The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy

The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy

Author: James Evans

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1998-10-01

Total Pages: 495

ISBN-13: 019987445X

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The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy combines new scholarship with hands-on science to bring readers into direct contact with the work of ancient astronomers. While tracing ideas from ancient Babylon to sixteenth-century Europe, the book places its greatest emphasis on the Greek period, when astronomers developed the geometric and philosophical ideas that have determined the subsequent character of Western astronomy. The author approaches this history through the concrete details of ancient astronomical practice. Carefully organized and generously illustrated, the book can teach readers how to do real astronomy using the methods of ancient astronomers. For example, readers will learn to predict the next retrograde motion of Jupiter using either the arithmetical methods of the Babylonians or the geometric methods of Ptolemy. They will learn how to use an astrolabe and how to design sundials using Greek and Roman techniques. The book also contains supplementary exercises and patterns for making some working astronomical instruments, including an astrolabe and an equatorium. More than a presentation of astronomical methods, the book provides a critical look at the evidence used to reconstruct ancient astronomy. It includes extensive excerpts from ancient texts, meticulous documentation, and lively discussions of the role of astronomy in the various cultures. Accessible to a wide audience, this book will appeal to anyone interested in how our understanding of our place in the universe has changed and developed, from ancient times through the Renaissance.


Book Synopsis The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy by : James Evans

Download or read book The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy written by James Evans and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1998-10-01 with total page 495 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy combines new scholarship with hands-on science to bring readers into direct contact with the work of ancient astronomers. While tracing ideas from ancient Babylon to sixteenth-century Europe, the book places its greatest emphasis on the Greek period, when astronomers developed the geometric and philosophical ideas that have determined the subsequent character of Western astronomy. The author approaches this history through the concrete details of ancient astronomical practice. Carefully organized and generously illustrated, the book can teach readers how to do real astronomy using the methods of ancient astronomers. For example, readers will learn to predict the next retrograde motion of Jupiter using either the arithmetical methods of the Babylonians or the geometric methods of Ptolemy. They will learn how to use an astrolabe and how to design sundials using Greek and Roman techniques. The book also contains supplementary exercises and patterns for making some working astronomical instruments, including an astrolabe and an equatorium. More than a presentation of astronomical methods, the book provides a critical look at the evidence used to reconstruct ancient astronomy. It includes extensive excerpts from ancient texts, meticulous documentation, and lively discussions of the role of astronomy in the various cultures. Accessible to a wide audience, this book will appeal to anyone interested in how our understanding of our place in the universe has changed and developed, from ancient times through the Renaissance.


Echoes of the Ancient Skies

Echoes of the Ancient Skies

Author: E. C. Krupp

Publisher: Courier Corporation

Published: 2012-03-15

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 0486137643

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Popular, authoritative look at the world of archaeoastronomy, the study of ancient peoples' observation of the skies and its role in their cultural evolution. 208 illustrations.


Book Synopsis Echoes of the Ancient Skies by : E. C. Krupp

Download or read book Echoes of the Ancient Skies written by E. C. Krupp and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2012-03-15 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Popular, authoritative look at the world of archaeoastronomy, the study of ancient peoples' observation of the skies and its role in their cultural evolution. 208 illustrations.


ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS

ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS

Author: AVENI A

Publisher: Smithsonian

Published: 1995-06-17

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 9780895990372

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Includes the development of astronomy in the Islamic empire, Asia, Africa, Mesoamerica, North America, the Andes, and Oceania.


Book Synopsis ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS by : AVENI A

Download or read book ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS written by AVENI A and published by Smithsonian. This book was released on 1995-06-17 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes the development of astronomy in the Islamic empire, Asia, Africa, Mesoamerica, North America, the Andes, and Oceania.


The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy

The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy

Author: James Evans

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1998-10

Total Pages: 510

ISBN-13: 9780195095395

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Birth of astronomy -- Celestial sphere -- Some applications of spherics -- Calendars and time reckoning -- Solar theory -- Fixed stars -- Planetary theory -- Frequently used tables -- Appendix : patterns for models.


Book Synopsis The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy by : James Evans

Download or read book The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy written by James Evans and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1998-10 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Birth of astronomy -- Celestial sphere -- Some applications of spherics -- Calendars and time reckoning -- Solar theory -- Fixed stars -- Planetary theory -- Frequently used tables -- Appendix : patterns for models.


Island of the Setting Sun

Island of the Setting Sun

Author: Anthony Murphy

Publisher:

Published: 2020-07-31

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781916099852

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Ireland is home to some of the world's oldest astronomically-aligned structures, giant stone monuments erected over 5,000 years ago. Despite their apparent simplicity, these megalithic edifices were crafted by a scientifically knowledgeable community of farmers who endeavoured to enshrine their beliefs in a stellar afterlife within the very fabric of their cleverly-designed stone temples.Finally back in print, this reissued edition presents evidence suggesting the builders of monuments such as Newgrange and its Boyne Valley counterparts were adept astronomers, cunning engineers and capable surveyors. Their huge monuments are memorials in stone and earth, commemorating their creators' perceived unity with the cosmos and enshrining a belief system which resulted from a crossover between science and spirituality.As investigation of this awe-inspiring civilisation of people continues on many levels, evidence is emerging that significant archaeological sites dating from deep in prehistory are linked - not just through mythology, archaeology and cosmology - but through an arrangement of complex, and in some cases astonishing, alignments. Some of these alignments of ancient sites stretch from one side of Ireland to another.While the accounts of the lives of some prominent Irish saints appear to be steeped in folklore and mystery, it seems from new interpretations of the literature that the cosmic world view which existed in Neolithic Ireland experienced a continuity right into the Early Christian period.Join us on this fascinating exploration of stones, stars and stories."The sheer amount of information contained within the book is mind-boggling. It is well thought out and structured . . . The more you read the evidence the more convinced you become."- Astronomy & Space magazine"Refreshing and fascinating . . . a wonderful magical book, sumptuously illustrated and a must for anyone who loves to delve deep into our past." - Kenny's Irish Bookshop"A fascinating insight into Ireland's ancient burial sites" - Irish Independent"A monument" - Drogheda Independent"It is a beautiful book and very well written. The information that you collected is outstanding." - Barbara Carter, co-author, The Myth of the Year and The Goddess and the Bull"The authors . . . reach interesting and challenging conclusions about the significance of ancient astronomical knowledge. The book is jammed with colour illustrations, maps and photographs. A thoroughly interesting read!" - Archaeology Ireland."An essential book that demonstrates just how much the beliefs and practicesof our ancestors were influenced by the movement of the stars, in particularthose of the constellation Cygnus - the celestial swan and Northern Cross -once seen as a source of life and the destination of the soul in death. Amust have tome for all those passionate about what remains of our fastdisappearing ritual monuments of the prehistoric age." - Andrew Collins, author of The Cygnus Mystery


Book Synopsis Island of the Setting Sun by : Anthony Murphy

Download or read book Island of the Setting Sun written by Anthony Murphy and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-31 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ireland is home to some of the world's oldest astronomically-aligned structures, giant stone monuments erected over 5,000 years ago. Despite their apparent simplicity, these megalithic edifices were crafted by a scientifically knowledgeable community of farmers who endeavoured to enshrine their beliefs in a stellar afterlife within the very fabric of their cleverly-designed stone temples.Finally back in print, this reissued edition presents evidence suggesting the builders of monuments such as Newgrange and its Boyne Valley counterparts were adept astronomers, cunning engineers and capable surveyors. Their huge monuments are memorials in stone and earth, commemorating their creators' perceived unity with the cosmos and enshrining a belief system which resulted from a crossover between science and spirituality.As investigation of this awe-inspiring civilisation of people continues on many levels, evidence is emerging that significant archaeological sites dating from deep in prehistory are linked - not just through mythology, archaeology and cosmology - but through an arrangement of complex, and in some cases astonishing, alignments. Some of these alignments of ancient sites stretch from one side of Ireland to another.While the accounts of the lives of some prominent Irish saints appear to be steeped in folklore and mystery, it seems from new interpretations of the literature that the cosmic world view which existed in Neolithic Ireland experienced a continuity right into the Early Christian period.Join us on this fascinating exploration of stones, stars and stories."The sheer amount of information contained within the book is mind-boggling. It is well thought out and structured . . . The more you read the evidence the more convinced you become."- Astronomy & Space magazine"Refreshing and fascinating . . . a wonderful magical book, sumptuously illustrated and a must for anyone who loves to delve deep into our past." - Kenny's Irish Bookshop"A fascinating insight into Ireland's ancient burial sites" - Irish Independent"A monument" - Drogheda Independent"It is a beautiful book and very well written. The information that you collected is outstanding." - Barbara Carter, co-author, The Myth of the Year and The Goddess and the Bull"The authors . . . reach interesting and challenging conclusions about the significance of ancient astronomical knowledge. The book is jammed with colour illustrations, maps and photographs. A thoroughly interesting read!" - Archaeology Ireland."An essential book that demonstrates just how much the beliefs and practicesof our ancestors were influenced by the movement of the stars, in particularthose of the constellation Cygnus - the celestial swan and Northern Cross -once seen as a source of life and the destination of the soul in death. Amust have tome for all those passionate about what remains of our fastdisappearing ritual monuments of the prehistoric age." - Andrew Collins, author of The Cygnus Mystery


Astronomy of the Ancients

Astronomy of the Ancients

Author: Kenneth Brecher

Publisher: Mit Press

Published: 1981

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 9780262520706

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Explores the methods, instruments, and observations of the ancient astronomers, noting their significance to modern science and the importance of such findings as Stonehenge and American Indian petroglyphs


Book Synopsis Astronomy of the Ancients by : Kenneth Brecher

Download or read book Astronomy of the Ancients written by Kenneth Brecher and published by Mit Press. This book was released on 1981 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the methods, instruments, and observations of the ancient astronomers, noting their significance to modern science and the importance of such findings as Stonehenge and American Indian petroglyphs


Astronomy and Empire in the Ancient Andes

Astronomy and Empire in the Ancient Andes

Author: Brian S. Bauer

Publisher:

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13:

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"This joint project of an astrophysicist (Dearborn) and an archeologist (Bauer) was written for the use of astronomers, archeologists, and historians. Includes sufficient background information for readers with little or no knowledge of the Andes. Text sheds new light on relationship between Inca cosmology and social structure"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.


Book Synopsis Astronomy and Empire in the Ancient Andes by : Brian S. Bauer

Download or read book Astronomy and Empire in the Ancient Andes written by Brian S. Bauer and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This joint project of an astrophysicist (Dearborn) and an archeologist (Bauer) was written for the use of astronomers, archeologists, and historians. Includes sufficient background information for readers with little or no knowledge of the Andes. Text sheds new light on relationship between Inca cosmology and social structure"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.


Calendars and Years

Calendars and Years

Author: John M. Steele

Publisher: Oxbow Books

Published: 2007-10-08

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1782974938

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Dates form the backbone of written history. But where do these dates come from? Many different calendars were used in the ancient world. Some of these calendars were based upon observations or calculations of regular astronomical phenomena, such as the first sighting of the new moon crescent that defined the beginning of the month in many calendars, while others incorporated schematic simplifications of these phenomena, such as the 360-day year used in early Mesopotamian administrative practices in order to simplify accounting procedures. Historians frequently use handbooks and tables for converting dates in ancient calendars into the familiar BC/AD calendar that we use today. But very few historians understand how these tables have come about, or what assumptions have been made in their construction. The seven papers in this volume provide an answer to the question what do we know about the operation of calendars in the ancient world, and just as importantly how do we know it? Topics covered include the ancient and modern history of the Egyptian 365-day calendar, astronomical and administrative calendars in ancient Mesopotamia, and the development of astronomical calendars in ancient Greece. This book will be of interest to ancient historians, historians of science, astronomers who use early astronomical records, and anyone with an interest in calendars and their development.


Book Synopsis Calendars and Years by : John M. Steele

Download or read book Calendars and Years written by John M. Steele and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2007-10-08 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dates form the backbone of written history. But where do these dates come from? Many different calendars were used in the ancient world. Some of these calendars were based upon observations or calculations of regular astronomical phenomena, such as the first sighting of the new moon crescent that defined the beginning of the month in many calendars, while others incorporated schematic simplifications of these phenomena, such as the 360-day year used in early Mesopotamian administrative practices in order to simplify accounting procedures. Historians frequently use handbooks and tables for converting dates in ancient calendars into the familiar BC/AD calendar that we use today. But very few historians understand how these tables have come about, or what assumptions have been made in their construction. The seven papers in this volume provide an answer to the question what do we know about the operation of calendars in the ancient world, and just as importantly how do we know it? Topics covered include the ancient and modern history of the Egyptian 365-day calendar, astronomical and administrative calendars in ancient Mesopotamia, and the development of astronomical calendars in ancient Greece. This book will be of interest to ancient historians, historians of science, astronomers who use early astronomical records, and anyone with an interest in calendars and their development.


On the Heavens

On the Heavens

Author: Aristotle

Publisher: Phoemixx Classics Ebooks

Published: 2021-11-14

Total Pages: 155

ISBN-13: 3986772901

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On the Heavens Aristotle - On the Heavens is Aristotle's chief cosmological treatise: written in 350 BC it contains his astronomical theory and his ideas on the concrete workings of the terrestrial world. This work is significant as one of the defining pillars of the Aristotelian worldview, a school of philosophy that dominated intellectual thinking for almost two millennia. Similarly, this work and others by Aristotle were important seminal works by which much of scholasticism was derived.


Book Synopsis On the Heavens by : Aristotle

Download or read book On the Heavens written by Aristotle and published by Phoemixx Classics Ebooks. This book was released on 2021-11-14 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the Heavens Aristotle - On the Heavens is Aristotle's chief cosmological treatise: written in 350 BC it contains his astronomical theory and his ideas on the concrete workings of the terrestrial world. This work is significant as one of the defining pillars of the Aristotelian worldview, a school of philosophy that dominated intellectual thinking for almost two millennia. Similarly, this work and others by Aristotle were important seminal works by which much of scholasticism was derived.


The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World

The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-04-18

Total Pages: 595

ISBN-13: 9004315632

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The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World explores the ways in which astronomical knowledge circulated between different communities of scholars over time and space, and what was done with that knowledge when it was received.


Book Synopsis The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World by :

Download or read book The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-04-18 with total page 595 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World explores the ways in which astronomical knowledge circulated between different communities of scholars over time and space, and what was done with that knowledge when it was received.