Astronomy Regions of Interest

These regions are ones that are of most interest in the astronomy of long ago, i.e., it will mainly cover regions where people were practicing astronomy from 4,000 B.C. to the age of modern astronomy (1687 when Newton issued his universal Law of Gravitation). We will of course be adding to this section frequently! If you would like to see a region or event added to this list, please submit your suggestion to our comments system.

Region
 Points of Interest
(Places and People from this region)
Africa Ancient Egyptian Astronomy
Aristrachus - first estimation of Earth-Sun distance
Eratosthenes - circumference of the Earth
Babylonia Ancient Babylonian Astronomy
British Isles Newgrange Passage Tomb
Stonehenge Stone Monument
The founding of archeoastronomy
Central America Ancient Maya Astronomy
China Ancient Chinese Astronomy
Denmark Tycho Brahe - incredible naked-eye astronomer
France The Stones of Carnac
Germany Johann Bayer - Bayer system of star designation
Kepler - Laws of Planetary Motion
Greece Ancient Greek Astronomy
Hipparchus - first star map
Ptolemy - geocentric theory of the universe
Italy Galileo - used one of the 1st telescopes
The megalithic structures at Fossa
Netherlands Hans Lippershey, inventor of the telescope
North America Ancient Native American astronomy
Poland Copernicus - heliocentric theory of the universe
Roman Empire Ancient Roman Astronomy
Julian calendar (solar calendar)
Scotland The Cairns of Clava
South America Ancient Inca Astronomy
Wales The Dolmen megalithic structure of Pentre Ifan in Wales

Last modified February 5, 2000 by Jennifer Bergman.

You might also be interested in:

Cool It! Game

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

The Stonehenge Monument

There are over 900 rings of stone located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is of course, Stonehenge. Stonehenge lies in Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge is so mysterious that it...more

Archeoastronomy

"The movements of the heavenly bodies are an admirable thing, well known and manifest to all peoples. There are no people, no matter how barbaric and primitive, that do not raise up their eyes, take note,...more

The Stones of Carnac

The stones of Carnac, France, are probably the most famous stones markings outside of those found at Stonehenge in England. There are many, many stones at Carnac. And these stones are very old too, the...more

Megaliths Revealed

Many people are interested in the mysterious megalithic structures that can be found around the world. A megalithic structure is a ancient monument made of large stones. Megalith comes from Greek; "mega"...more

The Stones of Fossa

The stone structures of England and France are very famous. In Italy, you'll also find standing stones, stone rings, and stone tombs. An example of these stone structures is in Fossa, Abruzzo, in Italy....more

The Cairns of Clava

Not too far from Loch Ness, there lies three giant tombs made of stones. They are called the Balnuaran of Clava. The Balnuaran of Clava, giant tombs encased in stone, can be found close to Inverness in...more

Pentre Ifan Dolmen Tomb

The stone structures of England and France are very famous. But, there are also stone structures in Wales, Sweden, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Russia. The most popular site in Wales is Pentre Ifan. Pentre...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA