Our Place in the Universe: Understanding Fundamental Astronomy from Ancient Discoveries by Sun Kwok (2nd Edition)
Requirements: PDF Reader, 9.79 mb
Overview: Since the beginning of human civilization, people have been curious about the structure of the cosmos and our place in the Universe. 2,500 years ago, the Babylonians figured out the patterns of eclipses. Using simple tools and mathematics, ancient astronomers accurately determined the sizes of the Earth and Moon, distance to the Moon, and lengths of the months and year. The Mayans were keen watchers of the planet Venus and understood the planet’s patterns of motion.
During the time of Christ, the Greeks used a clever device called the armillary sphere to accurately predict the times of sunrise and sunset on any day of the year, at any place on Earth. They used sophisticated mathematical models to forecast Mars’ motions hundreds of years into the future. The Greeks also knew that the Earth was a sphere and estimated the minimum distance to the Sun and the relative distances of the planets from Earth.
Find out how ancient astronomers achieved these remarkable feats. With a minimum use of mathematics, this book retraces the footsteps of our ancestors, explains these intellectual journeys in simple terms, and discusses the philosophical implications of these discoveries.
Genre: Non Fiction > Science
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