Humanity’s aspiration to understand the stars and what’s beyond has driven humans to develop technology suited to studying space. The first evidence of this innovation comes with the earliest surviving lunar calendar dating back to 23,000 B.C. Progressing to 3,000 B.C., the ancient Egyptians calculated a calendar year by utilizing the knowledge gained from observing the star Sirius. In 1,000 B.C., Indian and Babylonian astronomers calculated a year’s length to be 360 days; however, the Egyptians later calculated a more accurate year’s length to 365.25 days. Almost four hundred years later, the first documented meteor shower was written by record-keepers of China’s Zhou Dynasty. The exact note was “‘in the middle of the night, stars fell like rain.’” (Universe: Exploring the Astronomical World, 310). …show more content…
Along with these first observations came other new innovations, such as: Stonehenge, whose stones are believed to be aligned with the heavens; the Great Pyramid of Giza’s internal shaft aligned with the Pole Star; the Nebra Sky Disk, which is believed to be the earliest depiction of the cosmos; and the Antikythera mechanism, a device which allowed the user to calculate the position of celestial bodies. After these first advances and observations, many theoretical papers were compiled explaining various theories on the solar system, stars, and mathematical formulas regarding the calculation of distance between celestial bodies. However, the theories were not consistent and were subject to change by the author of the publication. The many observations, theories, and advances in technology made before the dawn of the Common Era all helped shape the future of space