Motions of the Sun, Earth, Moon & the other planets
Navigation
Observatories
Appreciate & understand the mathematics of the heavens
Topics
We start by discussing the motion of the Sun, Earth and Moon and other fundamental concepts of astronomy and its history. In Singapore, we use the Gregorian, Chinese, Islamic and Indian calendars for determining the public holidays. The equation of time is crucial for understanding the time of sunrise and sunset in the tropics. We also look at ancient astronomical instruments like the astrolabe and armillary spheres. Astrology was important in the past, and we explore the ideas behind it. Developments in navigation and cartography (map making) have been important in world history. We discuss archaeoastronomy (the use of astronomy in archaeology), cultural astronomy and astronomy in nature.