Astronomy Timeline

By emmarsh3802
  • 2500 BCE

    Building of Stone Hedge

    Alignments of stones mark the rising and setting points of the sun.
  • 2000 BCE

    Lunar Eclipse

    Oldest known lunar eclipse observed at Ur in Mesopotamia over 400 years ago.
  • 580 BCE

    Anaximander

    Describes his model of Earth, Sun, Moon, and stars
  • 250 BCE

    Eratosthenes

    Eratosthenes finds the circumference of the Earth
  • 1 BCE

    Medicine Wheel

    Plains Indians of North America built medicine wheel
  • 140

    Geocentric Model

    Ptolemy "perfects" geocentric model of solar system. in Ptolemy's model the planets moved on circles (epicycles) that moved on other circles (deferents). the model could accurately predict the positions of the planets. ptolemy also compiled a catalog of stellar brightnesses based partly on the earlier catalog of Hipparchus.
  • Sep 30, 1054

    Crab Nebula

    Chinese record supernova that produces Crab Nebula. Chinese astronomers observed a supernova that was visible in the daytime. the matter blasted outward by the supernova later became observable as the Crab Nebula
  • Oct 3, 1066

    Comet Halley

    the appearance of the comet in 1066 was considered an ill omen for Harold, king of England. Later that year Harold was killed in the Norman invasion of England.
  • Oct 3, 1200

    Development of Astronomy

    aided by the birth of universities at bologna, oxford, paris, and a few others European cities
  • Oct 3, 1265

    Roger Bacon

    bacon was among the first to recommend experimentation as the best way to acquire scientific knowledge
  • Oct 3, 1300

    Dantes picture

    dantes picture of the universe has the Earth at its center, surrounded by the spheres of the moon, sun, planets, the fixed stars, a crystalline sphere, and finally paradise
  • Oct 3, 1330

    Jean Buridan

    Jean Buridan develops imperus theoryof motion.