Astronomy

Since the dawn of humanity, the motion of the sun, moon, and stars has both intrigued humans and been instrumental in helping impose order on time through the creation of lunar, solar, and luni-solar calendars. Numerous ancient cultures in diverse geographic locations devised sophisticated calendars based on astronomical observations to regulate events within their societies such as crop planting, tides, religious rites, and ceremonies. The nomenclature used to name the days of the week and the months in numerous ancient calendars such as the Hindu, Hebrew, and Old Norse calendars indicates that the ancients were well aware of the motions of numerous planets in addition to the lunar and solar cycles, which in turn were intricately linked to their mythologies and cosmologies. It can safely ...