Lecture 7 - Astronomy in Different Cultures

Lecture 7 - Astronomy in Different Cultures Ancient Egypt ◇ The people of ancient Egypt were one of the first groups of people to invent a lunar-solar calendar. Some of them are that Egyptians used their astronomy skill in construction of their pyramids and temples orienting them with stars. Mesopotamia ◇ It can be noted that star catalogs are recognized to have been first developed by the Mesopotamians. - They also differentiated stars and learning to identify and name constellations; some of which have been named up to date. - They also instituted what is known today as the lunar calendar and predicting various events in nature through the stars. Ancient Greece ◇ Numerous famous Greek astronomers are known and some of the most outstanding were Ptolemy and Hipparchus. - They established orientational systems of the solar system and created vast arstarnomical tables. India ◇ Indian astronomers of the past had utilized the stars for directions and also for the time line. - The Surya Siddhanta is an ancient Indian work on astronomy dating back to the 4th century where details facts on the movements of the planets, eclipses, and the lunar calendar are described. China ◇ Chinese astronomers made meticulous observations of the stars and planets. - They recorded celestial events such as supernovae and comets and developed a calendar system based on the moon’s cycles. Islamic Golden Age ◇ Discovering new ideas and innovations, scientists of the Islamic Golden Age contributed to the improvement of astronomy. - Astronomers constructed observation instruments and structures which included the observatories. Scholars like Al-Battani and Al-Sufi, passed on the works of the ancient Greek and added to the astronomical corpus. Indigenous Cultures of the Americas ◇The natives of Americas, particularly the Maya and the Inca peoples had fair knowledge of astronomy. - They constructed observatories and came up with intricately worked out calendars following their study of the stars and the planets. Aboriginal Australians ◇ Aboriginal Australians have a rich tradition of astronomy passed down through oral history. - Their knowledge of the stars is integral to their cultural practices and navigation.