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__NOTOC__[[File:Chichen Itza Observatory 2 1.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Figure 1. Ancient observatory from Chichen Itza.]]We often think of astronomy as a type of academic discipline or hobby subject taken up by those interested in the night sky. While this is true, astronomy has fundamentally shaped human history as it allowed the understanding of the seasons and seaborne navigation. Additionally, in order to make a wider understanding of the movement of starts stars and celestial objects in general, a great understanding of mathematics was needed that allowed other developments, where even ideas of mapping and coordinate systems developed. The importance of astronomy to the past is attested by the fact that because some ancient languages only went extinct after astronomical observations ceased. On the other hand, for the modern world, astronomy has the potential to also shape our future in guiding future space exploration and possibly new worlds to explorefor the modern world.

Basic observation However, there are many secondary benefits of the night sky across most this type of observation. First, knowing where the latitudes that people heavily occupy indicates that stars, the and sun, and the night sky undergo changes during the yearwill make it evident there is a recurrent pattern. This is an important pattern often has observable mathematical properties that many help ancient societies understoodto develop ways to predict when astronomical events will occur. We see this in ancient Babylonia, where cultures in the New and Old Worlds developed astronomical observationsdeveloped mathematical formulations to understand where planets and stars would align and when comets may reappear. This includes <ref>For more on the ancient Mayadevelopment of mathematics and astronomy, Aztecssee: Neugebauer, Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Chinese, and others O. (Figure 11975). Astronomy helped to distinguish seasonal changes that are important for agriculturally-based societies<i>A history of ancient mathematical astronomy: in three parts. Knowing when the autumn and planting season in northern latitudes, for example, indicate when it is safe to harvest and sow crops</i> Berlin: Springer. </ref>

Astronomy helped form both lunar and solar-based calendars, where ancient societies even understood that the solar year was slightly more than 365 days. Navigation of ship-borne trade before 1000 BCE was mostly confined to areas along the coast or regions that can more easily observe land. However, there are many secondary benefits astronomy made it possible to navigate in open waters and during the night. Whereas early navigation depended on land features, understanding the position of stars allowed the Phoenicians and Greeks to colonize wide areas of this type the Mediterranean Sea in the 1st millennium BCE, spreading their cultures in wide areas. Babylon and wider Babylonia were one of observationthe key regions for many ancient developments. FirstThis included the development of the zodiac signs, knowing where still utilized today, and even a coordinate system to identify the starts positioning of stars and sun will be makes it evident there constellations. A system for predicting eclipses was even developed, invented in Babylon, which is a recurrent patternstill utilized, called the Solaris system. This pattern often has observable mathematical property that helps ancient societies to develop ways The coordinate system developed was the eventual 60-based system we use to predict when astronomical events will occurdescribe global navigation today. We <ref>For more on calendars and observations of eclipses, see this : Lawson, R. M. (2004). <i>Science in the ancient Babyloniaworld: an encyclopedia.</i> Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, where astronomical observations developed mathematical formulations to understand where plants and stars would align as well as when comets may reappearpg. 32.</ref>

==Medieval and Renaissance Developments in Astronomy helped to form both lunar ==[[File:Astrolabe-Persian-18C.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Figure 2. Astrolabe from Persia.]]In the Middle East and solar based calendarsAsia, where astronomy had developed and retained knowledge from ancient societies even understood that periods to allow the solar year was slightly more than 365 days. Navigation development of ship-borne trade before 1000 BCE was mostly confined accurate calendars and to areas along make accurate predictions in the coast or regions that can more easily observe landmovement of celestial bodies. However, astronomy made it possible Astrolabes and other navigation equipment became commonly used to navigate assist in open waters and during the night. Whereas early navigation depended on land features, understanding observing the position positioning of stars allowed the Phoenicians and Greeks to colonize wide areas inform sailors of their relative position, where such technologies derived from earlier, ancient observations (Figure 2). However, after the Mediterranean Sea fall of Rome, astronomy had made limited or few advancements in the 1st millennium BCEWestern Europe <ref>For more on navigation and star positioning, see: Denny, spreading their cultures in wide areasM. (2012). <i>The science of navigation: from dead reckoning to GPS.</i> Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.</ref>

[[File:Chichen Itza Observatory 2 1This changed by the 16th-17th centuries.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 1Advancements in optics, made in the Islamic world by the early Medieval period, were then created into a telescope used later by Galileo Galilei to observe celestial bodies. Ancient observatory from Chichen ItzaGalileo's observations led to him seeing moons concerning other planets, craters on the moon, and many other observations. This, once again, led astronomy to become an important science that also led to other developments. In particular, physics in the 18th century began to be closely then associated with astronomy. Phases of planets in their rotation were noticed by Galileo, leading him to support Copernicus in his observation on planetary rotation.]]

==Medieval and Renaissance Developments==In the Middle East and Asia, astronomy had developed and retained knowledge from ancient periods to allow the development of accurate calendars and to make accurate predictions of the movement of celestial bodies. Astrolabes and other navigation equipment became commonly used to assist in observing the positioning of stars to inform sailors of their relative position, where such technologies derived from earlier, ancient observations (Figure 2). However, in Western Europe, after the fall of Rome, astronomy had made limited or few advancements.  This changed by the 16th-17th centuries. Advancements in optics, made in the Islamic world by the early Medieval period, and then created into a telescope used by Galileo Galilei that could observe celestial bodies. Observations by Galileo led to him seeing moons in relation to other planets, craters on the moon, and many other observations. This, once again, led astronomy to become an important science that also led to other developments, in particular physics in the 18th century began to then be closely associated with astronomy. Phases of planets in their rotation were noticed by Galileo, leading him to support Copernicus in his observation on planetary rotation. Isaac Newton used calculus to explain gravity in relation to the about planetary bodies. This helped Newton to more fully develop his theory of gravitymore fully. Mathematical laws now became the way in which how planetary and celestial motion was understood, leading to the fuller development of the field of physics as well. [[File<ref>For more on the development of telescope development and planetary motion, see :Astrolabe-Persian-18CCole, G. H.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 2A. Astrolabe from Persia, & Woolfson, M. M. (2013). <i>Planetary science: the science of planets around stars.</i> (2nd ed). Boca Raton: CRC Press.]]</ref>

Modern astronomy developed in the 19th century, where experiments and further observations led to the understanding of basic chemistry, such as understanding how hydrogen and helium formed the universe's basic components of the universe. Major recent advances have focused on understanding the expansion of the universe. This includes the understanding of the origin of the universe , and the big bang theory became a major discovery. These developments also led for to the need for increased developments in a variety of various other technologies, including in developing exploratory satellites, telescopes, and computers to process data from a variety of developed sensors.<ref>For more on 19th century and later development in astronomy, see: Krebs, R. E. (2004). <i>Groundbreaking scientific experiments, inventions, and discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.</i> Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.</ref>

In the early developments of astronomy, observation of stars and planets led to the understanding of the change in seasons had clear patterns that could be predicted. This not only helped develop agriculture, but other impacts include integrating astronomical observations with religious calendars. Astronomical knowledge had a major influence on sea navigation, which led to increased long-distance sea trade routes and colonies. Calendars also became relatively accurate, helping to define both solar and lunar-based years for different societies.  Mathematics was developed to assist with predicting observations of planets and comets. This was initially done to assist in the worship of gods, but soon other benefits were found as mathematical principles were applied to other areas, including in measurements. Map-making was also something that may have been partially influenced by astronomy, as a coordinate system was already developed for understanding the location and positioning of the stars and constellations. The 60-degree based system used to describe the sky is now used today to describe map coordinates and locations.

In the Medieval and Renaissance period, the major achievements in astronomy assisted in fundamentally changing attitudes of seeing the Earth as the center of the solar system to being another planet. This helped pave the idea that scientific laws were governing the planets and Earth, increasing research and attempts to understand scientific lawrather than accepting the only religious doctrine. One of the most significant achievements was the development of physics and utilizing physical theory such as gravity to explain orbits and the rotation of the planets and other celestial bodies. These theories were extensible Observation of the planets also led to the phenomenon on earthdeveloping mathematical fields such as calculus to develop further, leading to which is now used for many new understandings that explained commonly observed phenomena on earthother fields.

More recently, modern astronomy has led to an understanding of fundamental qualities in not only physics but and chemistry, where the understanding of basic component components of the universe have has helped to shape the Earth. Modern theories such as the big bang have now helped explain how old and expansive the universe is. Technologies for modern astronomy include satellites and computing systems that have to be developed for ever -deeper understanding and observation, leading to technical developments in robotics, computing, and artificial systems as more recent developments that have derived from astronomy.

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