Babylonian astronomers that called (tupšar Enûma Anu Enlil) had been observing skies for centuries and recorded all their observation in astronomical diaries. With the access to the variety data in astronomer diaries Babylonian had a great opportunity to make people aware of very accurate developments and discoveries in astronomy. They predicted the lunar eclipses and solar eclipses by Saros-cycle in the period of 223 synodic months (18 years and 11.3 days) after lunar and solar eclipses repeat themselves. The remarkable information that had been gathered through years and years of observing resulted to creation of a pretty accurate calendar.Babylonian astronomers found out that 235 lunar months are equal to 19 solar years with and slight difference of 2 hours. They negotiated seven years from of nineteen years should
The Greek astronomer’s discoveries such as Ptolemy geocentric model leaded to advance developments and discoveries in astronomy he is also known as the most influential astronomer of all time.
Ptolemy was an astronomer who created the geocentric model for the first time by using the records of Hipparchus’s observations. Geocentric or Ptolemaic system states that the earth is at the centre of the universe and sun, moon, stars and planets are orbiting the earth. He explored that the earth had spherical shape when back in his days people used to think that the earth was flat.
Hipparchus estimated the length of year by using his records as he was one the astronomers who had been recorded all his notes for a very long time. He found out that different season’s lengths are not totally the same, he also predicted the eclipses. He made an enormous catalogue of stars for the first time
Roman
One of the most important discoveries that ancient roman astronomers developed was the accurate Julian calendar in which Julius caeser mentioned that a year is not 365 days but its 365 and 1/4 a
The ancient Babylonian calendar was rather similar to our modern calendar today. All together, the Babylonian calendar had a total of 12
This book focuses on different types of calendars from a number of different places all around the world. This specific chapter, even more specifically this section, focuses on the Mayan calendar. These calendars were written by honored members of their aristocracy and were held to be of great value. The Spanish invaders believed them to be instruments of the devil and burnt great quantities of them. E. G. Richards explains that only four Mayan books are survive in the libraries of Europe, and one of those—The Dresden codex—suffered severe damage in another fire, one which was inflicted on that city in the Second World War. Richards says that the earliest record of a calendar survives from about 500 BC in Monte Alban near Oaxaca. This calendar employs a 260-day cycle, which was commonly used by several societies and is still in use among the present-day inhabitants of the region. The Maya used the calendar partly to anticipate propitious days to embark on wars and other activities. It was also used to record on stone pillars, or stelae, important events in the lives of their kings and to relate these to more mythical events of the past. The Mayan calendar system involved two major methods of specifying a specific date—the calendar round and the long count. The calendar round was used to specify a date within a period of about 52 years, while the long count served to relate such dates within a longer period named a great cycle. The calendar round involved three interlocking cycles of 13, 20, and 365 days respectively. The 365-day cycle was called a haab and was similar to the Egyptian wandering year. Each haab was divided into 18 periods called uinals; each uinal had 20 days and a name. The 18 uinal were followed by five epagomen...
The Maya elite developed a complicated calendar system. There are two main cycles in their calendar; one was made up of 260 days and the other 365. Each day is named from both the 260 and 365-day calendars. Because of this each full day name could only repeat every 18,980 days or once every 52 years.
Before the time of Copernicus, people had extremely different views of the universe. A Greek astronomer named Ptolemy had his own theory of the earth and its relationship with the sun and other planets. Around 140 AD, he came up with a system that showed the earth at the center of the universe with the sun and planets revolving around it in a spherical shape (Reichenbach 15-17). Ptolemy also believed that the earth remained still and that the outermost sphere contained the stars, which were fixed in space (Westman).
In addition to creating America's first clock, Banneker had an interest in astronomy. When Banneker's friend Andrew Ellicott died, he left him books on astronomy, scientific instruments, and a telescope. Banneker began to study astronomy and made mathematical calculations of the stars and constellations. He used these calculations to correctly predict a solar eclipse that took place on April 14, 1789.
Before the sixteenth century, the common knowledge of astronomy was based off the Ptolemaic model which said the Earth was the center of the universe and everything, including the sun, planets, and the heavenly spheres rotated about its center. It made complete sense at the time because it did account for every planetary motion and it was what the church believed. Claudius Ptolemy came up with this model in about 100 AD for other works of Greek astronomers.
Eudoxus of Cnidus lived from around 408 BC to about 355 BC. Eudoxus was a Greek mathematician and also an astronomer. He had a significant part in the advancement of the proportion theory and helped identify constellations, which lead to the maturation of astronomy in the Greek world. Eudoxus was also the earliest man to institute the first advanced geometrical representation of astronomical motion. He recorded on geography at that time and provided to theoretical discussions in Plato’s Academy. Although none of his records have sustained, his contributions are frequented from a number of discussions throughout the civilizations of antiquity.
Mesopotamians were lovers of knowledge and great scientists. Their understanding of astronomy and mathematics allowed them to develop a calendar, and established the 60 minute hour. Some historians believe that Sumerians only knew of a hand full of stars and didn’t draw so much focus to the sky as later civilizations. Other historians believe that they had a great understanding of the stars and even had knowledge of the planets in the solar system. Historian and author Zecharia Sitchin claims that various art works imprinted on clay tablets depict the planets in our solar system.
In 1564 Galileo Galilei was born. Pursuing his love for science, he grew up to become the father of experimental physics. Among his accomplishments were the isochronism pendulum and the hydrostatic balance. He also is credited with improving and profiting off the telescope. All these discoveries gave Galileo a great reputation allowing him to land a job at the University of Pisa. While there he started to develop interest in the Copernican theory of heliocentricity. This was dangerous work. The heliocentric theory directly conflicted with church teachings that everything, sun included, revolved around the earth.
Thousands of years ago, ancient people looked up at the night sky and spotted unfamiliar objects in the sky, known as stars. Some people saw the stars as a tool to navigate at night and to keep up with the seasons. Others were completely clueless about what the stars were and why there were up in the sky. This eventually led to curiosity and the beginning of astronomy. The very first astronomers grouped stars into constellations, which basically is connecting the stars to make an imaginary outline of people, object, or animals. This allowed the astronomers to keep track of the movement of the planets and the sun, which allowed them to create the very first accurate calendar to know when it was the right time to harvest and plant.
His book Stereometrica Doliorum formed the basis of integral calculus. First to explain that the tides are caused by the Moon (Galileo rebuked him for this). First to use stellar parallax caused by the Earth's orbit to try to measure the distance to the stars; the same principle as depth perception. First to suggest that the Sun rotates about its axis in Astronomia Nova First to derive the birth year of Christ, that is now universally accepted.
Galileo used this great invention to report astronomical facts such as the moon is cover with craters instead of being smooth, the Milky Way is composed of millions of stars, and Jupiter have four moons. Perhaps the most famous discovery is the Earth revolves around the Sun and the Earth is not the center of the universe (even though he was discredited at the time).
Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer and mathematician who lived between 1671-1630. Kepler was a Copernican and initially believed that planets should follow perfectly circular orbits (“Johan Kepler” 1). During this time period, Ptolemy’s geocentric theory of the solar system was accepted. Ptolemy’s theory stated that Earth is at the center of the universe and stationary; closest to Earth is the Moon, and beyond it, expanding towards the outside, are Mercury, Venus, and the Sun in a straight line, followed by Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the “fixed stars”. The Ptolemaic system explained the numerous observed motions of the planets as having small spherical orbits called epicycles (“Astronomy” 2). Kepler is best known for introducing three effectual, applicable and valid laws of planetary motion by using the precise data he had developed from Tycho Brahe, a Danish astronomer, which helped Copernicus’s theory of the solar system gain universal reception (“Johan Kepler” 1). Nevertheless, he had made further effective contributions in the field of astronomy, which are valid to society and were used to change how the universe was perceived.
Around 1514, Copernicus finished his first book ,“Commentariolus”, which in Latin “small commentary,” held Copernicus’s findings on scientific methods for finding where the planets are, formulas, and observations, which ultimately led up to his discovery that the sun is the center of the Universe. In his heliocentric solar system, Copernicus made seven major theories. Among those, one is this, “The sun is the center of the universe, and all celestial bodies rotate around it.” -Nicolaus Copernicus. About two years later, Copernicus’s book “Commentariolus” was published. La...
Astronomy dates back to ancient times when peoples such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese kept written records of astronomical events and occurrences. Today’s seven day week originates from the Babylonians’ seven important bodies in the night sky: the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. The ancient Egyptians used the stars to align their pyramids and many of their corridors in almost perfect north-south or east-west directions. The Chinese were experts at predicting solar eclipses. They believed that a solar eclipse was a dangerous warning. Chinese astronomers were executed if they failed to predict an eclipse.