History Of Astronomy
Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences, dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious, mythological, and astrological practices of pre-history: vestiges of these are still found in astrology, a discipline long interwoven with public and governmental astronomy, and not completely disentangled from it until a few centuries ago in the Western World (see astrology and astronomy). In some cultures astronomical data was used for astrological prognostication.
Ancient astronomers were able to differentiate between stars and planets, as stars remain relatively fixed over the centuries while planets will move an appreciable amount during a comparatively short time.
Read more about History Of Astronomy: Early History, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Hellenistic World, India, China, Mesoamerica, Islamic Astronomy, Medieval Western Europe, Renaissance Period, Uniting Physics and Astronomy, Colonial American Astronomy, Modern Astronomy, Cosmology and The Expansion of The Universe, New Windows Into The Cosmos Open
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