EBOOK History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy

The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy combines new scholarship with        hands-on science to bring readers into direct contact with the work of ancient        astronomers. While tracing ideas from ancient Babylon to sixteenth-century Europe,        the book places its greatest emphasis on the Greek period, when astronomers        developed the geometric and philosophical ideas that have determined the subsequent        character of Western astronomy. The author approaches this history through the        concrete details of ancient astronomical practice. Carefully organized and        generously illustrated, the book can teach readers how to do real astronomy using        the methods of ancient astronomers. For example, readers will learn to predict the        next retrograde motion of Jupiter using either the arithmetical methods of the        Babylonians or the geometric methods of Ptolemy. They will learn how to use an        astrolabe and how to design sundials using Greek and Roman techniques. The book also        contains supplementary exercises and patterns for making some working astronomical        instruments, including an astrolabe and an equatorium. More than a presentation of        astronomical methods, the book provides a critical look at the evidence used to        reconstruct ancient astronomy. It includes extensive excerpts from ancient texts,        meticulous documentation, and lively discussions of the role of astronomy in the        various cultures. Accessible to a wide audience, this book will appeal to anyone        interested in how our understanding of our place in the universe has changed and        developed, from ancient times through the Renaissance.