**Ancient Observatories-Timeless Knowledge**

What Can We Learn From Ancient Observatories?

Why do you think Ancient Observatories-Timeless Knowledge is the 2005
Theme for the Sun-Earth Connection Missions?

The following activity will introduce you and your students to our
exciting new Sun-Earth Day theme. We have provided basic vocabulary
necessary to provide a foundation for additional exploration. With the
foundation you will then have the opportunity to explore our new dynamic
timeline called, "Sun Watchers Through Time"! Above all, enjoy your
journey through time!

**Engagement:** Sun-Earth Day 2005: Ancient Observatories-Timeless
Knowledge

Define the following terms:

> **Ancient**
>
> **Observatories**
>
> **Timeless**
>
> **Knowledge**
>
> ***For the Educator:***
>
> ***Ancient**-of or relating to a remote period, to a time early in
> history, or to those living in such a period or time; especially **:**
> of or relating to the historical period beginning with the earliest
> known civilizations and extending to the fall of the western Roman
> Empire in A.D. 476*
>
> ***Observatories-**a building or place given over to or equipped for
> [observation](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=observation)
> of natural phenomena (as in astronomy); also **:** an institution
> whose primary purpose is making such
> [observations](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=observations)*
>
> ***Timeless**-having no beginning or end **:
> [ETERNAL](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=eternal)**
> **b** **:** not restricted to a particular time or date \<the timeless
> themes of love, solitude, joy, and nature*
>
> ***Knowledge**-acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art,
> or technique **b** (1) **:** the fact or condition of being aware of
> something (2) **:** the range of one\'s information or understanding
> \<answered to the best of my knowledge\> **c** **:** the circumstance
> or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning*
>
> **Introducing the Activity**:
>
> After defining the above terms your students will have an idea of the
> meaning behind the theme for this year's Sun-Earth Day. Allow your
> students time to review the online "Sun Watchers Across Time" timeline
> or you may simply wish to print copies of the timeline information
> provided below. This can be followed with small group discussions on
> the following topics:

-   Why did people study the Sun for so many years?

-   What discoveries were key points in learning about our relationship
    to 'Our Star the Sun'?

-   How can the Sun-Earth Scientists help you as you learn about
    observing the Sun over time? Enter your research based conclusions
    to the questions and receive a special recognition from the Sun
    Earth Connection Education Forum.

> **Sun Watchers Through Time**:
>
> (Many of the timeline entries have been linked to web pages for
> further research.)

-   **3000 BC:** Known in Gaelic as Uaimh na Greine, \"the cave of the
    sun,\" Newgrange, Ireland was built. It is the oldest known
    structure with evidence of scientific thought. On winter solstice,
    the sunlight perfectly aligns with an opening in the structure to
    illuminate the inner chamber.

> ( Live link) http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm

-   **2700-1700 BC:** Stonehenge, in England, was built in approximately
    3000 BC. It was a giant circle of huge stones that were aligned to
    the position of the sun. (Live link
    http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMStonehenge.html)

-   **4th Century BC:** Greek philosopher Aristotle invented the camera
    obscura and became the first known person to use a device to observe
    the Simi. A camera obscura, a hole punched in a screen, remains a
    popular way to observe solar eclipses. (Live Link
    http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/aristotle.html)

-   **150 AD:** Ptolemy endorsed the Earth-centered view of the
    universe.(Live Link
    <http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Ptolemy.html>)

-   **800 AD:** Chichin Itza
    [http://www.bernhardt.org.uk/photo%20pages/chicken%20Itza.htm](http://www.bernhardt.org.uk/photo pages/chicken Itza.htm)

-   **850 AD:** Chaco Canyon <http://www.nps.gov/chcu/>

-   **1543:** Nicolaus Copernicus published his theory that Earth
    travels around the sun. This contradicted the teachings of the
    Church. (Live Link
    <http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Copernicus.html>)

-   **1608:** Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey invented the
    refracting telescope. Other scientists soon followed suit, making
    their own instruments.
    http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/People/lipperhey.html

-   **1609:** Johannes Kepler published his work, *New Astronomy*, in
    which he announced his three laws of planetary motion. His work
    described the orbits of the planets as elliptical, rather than
    circular. http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/People/kepler.html

-   **1610:** Galileo Galilei published his findings of his observations
    with his telescope. He described spots on the sun, craters on the
    moon and four satellites of Jupiter. His findings promoted the idea
    of a sun-centered universe (like Copernicus). (Live link
    http://galileo.imss.firenze.it/museo/b/egalilg.html

-   **1687:** Sir Issac Newton published his findings (*Principia
    Mathematica*) establishing the theory of gravitation and laws of
    motion. This allowed astronomers to understand the interacting
    forces among the sun, the planets and their moons.
    http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/People/kepler.html

-   **1814:** Joseph von Fraunhofer built the first accurate
    spectrometer and used it to study the spectrum of the sun's light.
    (Live Link
    http://www.hao.ucar.edu/public/education/sp/images/fraunhofer.html

-   **1843:** German amateur astronomer Heinrich Schwabe, who had
    studied the sun for 17 years, announced his discovery of a regular
    cycle in sunspot numbers. He discovered that the number and
    positions of sunspots vary over an 11-year period. (Live Link
    http://www.hao.ucar.edu/public/education/sp/images/schwabe.html)

-   **1859:** Astronomer Richard Carrington (Britain) discovered solar
    flares. His discovery helped explain that geomagnetic storms on
    Earth are related to events on the sun.
    <http://astroinfo.port5.com/c/richard_christopher_carrington.html>

-   **1868:** During an eclipse, astronomers observed a new, bright
    emission line in the spectrum of the sun\'s atmosphere. As a result
    of observations, British astronomer Norman Lockyer identified and
    named helium.
    http://www.hao.ucar.edu/public/education/sp/images/lockyer.html

-   **1908:** American astronomer George Ellery Hale showed that
    sunspots contain magnetic fields that are thousands of times
    stronger than Earth\'s magnetic field.
    http://www.hao.ucar.edu/public/education/sp/images/hale.html

-   **1938:** German physicist Hans A. Bethe and American physicist
    Charles L. Critchfield demonstrated how a sequence of nuclear
    reactions, called the proton-proton chain, make the sun shine.
    <http://www.nuclearfiles.org/rebios/BetheHansAlbrecht.html>
    <http://www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/COLLECTIONS/MP-PFIL/Pages-2/MPP-PFIL-111.htm>

-   **1957:** Russian satellite Sputnik 1 was launched into orbit. Four
    months later, the US launched its first satellite, Explorer.
    <http://whyfiles.org/047sputnik/main1.html>
    <http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/>

-   **1981:** NASA\'s first reusable space shuttle, Columbia, made its
    maiden flight. <http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/home/>

-   **1983:** Launch of manned SpaceLab gave long term high-resolution
    photographs of the sun\'s surface.
    <http://www.spacehike.com/scilab.html>

-   **1990:** Ulysses, an interplanetary spacecraft, was launched with
    the mission to measure the solar wind and magnetic field over the
    sun\'s poles during periods of both high and low solar activity.
    (Live Link
    http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=11)

-   **1991:** Launch of the YOHKOH spacecraft, photographing the sun in
    x-ray emission over a full solar cycle (11 years).
    <http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory/yohkoh.htm>

-   **1995:** The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a joint
    project of the United States (NASA) and the European Space Agency
    (ESA). SOHO is at a point in space where the sun\'s gravitational
    pull balances Earth\'s gravitational pull, so the satellite orbits
    the sun with Earth. SOHO always faces the sun. SOHO returned some of
    the amazing images of the sun seen in SOLARMAX. (Live Link
    http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/)

-   **1998:** Launch of the TRACE satellite, giving unprecedented
    close-up pictures of the sun and its magnetic field lines. (Live
    Link http://sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov/smex/trace/)

-   **1998:** Construction began on a huge new space station, a joint
    endeavor among many countries.
    <http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=12573>

-   **2000:** YOHKOH, SOHO and TRACE images for SOLARMAX.
    <http://www.solarmovie.com/>