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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Beijing Ancient Observatory
Explanation: Did observatories exist before telescopes ? One example that still stands today is the Beijing Ancient Observatory in China . Starting in the 1400s astronomers erected large instruments here to enable them to measure star and planet positions with increasing accuracy. Pre-telescopic observatories throughout the world date back to before recorded history, providing measurements that helped to determine when to plant crops, how to navigate ships, and when religious ceremonies should occur. It is interesting to compare the above picture to one taken in 1895 .
| Date | March 30, 2003 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit & Copyright: Judy Tobin |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |