Astronomy History Articles

An Ancient 2,000 year Old Astronomy Computer

The most famous ancient mechanical astronomical device yet found originates from ancient Greece around 150 BCE and is known as the Antikythera mechanism. Prior to its discovery in 1901, historical accounts of such mechanical technology …

gray rock formation under blue sky during daytime

Timeline of Astronomy: Important Dates and Discoveries

James Miller

Astronomy began long before written history, so no one knows exactly when humans first started studying the sky. Our prehistoric ancestors would have noticed the repeating movements of the Sun, Moon and stars, gradually learning …

Ancient Telescopes And Lenses

James Miller

Over the years archaeologists have been discovering greater numbers of ancient lenses, and historians finding more and more references to their use in ancient times. It is therefore inevitable that scientists would ask whether these …

Who Discovered The Earth Moves Around The Sun?

James Miller

Aristarchus of Samos was the first known person to propose that the Earth revolves around the Sun, doing so in the 3rd century BCE. However, his heliocentric theory gained few supporters and was largely forgotten …

History of Astronomy: How Our View of the Universe Changed

James Miller

For most of human history, everything known about the Universe came from looking at the sky. The Sun crossed the heavens each day. The Moon changed shape and moved among the stars. Five unusual points …