Evolution Of Astronomy Research Paper

“How do we get there?” or “What time is it?” are questions that are taken for granted this day in age. Today, one instinctively looks at a watch or enters a destination into a phone or GPS. But from where did this technology derive from? How did the first navigators find their way? By using the Sun, Moon, and stars, early civilizations have paved the way to these modern devices used daily in today’s society. The effective use of astronomy enables the calculation of which day it is, the time of day, and how one can navigate from place to place.
The observations of ancient astronomers over 5000 years ago led to the tracking of celestial bodies that have aided in the creation of both the lunar and solar calendars. Many early cultures used the moon to trace the passage of days as it revolved around the Earth, passing through the lunar phases. The moon increases in …show more content…
It continues through its cycle as the illumination begins to fade from the full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter moon, waning crescent, and back to the new moon. This progression taking approximately 29 ½ days as it returns to the same position relative to the Sun is known as the “synodic” lunar month (Weinberg 59). The use of a lunar calendar often marked significant events as societies planned hunting trips, celebrations, and religious festivals. The lunar calendar differs from the solar calendar in that it is 11 days shorter. Consisting of 365 days, the solar calendar is determined by the number of days it takes the Earth to make one full revolution around the Sun. The seasons are initiated by the position of the Earth’s axis tilted at 23 ½ degrees to the ecliptic plane with respect to the Sun. As