History of Astronomy

Before advanced technology, the Mayan observed the “Seven Stars” Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn using positional and horizon astronomy just like the Greeks and Mesopotamians before them. Although the Mayans observations were made with the naked eye they still had many interpretations associated with the sun and moon. They also independently discovered octa eteris, a mesh between eight solar years with five Venus cycles of 584 days and 99 lunar months. Mayan warfare was also scheduled to get the most astrological benefits. To the Mayan astronomy was a sacred activity.

Ancient Greek astronomers made some amazing mathematical and philosophical discovers about our universe. From the Hellenistic Greek observations in approximately 300 B.C.E., to the invention of the first telescope in the seventeenth century, to the launching of today’s space probes, one thing is evident: astrological observations are imperative to creating a calendar.

2. The Milky Way galaxy is the constellation that earth belongs to, the sun is just another star within it.

Astrology is the use of the relative positions of celestial objects to predict events on Earth. It is an ancient field of study, having been in use thousands of years before common era. Cultures around the world had been looking to the skies for forecasts on happenings in their everyday lives long before Europeans began to do so. In Europe, astrology never established itself as a large influence on society until the Renaissance came around, mostly due to the strict Catholic principles that bound people to a particular set of beliefs. Prior to the Renaissance, according to the Encyclopedia of the Renaissance by Paul F. Grendler, astrology was often “condemned as determinist or unreliable or irreligious.” However, as the Renaissance unfolded,

Astronomy and astrology are very similar, yet different. Astronomy is the study of the universe and what's inside of it, as well as other universes. Astrology is the study of how the actions and movements of things in our universe affect what happens on earth, and people. Although they both deal with the universe and one was founded by the other, they also have many things that set them apart from one another. This essay will talk about the differences and similarities of astronomy and astrology and how each is used.

While researching “pre-industrial astronomical accomplishments,” it seemed that a good majority of the accomplishments being highlighted were those of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. Feeling that these topics may be over-researched, I decided to turn my attention towards the accomplishments of those in a different area of the world. After switching my focus to the pre-industrial astronomical feats of ancient Greek scientists, I have found that in many cases, these scientists contributed more than one idea, finding, or apparatus to the field of astronomy. For this research, I decided to hone in on the contributions made by Greek scientist Hipparchus. Throughout his magnificent life, and all before the implementation of modern technology,

Astronomers throughout history have contributed to and influenced the advancements made in the study of the stars, moons, and planets. One man who played a vital role in these advancements was born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, but known as Tycho Brahe. His precise examination of the solar system solidified more accurate findings about the galaxy, including that of the nova, longitude coordinates, and the planetary coordinates.

The astronomy that the Aztecs and the Maya developed was phenomenal. They were both great at predicting eclipses, as well as being the civilizations with the most accurate synodic periods of the Moon, Earth, Venus, and Mars at that time period. Clearly these people knew what they were doing and what they were looking at. Astronomy was such and important piece to their culture that you can see in both of the

There were a few scientific achievements of the Ancient Indians too. In the beginning of the Vedic period, Indian astronomers started to develop lunar calendars, or calendars based on the moon. They needed these calendars to tell them when their religious rituals had to be performed. To create these calendars, they found twenty-eight star groups, although they may have been borrowed from China, which told them where the moon would be. These groups were called ‘naksatras’. Another accomplishment of the astronomers was being able to determine the location of the sun, by using the principle that the sun is directly across from a full moon. Lastly, the Indians showed an interest in the “Great Year”. This was the idea that the planets move in cycles, and eventually they will be arranged as they were when the universe began. When this occurs, all history will restart (Whitfield, Traditions 44-45).

Astrology has been around for many years, but many people don’t understand what astrology is, who used astrology, and its

Astronomy was a discipline that was very serious to Islamic scholars and scientists, and throughout the Golden Age of Science they consistently worked to further develop astronomy, even applying other fields to help them. In the opening years of the Golden Age, astronomy was studied vigorously and even was used to assist the religion of the people. Because of its importance to religious duties (for example, calculating the qibla and prayer times), astronomy held a prominent place on the scientific scene. Rulers sponsored the construction of observatories and large observation instruments and employed scientists such as al-Battani, al-Khayyan, and al-Tusi to construct astronomical tables and keep time. An instrument that was well known around the world was the astrolabe. It came from a Hellenistic origin and was perfected by Muslim scientists and craftsmen. Many problems involving astronomy, that would normally take the likes of mundane computing, could be solved quickly and easily with the astrolabe.

The Heliocentric theory was developed once Copernicu realized that the Geocentric theory had defied certain ancient views, as well as realizing that it was far to complicated for his taste. Once conducting his research he had discovered that the earth was not at all in the center of the universe, “The eyes are witness that the heaven revolve in the space of twenty-four hours. But certain men, either from the love of novelty, or to make a display of ingenuity, have conclude that the earth moves and they maintain that neither the eighth sphere [of the fixed stars] nor the sun revolves...”. It was then discovered that the earth was not in the center and in its place was the sun, with it following Mercury, Venus, Earth; with the moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. In contradiction, of Ptolemy's Geocentric system which consisted of the earth in the center, followed by the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Firmament, Crystalline Sphere, Prime mover and Empyrean Heaven. Nonetheless, these finding were discovered, and put into Copernicus book, On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres, they were not out until before his death. With the fear of being embarrassed by other astronomers Copernicus book was not published until May 1543, before his death. After the people got a taste of these findings many questions had risen such as

In 1609, Galileo Galilei, using “spyglass” which allowed one to see things closer than they appeared, made an early version of the telescope. With it, he observed the skies in a way no one had before. He discovered the moon isn’t perfectly globular, it has craters, the Sun has sunspots, Venus orbits the Sun (contrary to widespread belief in his time), and then he observed four “stars” around Jupiter (“Our Solar System”). Within

Since the beginning of recorded civilization, stars played a huge role in religion and proved vital to routing. The invention of the telescope, the discovery of the “laws of motion” and gravity in the 17th century prompted the

Since the first Egyptian farmers discovered the annual reappearance of Sirius just before dawn a few days before the yearly rising of the Nile, ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean have sought to explain the movements of the heavens as a sort of calendar to help guide them conduct earthly activities. Counting phases of the moon or observing the annual variations of day length could, after many years' collection of observations, serve as vital indicators for planting and harvesting times, safe or stormy season for sailing, or time to bring the flocks from winter to summer pastures. With our millennia of such observation behind us, we sometimes forget that seeing and recording anything less obvious than