More astronomy history<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3> - A history of Royal Court astronomers<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/li>
- A history of the orrery<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>
- Geocentrism vs heliocentrism<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div>
Photo by: Universal History Archive\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images <\/figcaption> <\/figure> <\/div> <\/div> But for that image of a full-rigged ship cutting a foamy ocean swathe to become reality, the crew needed the knowledge and skill to determine the ship\u2019s position at sea and the direction of the next port.<\/p> ![\"Ships](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/ship-starry-night-sky.jpg\")
Ships have used the stars to navigate for centuries. Credit: \u0412\u0441\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0432\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0438\u0437\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f \u044f\u0432\u043b\u044f\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043c\u043e\u0438\u043c\u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u0430\u043c\u0438 \/ Getty Images <\/figcaption> <\/figure> Early sea exploration<\/strong><\/h2> There are many accounts from around the globe of humankind\u2019s early sea excursions.<\/p>
In the Mediterranean, the Minoans, Phoenicians and ancient Greeks are documented as making numerous ocean voyages using simple coastal navigation \u2013 keeping the shoreline in sight, for fear of becoming lost.<\/p>
However, even then \u2013 going back to around 2000 BC \u2013 basic navigational sea charts were in use, some of which incorporated positional references to the Sun and Moon.<\/p>
On the other side of the world, in the Pacific Ocean, Polynesians have been navigating by the stars for thousands of years, their fixed positions giving a constant that the Polynesian seafarers memorised.<\/p>
European explorers encountering this long tradition called it Polynesian wayfinding, as it also used natural phenomena such as seasonal bird movements.<\/p>
As a more technical approach to seafaring was undertaken in Europe, detailed but still relatively basic sea charts began to emerge, mainly due to mariners of the 13th century keeping records of their endeavours.<\/p> ![\"Old](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/old-sea-chart.jpg\")
Old sea charts showed well-established routes between key ports. Credit: Credit: Alex Sava \/ Getty Images <\/figcaption> <\/figure> While providing no longitude or latitude points, the charts highlighted well-travelled routes between major ports.<\/p>
As the evolution of the sea chart continued, the number of people with the ability to comprehend them narrowed, making the task of the navigator rather specialised and, given the increase in sea traffic, one that carried much responsibility for crew and cargo alike.<\/p>
After the advent of a reliable compass in the 13th century, the 15th century saw the era of the great explorers and the introduction of the mariner\u2019s astrolabe<\/a>, a seaworthy version of the instrument that had been used in the Near East for at least a millennium.<\/p> This device helped determine a ship\u2019s latitude from the Pole Star or the Sun.<\/p> ![\"A](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/GettyImages-544802567.jpg\")
A sextant uses a celestial object to determine latitude and longitude while at sea. Credit: Thierry Dosogne \/ Getty Images <\/figcaption> <\/figure> The 18th century saw further advancement, with the introduction of the sextant and the sea-going chronometer in the late 1700s, which helped determine a ship\u2019s longitude with high accuracy.<\/p>
The sea chart and the star chart were then combined in the navigational star chart.<\/p>
But for that image of a full-rigged ship cutting a foamy ocean swathe to become reality, the crew needed the knowledge and skill to determine the ship\u2019s position at sea and the direction of the next port.<\/p> There are many accounts from around the globe of humankind\u2019s early sea excursions.<\/p> In the Mediterranean, the Minoans, Phoenicians and ancient Greeks are documented as making numerous ocean voyages using simple coastal navigation \u2013 keeping the shoreline in sight, for fear of becoming lost.<\/p> However, even then \u2013 going back to around 2000 BC \u2013 basic navigational sea charts were in use, some of which incorporated positional references to the Sun and Moon.<\/p> On the other side of the world, in the Pacific Ocean, Polynesians have been navigating by the stars for thousands of years, their fixed positions giving a constant that the Polynesian seafarers memorised.<\/p> European explorers encountering this long tradition called it Polynesian wayfinding, as it also used natural phenomena such as seasonal bird movements.<\/p> As a more technical approach to seafaring was undertaken in Europe, detailed but still relatively basic sea charts began to emerge, mainly due to mariners of the 13th century keeping records of their endeavours.<\/p> While providing no longitude or latitude points, the charts highlighted well-travelled routes between major ports.<\/p> As the evolution of the sea chart continued, the number of people with the ability to comprehend them narrowed, making the task of the navigator rather specialised and, given the increase in sea traffic, one that carried much responsibility for crew and cargo alike.<\/p> After the advent of a reliable compass in the 13th century, the 15th century saw the era of the great explorers and the introduction of the mariner\u2019s astrolabe<\/a>, a seaworthy version of the instrument that had been used in the Near East for at least a millennium.<\/p> This device helped determine a ship\u2019s latitude from the Pole Star or the Sun.<\/p> The 18th century saw further advancement, with the introduction of the sextant and the sea-going chronometer in the late 1700s, which helped determine a ship\u2019s longitude with high accuracy.<\/p> The sea chart and the star chart were then combined in the navigational star chart.<\/p> Early sea exploration<\/strong><\/h2>