INSpiREzine Stars! | Page 24

ASTRONOMY is one of the oldest sciences in the world, dating back to ancient times. By definition, astronomy is the study of celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry to explain the origins and evolution of celestial objects and occurrences, including planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, quasars, blazars, pulsars, and much more. A branch of astronomy called cosmology is the study of the Universe as a whole.

Ancient Astronomy: The Stars of Civilizations Past

Much of what we now know about the stars and the universe, we attribute to the thinkers of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution and the 17th century invention of the telescope. With the evolution of astronomy, we better than ever appreciate the stars as the complex illuminations that they are. Contrary to popular belief, ancient peoples also saw them as more than mere pinpoints of light in the night sky. In fact, many of the earliest civilizations in recorded history, methodically observed the night sky and recorded their findings. As civilizations developed, most notably in Mesopotamia, Greece, Persia, India, China, Egypt, and Central America, astronomical observatories were assembled, the positions of the stars and planets were mapped, and the earliest ideas about the motions of the stars and planets were formed.