With the horizontal coordinates, we start by defining the point exactly above our head as the zenith. Horizontal coordinates: Taken from: By TWCarlson -, CC BY-SA 3.0, You can view simulations of some of the measurements performed by the ancient Greeks and observations made by medieval astronomers. Students can therefore closely follow the ingenious methods devised by those pioneers and obtain an understanding of the contribution of ancient and medieval cultures to the development of astronomy.įor a quick preview have a look at the following videos.

The use of planetarium software has the advantage of adding a visual aspect to the procedure thus offering greater realism.

With the aid of the Stellarium software activity instructions are presented that enable pupils to simulate several of these groundbreaking scientific achievements. Examples include methods for estimating the difference in longitude between geographical locations using lunar eclipses, the distance to the Moon using a solar eclipse, and determining the correct direction from a specific location to the sacred Islamic city of Mecca.

Although lacking important observational technology such as the telescope, they performed fascinating naked eye measurements and devised simple but ingenious astronomical calculations. These activities are based on observations made by the ancient Greeks, the ancient Babylonians, and the medieval Islamic, Indian and Chinese astronomers, whose contribution to the development of astronomy was immense. By utilising the capabilities of Stellarium, a set of activities is presented that is inspired from historical measurements made in antiquity and the middle ages.

Stellarium tutorial you tube