Although the ancient astrologers were wrong, their work did lead to the first careful studies of the heavens and to the development of the science of astronomy.
Some of the clay tablets of Babylonia were astronomical tablets. These tablets made it possible to work out exactly the time when eclipses (shadowing) of the moon and sun would occur. People believed that eclipses were a bad omen. The astrologers, who could predict the time of eclipses, were looked upon as powerful, important people.
At the same time people were discovering that Astronomy had many uses and that some of these uses were of great importance. The position of the sun as it rose and set was used to mark out the length of the day. Astronomy was used to give accurate time, to mark the length of the year, and to draw up the first calendars. Travelers in the desert and seafarers used the sun by day and the stars by night to find their way.
Tags: astronomy, Origins of Astronomy
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