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Bone carvings keep track of phases of Moon. Early people engraved patterns of lines on animal bones to keep track of the phases of the Moon
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Mesopotamian ziggurats serve as observatories. Mesopotamian astronomers made careful observations from the tops of pyramid-like towers called ziggurats
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The building of Stonehenge took place over many centuries. Alignments of the stones at Stonehenge mark the rising and setting points of the Sun at the solstices.
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The Temple of Amen-Ra at Karnak, Egypt was built so that its main axis points to the sunset at the summer solstice.
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Lunar eclipse observed at Ur in Mesopotamia. The oldest known recording of a lunar eclipse took place at Ur more than 4000 years ago.
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Chinese begin centuries long series of obs of eclipses. Chinese astronomers recorded 900 solar and 600 lunar eclipses over a period of 2600 years.
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Babylonians predict lunar eclipses. The Babylonians used their long record of eclipses to see regular patterns of eclipses. They used these patterns to predict lunar eclipses.
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Hesiod describes practical uses for astronomy. Hesiod's poem The Works and Days contains practical astronomical advice for navigation and for agricultural activities.
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Thales said to have predicted solar eclipse. The eclipse took place during a battle between the Lydians and the Persians. They were so stunned by the eclipse they ended the battle.
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Anaximander describes model of Earth, Sun, Moon, stars. Anaximander's model was the forerunner of later Greek attempts to explain the heavens in non-mythological terms.
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Anaximenes proposes model of cosmos. In Anaximenes model the stars are fixed to the inside of a solid vault surrounding the Earth. Later Greek astronomers develop this idea into the concept of the celestial sphere.
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Pythagoras and students develop model of solar system. The model of Pythagoras used circular paths for the celestial bodies and assumed most celestial bodies are spheres.
