History and Sky Lore

The earliest written records were astronomical observations. In 1600 B.C. Babylonians recorded the positions of stars and planets and the times of eclipses. The history of astronomy since then has been a complex interplay of philosophy and science. Cultures throughout time have observed celestial events, constantly learning about the complexities of the universe. In more recent years we have been able to witness this history in the making: we have flown to the Moon, witnessed the supernova 1987A go off in real-time, and watched the transit of Venus (which no one alive now will see again). From ancient history to more recent times, read on to explore the history of astronomy.