Ancient Civilizations Solar Beliefs

3. In ancient Egyptian astronomy, groups of stars that rise at set times during the night, used to tell time and mark seasons.
5. A chart or table listing the times and heights of high and low tides for a location on specific dates.
6. A small circle that a planet was thought to follow while also moving along a larger circle (deferent) around Earth—used in geocentric models to explain retrograde motion.
7. Using patterns, models, or data to forecast what will happen (e.g., predicting the date of an eclipse or a high tide).
9. A model of the universe with Earth at the center and the Sun, Moon, and planets moving around it. (Used by many ancient civilizations.)
14. The practice of finding and following a route, often using sky cues (Sun, stars, Moon), maps, and instruments to travel safely and accurately.
16. A systematic record log of what is seen (date, time, conditions, measurements). Crucial for tracking patterns over time.

1. A type of astronomy using regular sky patterns (like seasons, phases, risings of stars/planets) to build calendars and plan agriculture, festivals, and events.
2. A model of the solar system with the Sun at the center and the planets (including Earth) orbiting it. (Our modern model.)
4. When one celestial body moves into the shadow of another.
8. An eclipse where the moon blocks the Sun (new moon).
10. A stretched-out circle (oval). Planet orbits are ellipses with the Sun at one focus (Kepler’s First Law).
11. The force of attraction between masses. It keeps planets in orbit, makes objects fall, and shapes galaxies.
12. An eclipse where the Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon (full moon).
13. The apparent shift in an object’s position when viewed from two different places. Astronomers use stellar parallax to measure distances to nearby stars.
15. A cycle where the time it takes for a celestial object (like the Moon or Venus) to return to the same position relative to the Sun as seen from Earth (e.g., full moon to full moon is ~29.5 days).