Historical past Of Astronomy (Oh Sure!)

The apex of Greek astronomy was reached within the Hellenistic period by the Alexandrian college. Aristarchus (c.310–c.230 BC) decided the sizes and distances of the moon and solar relative to the earth and advocated a heliocentric (solar-centered) cosmology. Though there were errors in his assumptions, his approach was really scientific; his work was the first severe attempt to make a scale mannequin of the universe. The primary correct measurement of the actual (as opposed to relative) dimension of the earth was made by Eratosthenes (284–192 BC).

In the third century BC, Aristarchus of Samos proposed an alternate cosmology (association of the universe): a heliocentric mannequin of the solar system , inserting the Solar, not the Earth, at the heart of the recognized universe (therefore he is sometimes often called the “Greek Copernicus “). His astronomical ideas were not properly-obtained, nevertheless, and only some transient references to them are preserved. We know the title of 1 follower of Aristarchus: Seleucus of Seleucia A representation of the Greek cosmology, with the earth on the heart circled by the moon, sun, the planets, and the celebs represented by the zodiac, from http ://www.aip.org/historical past/cosmology/concepts/bigger-image-pages/pic-greekworldview-evanscover.htm

The Egyptians had been one of the first to create an accurate calendar. In contrast to most cultures’, their calendar was primarily based upon the sun and stars somewhat than on the moon. This was because of the Nile River. With a calendar, they have been in a position to make correct estimates of when to plant crops, and when the Nile’s annual flooding would happen. Since the first calendars, there have at all times been seven days in every week, to match the quarter cycles of the Moon, and always twelve months in a yr, to match the twelve full cycles of the Moon per 12 months.

Anaxagoras (500 BC Clazomenae) (Αναξαγόρας). Anaxagoras’ most necessary thought was that people shouldn’t trust their senses (seeing and listening to) or their widespread sense to inform them in regards to the world, however they need to at all times use logic and reason to determine the reality instead. Sometimes this idea led Anaxagoras to some humorous conclusions. As an example, he stated that snow will need to have some darkness in it, as well as whiteness, or how may it turn into dark water when it melted? However he was in a position to use his logic to figure out correctly what precipitated eclipses.

Observation was ultimately undervalued by the Greeks in favour of the deductive process, where data is constructed by way of pure thought. This methodology is essential in arithmetic and the Greeks put such an emphasis on it that they falsely believed that deduction was the way in which to obtain the best information. In chronological order, here’s a checklist of some of the key ancient Greek philosophers, as far as astronomy is concerned, with links to more detailed descriptions. Poseidonius (Apamea, a hundred and forty-50 B.C.). ( Ποσειδώνιος)Incorrectly calculated the Earth’s circumference, which 1500 yr later, led Columbus to believe that Asia was only about 3000 miles westEurope.