Download Astronomy/astrology

Astronomy/astrology Astronomy is the study of the movements of the planets and the stars, while astrology is the study of the
way these movements of the stars and planets influence life on earth. The ancient Egyptians studied the
movements of stars in the sky for many hundreds of years, and were able to develop a system to understand
these movements. Unlike in modern day, the ancient Egyptian did not separate the study of astronomy and
astrology. The belief that human action was influenced by the position of stars led most Egyptians to believe
that an astrologer (someone who could read the stars), would be able to predict future events. Egyptians
believed almost everything an astrologer would tell them. For example, on days that astrologers predicted
would be unfavourable, a person would stay home and not do any activities that might bring about bad fortune.
The ancient Egyptians studied the movements of stars over many hundreds of years, and it was the
astronomer priests who, around 2500 BCE, first devised the zodiac. The zodiac was a division of the sky into
twelve constellations or groupings of stars, each of which were named after Egyptian Gods or animals. This
division of the zodiac into twelve constellations is still in use today. Because a full understanding of the
movements of the stars required complicated mathematical computations, the ancient Egyptians underestimated
the number of constellations or groupings of stars. We now know that there are over 88 different constellations
that can be seen from earth. Given the restrictions the Egyptians had in understanding planet and star
movements, it is amazing that they were able to use astronomy to decide on the positioning of their pyramids.
Astronomers would lay the building lines for the pyramids according to the position of certain planets and the
stars.
Adapted from Caring for Legacies of Ancient Egypt