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Astronomy in Different Cultures

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Mayan Long Count Calendar

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The Mayan civilization created the Long Count calendar, which tracked astronomical cycles and was capable of dating events thousands of years in the past and future, demonstrating their sophisticated understanding of time and astronomy.

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Chinese Star Charts

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The oldest known star charts come from China, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Chinese astronomers meticulously observed the night sky and recorded stellar positions, some of which were used for navigation and timekeeping.

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Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime

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Australian Aboriginal cultures contain 'Dreamtime' stories that are rich with astronomical themes. These narratives are used to explain the movements of celestial bodies and their influences on terrestrial life.

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Polynesian Wayfinding

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Polynesian navigators used the stars, ocean currents, and bird behavior for long-distance wayfinding across the Pacific Ocean, without the need for modern instruments, showcasing their intimate knowledge of the night sky and its patterns.

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Aztec Sun Stone

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The Aztec Sun Stone is a monolithic sculpture that serves as an astronomical and calendrical device. It depicts how the cosmos is divided and marks the days of the year, reflecting Aztec cosmology and their tracking of celestial events.

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The Constellation Orion Across Cultures

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Orion is one of the most universally recognized constellations, frequently featuring in numerous cultures' mythologies and starlore. It has been interpreted as a hunter, a turtle, and a canoe, among other things, demonstrating the human tendency to patternize the night sky.

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Indian Nakshatras

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In Vedic astronomy, 27 or 28 sectors along the ecliptic are known as Nakshatras. Each sector signifies a lunar mansion or a segment of the sky through which the moon moves in a day, used in Hindu astrology.

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Nabta Playa Calendar Circle

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Located in southern Egypt, the Nabta Playa stone circle is considered one of the world's oldest known archeological astronomical devices. It was used to mark the summer solstice and predict annual monsoon rains, essential for nomadic tribes in the area.

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Islamic Astrolabes

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Islamic astronomers refined and made extensive use of the astrolabe, an ancient astronomical instrument used for solving problems related to time and the position of the stars, showcasing the scientific accomplishments during the Golden Age of Islam.

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Viking Sunstone Navigation

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The Vikings may have used a crystal known as a sunstone to locate the sun's position on overcast days or when the sun was just beneath the horizon. The stone's birefringent properties meant it could be used to navigate during long sea voyages.

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Babylonian Astronomy

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The Babylonians were pioneering astronomers, recording the movements of planets, which they called 'wandering stars'. They used their observations for astrological purposes and to create lunar calendars.

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Greek Celestial Spheres

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The Greeks conceptualized the heavens as celestial spheres, with Earth at the center. This geocentric model, developed by philosophers like Aristotle and Ptolemy, dominated Western astronomy until the Copernican revolution.

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Norse Mythology and The Northern Lights

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In Norse mythology, the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) were believed to be reflections off the shields of the Valkyries, warrior maidens who carried fallen warriors to the afterlife, intertwining celestial phenomena with cultural beliefs.

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Arabic Star Names

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Many star names we use today, such as Aldebaran and Betelgeuse, are Arabic in origin, a heritage from the Golden Age of Islamic Science when Arab astronomers made significant contributions to the naming and categorization of celestial bodies.

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Stonehenge's Astronomical Significance

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Stonehenge is believed to be an ancient astronomical observatory. Its alignment and location suggest it was used to predict solstices and eclipses, and corresponds to other celestial events.

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The Antikythera Mechanism

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The Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient Greek device, is often considered the world's first analog computer, used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendrical and astrological purposes.

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Draco Stone Circle

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The Draco Stone Circle, found in the British Isles, was used to mark the position of the pole star, which changes throughout the millennia due to the precession of Earth's axis. It reflects ancient astronomers' knowledge of this long-term celestial phenomenon.

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Dogon Sirius Mystery

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The Dogon people of Mali are said to possess ancient knowledge of Sirius and its dwarf companion star, which they believe to be the origin of their ancestors. This claim has led to discussions on how such knowledge could be acquired without modern telescopes.

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Inca Ceque System

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The Inca civilization in Peru constructed the Ceque System: a series of ritual pathways radiating from the Coricancha temple, aligning with specific astronomical events and sacred mountains, integrating landscape with cosmology.

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Angkor Wat Solstice Alignments

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The temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia is designed to align with the sun at the solstices. The central tower is aligned with the sunrise on the spring equinox, revealing the advanced architectural planning to incorporate astronomical events.

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Hawaiian Lunar Calendar

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Traditional Hawaiian lunar calendar, 'Mahina', was used to track the phases of the moon for fishing and planting. It demonstrates the integration of astronomical observations with indigenous agricultural and social practices.

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Navajo Hogan Constellation

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The traditional dwelling of the Navajo, the Hogan, is often built in alignment with the cardinal directions, with some interpretations suggesting an alignment to celestial events or constellations, reflecting a tight interweaving of cosmology with everyday life.

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Egyptian Sun Temples

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Ancient Egyptians built sun temples to honor Ra, the sun god. These temples often featured alignments with the rising or setting sun on significant dates, integrating astronomical principles in their design.

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Mesoamerican Ballgame and Astronomy

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The Mesoamerican ballgame was more than a sport - it was rich in astronomical symbolism. The motion of the ball represented celestial movements, and ball courts were often aligned with astronomical events.

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Sumerian Sexagesimal System

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The Sumerians used a sexagesimal (base-60) numeral system for calculations, which greatly influenced the development of astronomy. This system is the reason we have 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour today.

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