AS101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Circular Motion, Retrograde And Prograde Motion, Deferent And Epicycle
Document Summary
The ancestors" careful observation and pattern recognition were the first steps in what we call the modern scientific method. Ancient people of central africa could predict seasons from the orientation of the horns of the crescent moon each month. This allowed them to determine when to plant seeds and grow their crops. The egyptians were the first to divide the night and day into 12 hours, but of varying lengths, based on the rising of certain bright stars during summer nights. Other ancient cultures: the sun used for predicting seasonal changes, and the lunar phases defining monthly changes. A 4000-year-old stone circle in scotland marks the rise and set of the moon during a phenomenon called the lunar standstill, which occurs every 18. 6 years due to the precession of the moon"s orbital plane. The first female astronomer recorded in history was named in a babylonian tablet.
