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History

Biographies

Many people have changed the course of history. These people are often leaders or rulers, but many are scientists. Scientists have made sense of what we see in the night sky. Their work has revealed how our Universe works.

Part of
Astronomy
History

For example, Maria Mitchell. Maria was the first American woman to be paid to work as an astronomer. She discovered a comet in 1847 which was later known as "Miss Mitchell's Comet". Maria tried to increase the number of women who worked in astronomy. She also demanded that her pay should be the same as her male colleagues.

Ancient Astronomy

Our ideas about the Solar System and space have changed over time. People have looked to the skies for thousands of years. They have looked at the movement of the stars and the changes of the Sun and Moon.

Part of
History
Cultures
Art
Reading

The ancient Greeks also did a lot of work in astronomy and maths. Eratosthenes first worked out the distance around the Earth (it's circumference) in 240 BCE. You can try out his experiment yourself on the summer solstice! Hipparchus was the first person to record the wobble of the Earth as it spins on its axis. We call this wobble precession. He was also the first to measure the distance to the Moon.

History

Part of
History

The study of the night sky dates back to ancient times. The stars have been used for navigation and keeping time since long before the common era.

As such, it is one of the oldest forms of science with deep roots in cultures around the globe.

Telescopes Quiz

Telescopes are used to magnify distant objects. They are a vital tool for astronomy. Over the last few hundred years, scientists and engineers have built bigger and better telescopes, revealing the mysteries of the Universe. But how much do you know about telescopes on Earth and beyond?