region is normal, and the National Seismic Network monitors them in real-time.
Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Tremors rattle Egypt - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt recently suffered two successive tremors. Reem Leila tries to find out if the country is becoming an earthquake zone. In the past couple of weeks, Egypt experienced two earthquakes. The first, of a magnitude 6.4 on the Richter scale, took place on 14 May. Eight days later, residents woke up to a 6.2 earthquake. They were felt by wide segments of the population across various governorates — from Greater Cairo and the Delta to the northern coast. Although the epicentres of both quakes were located south of the Greek island of Crete, hundreds of kilometres away from Egyptian territory, their strength, exceeding six according to the Richter scale, was enough to concern Egyptians. Citizens reacted strongly. Social media was filled with testimonies and questions about the nature and causes of the earthquakes, and an increased search for information regarding safety. According to the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), Egypt is not located within major seismic belts and earthquakes occurring deep in the Mediterranean Sea do not pose a direct threat to the country. According to Sherif Al-Hadi, head of the Earthquake Department at the NRIAG, Egypt is not sitting on any seismic belts and is not threatened by earthquakes. 'The term seismic belt means that we would be constantly alert day and night due to consecutive earthquakes,' Al-Hadi said, explaining that what is currently happening is that Egypt is affected by several seismic belts outside its borders. Among these seismic belts are those passing through the Mediterranean Sea south of the islands of Cyprus and Crete. One of those is a low-activity seismic belt 390 km away from Cairo. The other is more than 700 km away from Cairo and has almost no effect on Upper Egypt. Al-Hadi confirmed that Egypt 'is at a safe distance, and what is happening is only the sensation of tremors, especially on the upper floors, without any damage to infrastructure or any losses of lives or property.' Abbas Sharaki, a Cairo University geology professor, told Al-Ahram Weekly that most of the earthquakes felt in Egypt originate from the Mediterranean Sea, particularly from the regions near Greece and Turkey. Sharaki said that some of the zones prone to feeling earthquakes include the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the area extending from the Dead Sea up to Turkey. Greece is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, he added. However, he added that although thousands of earthquakes are recorded there each year, severe damage or fatalities are rare. He described the region as a very active and systematic seismic zone that has experienced stronger earthquakes in the past, but none have seriously impacted Egypt. Sharaki also noted that the NRIAG is closely monitoring the aftershocks, which so far have been mild. Over the long-term there are expectations of an earthquake occurring in the seismic belt area with a magnitude 6.5. Such events, according to Al-Hadi, happen from time to time but unlike weather, earthquakes cannot be predicted because the nature of the earth is completely different from the nature of the weather. 'What we do is estimate the likelihood of earthquakes based on seismic zones, which may become dormant at times and active at others,' he said. Al-Hadi advised the public, when feeling any tremors, to avoid elevators and use the stairs, and to remain calm, as panic can lead to chaos and stampedes, which in turn cause injuries. * A version of this article appears in print in the 29 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Tahya Masr
6 days ago
- Tahya Masr
Huawei ICT Competition Global Final 2024-2025 Concludes with Outstanding Performance from Egyptian Teams
Demonstrating the remarkable rise of digital talent in Egypt, teams of ICT students from leading Egyptian universities delivered outstanding performances at the Huawei ICT Competition Global Final 2024–2025. Now in its 9th edition, the competition attracted more than 210,000 students from over 80 countries and regions, with 179 teams from 48 countries advancing to the Global Final. Amid this fierce global competition, Egyptian teams once again emerged among the top performers across the competition's core tracks: Network, Cloud, Computing, and Innovation, highlighting the country's growing capabilities in digital skills, and technological innovation. Among this year's most remarkable achievements was a collaborative team comprising Abdelrahman Abdel Nasser and Abdelrahman Adel Bahrawy from Ain Shams University, and Malak Ibrahim from the Egyptian Russian University, proudly secured First Prize in the Computing Track. In the Innovation Track, under the mentorship of Dr. Aya El Zoghby- New Mansoura University, a talented team from New Mansoura University Abdelrahman Abdel Halim, Basel Abdel Maksoud, and El Sayed Ahmed earned Second Prize for their groundbreaking project, 'Evana', an AI-powered robotic surgical arm assistant that harnesses the capabilities of Huawei Cloud. In the Cloud Track, a team mentored by Dr. Heba Sayed Ahmed, the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI), Dr. Mohamed ElMougy- Mansoura University; Dr. Samah Eissa- Ain Shams University along with the team members Abrar Mohamed from Benha University, Ahmed Khaled from Cairo University, and Saja Said from the Canadian International College achieved Second Prize for their outstanding performance. In the Network Track, a team mentored by Dr. Ahmed Osman from Suez University, and including Sadek Hany from Delta Technological University, Moahmed Attallah from Mansoura College Academy, and Mohamed Ammar from Zagazig University, secured Third Prize, showcasing strong teamwork and technical expertise. The exceptional results achieved by the Egyptian teams are a powerful testament to Huawei's commitment to nurturing future generations of ICT leaders and underscores the wide-ranging ICT expertise fostered across Egyptian institutions. In addition, Dr. Tamer Mustafa of the Egyptian Russian University was honored with the Grand Prize at Huawei ICT Academy Global Most Valuable Instructors, an esteemed honor celebrating his exceptional dedication to developing Egypt's ICT talent and empowering the next generation of technology leaders. In his opening speech, Ritchie Peng, Director of the ICT Strategy & Business Development Department at Huawei, emphasized the broader mission behind the competition, 'At Huawei, we are committed to cultivating ICT talent through continuous innovation in our competition design. The Practice Competition aligns with our vision for Intelligent World 2030, inspiring students to master cloud computing, big data, and AI to drive social progress. Simultaneously, the Innovation Competition champions green development and digital inclusion, motivating students to address real-world challenges across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education through ICT.' Benjamin Hou, CEO of Huawei Egypt, said, "As digital transformation accelerates worldwide, the demand for skilled professionals in areas like AI, big data, and Cloud is growing, yet the shortage of talent remains a pressing global challenge. The exceptional performance of Egyptian students at this year's Huawei ICT Competition Global Final demonstrates their readiness to lead in this rapidly evolving landscape.' He added, 'Through initiatives such as the Huawei ICT Competition, Huawei is equipping students with the critical skills needed to thrive in an intelligent, digital future. We are proud to partner with Egypt's top universities and invest in the country's vibrant youth, helping to cultivate the next generation of tech leaders and reinforce Egypt's role as an emerging hub for innovation and digital excellence." Egypt was part of a broader Northern African success story at the Global Final. Teams from Algeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt won accolades across the competition's core tracks. Their collective success reflects the region's growing focus on digital empowerment and inclusive development. It is worth noting that over the past decade, the Huawei ICT Competition has grown into a premier global platform for ICT knowledge and innovation. Since 2015, it has engaged over 960,000 students from 2,000 institutions in more than 100 countries. Recognized by UNESCO's Global Skills Academy as a flagship initiative, the competition continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of global ICT leaders.
