NATS 1745 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Heel Stone, Archaeoastronomy

• School: York University
• Department: Natural Science
• Course: NATS 1745
• Professor: Robin Metcalfe

Document Summary

The earth is moving 30 km per second around the sun. The moon changes shapes from crescent moon to full moon which lasts almost 30 days. People in the past used this kind of knowledge to predict the paths of the sun, moon, starts, and planets. Archaeoastronomy refers to the study of ancient sites for the purpose of identifying connections between the purpose of the site and the sky. The sun is an important celestial body to study because its light and heat are essential to su(cid:396)(cid:448)i(cid:448)al. The su(cid:374)"s path th(cid:396)oughout the sky can also be used to track time - especially important for those whose life depended on land. Located in ireland and over 5000 years old and was the tomb for a few. What makes newgrange unique, is that above the entrance, there is a roofbox which is aligned to the winter solstice sunrise.