Summary:
The history of astronomy is a fascinating story, and one that continues to impact the world around us. This article takes a look at the early days of this special science.

Details or Sample:
Ever since the earliest days of mankind, humans have looked out at the night sky in wonder. Since the earliest days of civilization the moon, the sun and the stars were thought to be the realm of the gods, and those early religions prayed to these divine beings to protect their crops and take care of their families.

The scientific approach to the night sky is quite a bit more recent, and the new science of astronomy was controversial from the start. These days most people accept the scientific explanation of the surrounding universe, and new discoveries in the field of astronomy are being made year after year.

There is a great deal of evidence that even the earliest societies had at least some basic understanding of the world of astronomy, even if the science had not yet fully bloomed. The residents of ancient Stonehenge certainly understood the movements of heavenly objects, and it is thought that this massive stone circle played an important role in determining the best time to plant and harvest crops as well as serving important religious purposes.

Astronomy also played an important role in civilizations as far ranging as ancient Greece, Egypt, India, China and much of the Islamic world. A great deal of this early astronomy was concerned with mapping the movements of the stars and other celestial bodies, with practical uses ranging from planting schedules to determining the date of the Nile flood.

These early astronomers formed the basis for much of what was to follow, helping to map out the movement of the sun, the moon and the stars. For much of history, of course, the earth itself was thought to be the center of the universe, with all other celestial objects orbiting around it. This geocentric model of the universe held sway throughout much of history, and the current model of the universe and the earth’s place in it is quite recent.

The model of the universe developed by Copernicus was quite a departure from the geocentric model, upending much of the scientific and religious communities of the time. This groundbreaking work would form the foundation of further work by Galileo, Kepler and other household names.

The invention of the telescope helped to solidify the new heliocentric model of the universe, and the modern world of astronomy owes a great deal to these early innovators. The past centuries have seen mankind develop a greater understanding of the world around us, including a new look at the universe and our place in it.

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Written by: beconrad
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