Observationn

In ancient times former everyone was a lay astronomer. Shepherds guarding their flocks former foreign sense had an embedded views of the night sky and spent long hours observing it. Everything in the sky or night was of great interest. Time, impending weather, and science of the passage of the season could be discerned from a close watch of the heavens.

Keen in early astronomers noticed patterns in the movement of heavenly objects. Some of the oldest known astronomical records were made some 5000 years ago by the Sumerians, living in a modern day Southern Iraq. They catalogued star patterns and named them according to their suggested shapes, including the Bull, lion and scorpion seen now in the zodiac.

Stargazing evolved into systematic observation and ancient cultures began to chart the movements of the Sun, moon and planets more methodically. Much of this record keeping tired into to astrology and the belief that the movement and position of celestial bodies can predict or influence events. While now regarded as pseudoscientific, these observations and records helped build the foundation of astronomical knowledge.

Royal Observatory Of The 18th Century

Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, India, was built by Maharaj Jai Sawai Singh II between 1727 and 1734. The world’s largest stone observatory coma it houses 14 instrument used to predict astronomical events such as eclipses. In 1948 it was declared a National monument; in 2004 efforts begin to recalibrate and restore the equipment. EQUIPMENT at Jantar Mantar in includes one of the world’s largest sundials, 90 feet tall.