[Coco] OT Dates (was Re: Looking for CoCo astronomy and space software.)

[Theodore Evans (Alex)]

On Jan 21, 2004, at 6:17 PM, KnudsenMJ at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 1/19/04 5:30:22 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> alxevans at concentric.net writes:
>
>> I have seen too many programs over the years that fail to take into
>>  consideration that on our calendar 1 BC (753 AUC) is the year before 
>> 1
>>  AD (754 AUC) and as a result are a year off for everything before 1 
>> AD.
>
> Say, what does AUC stand for?  I hadn't heard of a calendar 
> initialized at
> -750 BC.
> "Astronomical Union" maybe?  Or maybe this is the birth or accession 
> date of
> Augustus Caesar?  Thanks, Mike K.

It is from Latin for year of the city.  The foundation of Rome is 1 
AUC.  Augustus renamed the seventh (Quintus) and eighth (Sextus) months 
after Julius and himself in, IIRC, 707 AUC.  This was the major 
numbering system for years in Europe until the Adoption of AD c 1350 
AUC/600 AD.