The Ancient World

Eli Maor
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Eli Maor: Oakland University, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Chapter 23 in To Infinity and Beyond, 1987, pp 184-189 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract From the dawn of recorded history, man has watched the skies above him, marveling at their mysteries and wondering about the myriads of stars that seem to be embedded, like tiny gems, in the celestial dome. What are those stars made of? How far are they? What message do they have for us? Questions such as these, inspired by man’s awe at the grandeur of the creation, were the first step in the creation of a science of the heavens, astronomy. It is a paradoxical fact that astronomy, which studies the farthest objects we can think of, was the first discipline of knowledge to become a full-fledged science in the modern sense of the word. Compare this with geology or biology—the disciplines concerned with our planet and its inhabitants—which emerged as true sciences only in the past few centuries. It seems that the farther a mystery lies, the greater the urge to solve it!

Keywords: Ancient World; Crystal Sphere; Heavenly Body; Total Eclipse; World Picture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1987
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-1-4612-5394-5_23

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DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4612-5394-5_23

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