Astronomical charts, or star charts, are maps of the night sky used to identify stars and constellations. They have been used for navigation at sea and in space exploration. Stellar cartography dates back to ancient Chinese and Greek astronomers and played a role in the development of astrology. Prehistoric drawings in France and a mammoth tusk in Germany also contain star maps.
An astronomical chart, also known as a star chart, is a map of a certain portion of the night sky or region of space while in outer space. It is generally used to identify the position of stars and constellations and is a very ancient practice that dates back to prehistoric times. An astronomical calendar is often a key feature in creating an astronomical map, because most objects in space move with a predictable degree of accuracy relative to Earth. Where an astronomical map is incorporated into a space probe, it is used to calculate the proximity of planets and other objects in the Solar System so as to quantify their gravitational pull. A spacecraft could approach such bodies for exploration or to increase its speed en route to other locations.
One of the most common uses of an astronomical map throughout human history has been for navigating ships on the sea. This is because ships far from land on the horizon have no fixed reference points to determine their direction. A detailed star map can also include objects closer to Earth than distant stars or galaxies that move much faster across the sky and can be a more useful navigational aid, such as the planets Venus and Mars, or periodically approaching stellar objects to the Earth as asteroids and comets.
The practice of using astronomical equipment to create an astronomical map is known as celestial or stellar cartography, which literally means mapping the stars and can be historically traced back to Chinese astronomers such as Shi Shen and Wu Xian who lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC Western astronomers in Greece began making their own versions of such maps around 129 BC, based on Babylonian drawings. All of these early calculations focused on the motion of the visible planets in the night sky relative to the Earth, and played a major role in the development of astrology. Astrology makes use of complicated astronomical map calculations for the position and movement of the planets in our Solar System to predict their effect on the destiny and daily life of human beings.
Before the invention of the astronomical telescope, mankind used the stars and objects visible in the night sky to predict everything from personal fortunes to weather patterns. Prehistoric astronomical map drawings in France’s Lascaux Cave are believed to represent the Pleiades star cluster and Summer Triangle constellations that date back 16,500 years. A small section of woolly mammoth tusk found in Germany in 1979 in the Ach valley is also believed to contain a star map that resembles the constellation Orion and dates back 32,500 years.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
