Category Archives: Historical

Hypatia of Alexandria

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Kaitlyn Lane

Hypatia is considered the first female astronomer and mathematician (of whom we have records) of the world. She lived in Alexandria in the 4th century AD, where she studied and taught philosophy and astronomy at the Neoplatonic school of Alexandria. Her father, Theon of Alexandria, was a prominent mathematician and some consider him the last […] Continue reading →

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Solar Architecture and History

Posted on February 20, 2022 by timmyshaheen

In the television show Avatar: The Last Airbender, the main character is able to commune with one of his past lives on the Winter Solstice. This happens when the sun shines through the wall and directly hits a statue of the past life that he is trying to talk to. The catch in the show […] Continue reading →

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Blog #2: Archeoastronomy

Posted on February 20, 2022 by nadiamcglynn

Reflecting on how science and astronomy have grown and blossomed into what we study today really illustrates how amazing ancient feats of astronomy and observation were. The impacts of ancient observations of the night sky still effect us today, including in the name of months, the days of the week, and the length of our days and years. Continue reading →

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Retrograde Motion

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Brian

It is often easy to look back at historical astronomical theories and think that they were silly or nonsensical. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and with what ancient astronomers knew at the time, it makes sense that they created bizarre models of the universe. Retrograde motion is a phenomenon that gave scientists a lot ofContinue reading “Retrograde Motion” Continue reading →

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The Nature and Beginnings of Science

Posted on February 19, 2022 by parallaxHubble

Ever since the development of the rational brain, human beings have tried to understand the world around them. For the first few millennium, we went about understand the world around us through story and narration. Whether or not you consider yourself religious, it is evident that prominent religious works, such as the Bible of Christianity,Continue reading “The Nature and Beginnings of Science” Continue reading →

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Archeoastronomy: the Ancient Greeks

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Lindsey

The quest for knowledge about the universe we live in is not a modern phenomenon. Many cultures throughout history have devoted a significant amount of time and resources in pursuit of this knowledge. One ancient civilization that dramatically improved our knowledge of astronomy was the ancient Greeks. One of the main goals of Greek astronomers […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2022 by alexlitt

Galileo Galilei: Galileo Galilei revolutionized the field of Astronomy by providing conclusive evidence to disprove astronomical misconceptions that had stagnated humanities understanding of the solar system, and the universe, for more than a thousand years. Prior to Galileo, scientists asserted that Earth could not be moving because under that scenario a falling object would land […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2022 by Jack Walton

I chose to learn more about Galileo (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642). Two major historical events that happened during Galileo’s lifetime were: On May 14, 1607, when Galileo was around 43, the colony of Jamestown was founded in what is now Virginia. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. In […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2022 by McKenzieKing

Nicholas Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 and died on May 24, 1543. During the time that he was alive, a couple of historically interesting things happened. Of course, Copernicus himself was the first modern astronomer to propose a…

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2022 by ccatanese1

Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) is very well-known for his heliocentric theory which postulated that the sun is the center of the solar system. It had been widely believed that the earth was the center of the universe and it wasn’t until Copernicus that this belief began to shift. Initially the […] Continue reading →

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