• BY NADINE SIMS
The oldest Science in the world
A WALK THROUGH TIME The Universe and its mysteries have always puzzled mankind. Everyday we have discovered another piece of this puzzle. We do not have all the pieces of the puzzle, so putting it together is proving difficult.
T
hat is what astronomers do. Help us figure out the mysteries of the universe and put this astronomical puzzle together. For as long as humans have been able to, we’ve been looking up to the skies in awe. The night sky is mesmerising, mystical, drawing us nearer and leaving us wanting to know more. The vastness can put things into perspective and explain the biggest existential questions that most people have. What are we doing here? What is our purpose? What is out there?
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BRICS ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE • bricsastronomy.org • June 2022
The word Astronomy is derived from the Greek word ‘astron’, meaning star and it literally translates to ‘law of the stars’. It is widely agreed that astronomy is the oldest science in the world. We do have astronomy to thank for many significant inventions that have made life better and as convenient as it is now. Like clocks, calendars, Wi-Fi and many other important byproducts.
MEASURING TIME
Imagining a world without clocks, calendars and other
ways to measure time is difficult. Life as we know it revolves around time. The first traces of time keeping date back to about 7000 years ago in the African deserts of Egypt, about 800km south of Cairo. The site, Nabta Playa, is a stone circle, similar but much older than Stonehenge. It is believed that the people that built the structure did so to monitor the seasons. The region is known for having seasonal monsoons, which could affect their food supply. Citizens and farmers relied on the Nile River flooding, to nourish their crops.
