By the end of this unit, a successful student will be able to:
- Describe the contributions of various ancient and medieval societies (Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, Indian, Medieval Islamic, Mayan, etc.) to astronomy
- Describe the reasoning behind the discoveries made by those pre-telescopic observers
- Share knowledge of some of those discoveries with the class through a presentation
- Describe the geocentric view of the Universe as described by Claudius Ptolemy, including the meaning of epicycles and deferent
- Explain why people thought the Earth was stationary and at the center of the universe
- Explain the appeal of circular motion and the need for PtolemyÕs inclusion of the epicycle.
- Define and explain terms related to the positioning and motion of planets including prograde and retrograde motion, superior and inferior planets, superior and inferior conjunctions, and oppostion
All assignments are due on the date listed. That is not the date they are assigned.
Due date Day Assignment
10/3 Wed Work on project
Read 2.1
10/4 Thu Work on project
10/5 Fri Read: 36-38 (top)
Define: retrograde, prograde, inferior planets, superior planets,
inferior conjunction, superior conjuction, opposition
10/8 Mon No School – Columbus Day
10/9 Tue Work on project
10/10 Wed Project due; project presentations (first day)
10/11 Thu project presentations (2nd day)
10/12 Fri project presentations (3rd day if necessary) (moon observations)
Read: 38-39 (Ptolemaic, geocentric universe)
Do: R&D: 2, 3
T/F: 3
10/15 Mon project quiz, moon observations
Links - Ancient Astronomy, The Copernican Revolution & Kepler's Orbits
Ancient Astronomy
- The Babylonians have left us the earliest written records of astronomy. A map illustrating their view of the world and heavens, including their zodiac can be found in thisMonograph from the British Library
- To their east, the ancestors of the Indians were developing their study of the stars and planets as well. The Antiquity and Astronomy of the Vedic Culture page covers their enterprises. (Broken Link 8/24)
- After the Babylonians and Egyptians, the early Greeks wrestled with problems of astronomy and cosmology.
- Eratosthenes is the earliest recorded person to scientifically estimate the size of the Earth to relative accuracy. Carl Sagan explains this discovery in this youtube clip from his 1980 mini-series Cosmos: Episode I - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean: Eratosthenes measures the size of the Earth, 6 min 58 s
- In the Americas, Mayan Astronomy reached its heights independent of the cultures on the other side of the Atlantic.
- For further information, Wolfgang Dick maintains an extensive set of links related to The History of Astronomy (Broken Link 8/24)
- Between Ptolomey and Copernicus, much of the advances in astronomy were made by Muslim Mathemeticians, Astronomers, and Scientists.
- Carl Sagan details Kepler's life and the scientific method in the third episode of his 1980 mini-series Cosmos. This YouTube clip ends and summarizes the episode while relating Kepler's dream of a trip to the Moon. Episode III - The Harmony of the Worlds: Kepler's tale of a trip to the moon and his mother's arrest, summary of Kepler's acceptance of facts; 3 min 45 s