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ANCIENT ASTRONOMY

ANCIENT ASTRONOMY. What is Astronomy?. Astronomy is the science of the stars, planets and other celestial bodies as well as the universe as a whole. Astronomy stretches back over 6000 years , making it the oldest science by far.

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ANCIENT ASTRONOMY

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  1. ANCIENT ASTRONOMY

  2. What is Astronomy? • Astronomy is the science of the stars, planets and other celestial bodies as well as the universe as a whole. • Astronomy stretches back over 6000 years, making it the oldest science by far. • The development of astronomy has been intertwined with the development of civilization through timekeeping, navigation, religion and curiosity.

  3. Time Keeping • The 24-hour day is based on the time it takes the sun to circle the sky. • The length of a month is from the lunar cycle (from new moon to full moon and back). • The calendar year is the cycle of the seasons (caused by the axial tilt of the Earth). • Days of the week are named after the seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations: the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. • Shadows during the day were used to time keep (sun dial)

  4. Navigation Seafaring Polynesians 1000BCE • Use the Sun during the day. • Use the Stars during night. • In the Northern Hemisphere: Ursa Major (Big Dipper) used to find Polaris (the North Star) • In the Southern Hemisphere: No bright star in the Southern Hemisphere equivalent to Polaris. The Southern Cross constellation can be used to find South.

  5. Religion • Babylonians thought that celestial gods ruled the sky. • Greeks and Romans adopted those gods. • Egyptian deity Ra, the Sun God, was swallowed every evening by Nut, the Sky Goddess. • Sumerians thought every evening the Sun was captured by a magical boatman. • African tribes had a variety of beliefs about the sky. • Mayans worshiped the god of Sun, Moon, etc.

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