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The total solar eclipse of May 28 585 caused a cease in fighting between the Medians and the Lydians.           Source: zef art / Adobe Stock

May 28, 585 BC: The Battle Of The Solar Eclipse

On this day, 28 May, in 585 BC, a fierce battle was underway in Asia Minor when the light vanished in the middle of the day causing the warring armies to lay down their arms and declare a truce. This...
Göbekli Tepe’s construction secrets may be tied to the stars. (Deriv.) Source: Brian Weed /Adobe Stock

Scrutiny of Göbekli Tepe’s Construction Reveals Celestial Secrets

Recently, it was announced that two Israeli archaeologists have detected what they consider to be an underlying geometry included in Göbekli Tepe’s construction. Gil Haklay and Avi Gopher, from Tel...
The Milky Way is important in Australian Aboriginal astronomy

Looking to the Stars of Australian Aboriginal Astronomy

Astronomy played an important role in many ancient societies. Through this natural science, the ancients were able to make calendars, navigate during the night, and even explore the nature of the...
Ancient Greek astronomy has baffled experts for centuries – how did they know what they knew so long ago? These four discoveries epitomize this. Pictured: view of the Earth, Moon and Sun from the space elements (original image from NASA). Source: vovan / Adobe stock

Four Discoveries of Ancient Greek Astronomy That Still Baffle Experts

The Histories by Herodotus (484BC to 425BC) offers a remarkable window into the world as it was known by ancient Greek astronomy in the mid fifth century BC. Almost as interesting as what they knew,...
Representation of the monkey geoglyph, Nazca lines, Peru.

The Perplexing Nazca Lines: Sacred Roads, Spirit Animals, or Water Sources?

The Nazca civilization thrived from 200 BC to about 600 AD in the arid plains of southern Peru. They practiced extensive irrigation at their main population centers and built two major urban...
Photo and drawing of Gammel Estrup by the author.             Source: Niels Bjerre

Gammel Estrup Manor: Alchemy, Astronomy, and Secret Symbolism Revealed

Usually we notice architecture when it is a visible expression of beautiful forms. But architecture can be symbolic too. The Danish 16th century manor house called Gammel Estrup reveals a symbolism...
There is much debate between scholars to Jesus’ crucifixion date, but there is no real consensus. Is there anyway of us knowing the truth? Left: portrait of Sir Isaac Newton. (Public domain).     Right: representation of Jesus’ crucifixion. (Kovalenko I / Adobe stock)

Sir Isaac Newton’s Astronomical Dating of Christ's Crucifixion

Whether he existed as a physical person, or as some believe, was merely an archetype from Jewish mysticism, Jesus has taken the world by storm and according to the Complete Pilgrim , very rough...
Cheomseongdae observatory at night, Gyeongju, South Korea.          Source: Ivan / Adobe stock

Star Gazing at Cheomseongdae - East Asia’s Oldest Observatory

The Korean peninsula is known for many things. One thing that may be less well known about Korean culture is its contribution to world astronomy. One particularly visible contribution is the oldest...
Representative image of the philosopher Anaximander.

Anaximander of Miletus and His Philosophy on the Origin of All Things

Whence things have their origin, Thence also their destruction happens, As is the order of things; For they execute the sentence upon one another – The condemnation for the crime – In conformity with...
Sunset over the right shoulder of the Sphinx. Source: Ministry of Antiquities

Sunset Over the Sphinx Claimed to Prove Equinox Alignment

An image of the Egyptian Sphinx at Giza on the Spring equinox could revolutionize our understanding of the ancient structure. An eminent archaeologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities...
Big Bang and the hands of God representation.  Source: rolffimages / Adobe Stock

The Bible’s Big Bang, Creation of the Universe

The most profound mystery of mankind is the origin of the universe. In juxtaposition, its origin is also the most profound event known to man. Since about 1200 BC the Bible has declared in its first...
Caroline Herschel’s interest in astronomy led her to be the co-discoverer of the universe. Source: Raisondtre / Adobe Stock.

Caroline Herschel, Co-Discoverer of the Universe

Caroline Herschel is famous for being one of the first women to make significant contributions to astronomy . She discovered eight comets and many nebulae and star clusters, both on her own and in...
Jantar Mantar in India. Source: Aliaksei / Adobe Stock.

Jantar Mantar – The Ancient Astronomical Observatories of India

The Jantar Mantar refers to a group of five astronomical observatories built in India during the 18th century. The largest and best-known of these observatories is located in Jaipur , a city founded...
Detail of ‘The Number of the Beast is 666’ (1805) by William Blake. Source: Public Domain

The Number 666 – A Blessing in Disguise?

The number 666 has been linked to scary scenes and hideous demonic beasts which have spooked the fraught nerves of the laity for almost two thousand years. Superstitions have abounded at the sight of...
Pole starts used to align the pyramids at Giza.          Source: Aliaksei / Adobe Stock

Ancient Egyptian North Star Eclipsed By Astronomical Discovery

The star used by ancient Egyptians as their North Star has just been discovered to be one part of a pair of binary stars that periodically eclipse one another, according to NASA scientists. The team’...
December 21, the longest night and shortest day of the year, is a special event at Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland. This photo was shot August 24, 2014.

Winter Solstice: Stone Age People in Ireland built a Fantastic Monument to the New Year

Tomorrow, 22 December, the Irish will celebrate the Winter Solstice as they did thousands of years ago – at Newgrange, a 5,000-year-old megalithic monument into which the sun shines at sunrise on the...
The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus. Source: The British Museum / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Mathematics of the Pharaohs: The Rhind Papyrus and Ancient Egyptian Math

Western civilization has always had a fascination with the civilization which grew up along the Nile River around 3,000 BC. Greek intellectuals, such as Thales, visited Egypt and were enamored by the...
Deriv; Stone statue of Gilgamesh (CC BY 2.0), used here as a representation of an ancient Mesopotamian man. Background: Solar event. (CC0) Information provided by ancient Assyrian astrologers can help modern scientists predict future solar storms.

Ancient Assyrian Astrologers Teach Us About Solar Storms

What exactly goes on high above our heads? Why do the stars and celestial spheres seem to dance around the sky? What is the sun up to when it seems to “randomly” disappear in the day, or when it...
Exoplanet “K2-18b” is 50% water could possibly harbor alien life. Source: Sergey Nivens / Adobe Stock.

First Ever Find of Water on ‘Potentially Habitable’ Planet Gives Hope for Finding Alien Life

For the first time ever, astronomers have identified water trapped in the atmosphere of a remote planet orbiting a distant star. When Gillian Anderson played Dana Scully she famously said, “The truth...
Religion of the Aztecs: Keeping the Balance in an Unpredictable and Terrifying World

Religion of the Aztecs: Keeping the Balance in an Unpredictable and Terrifying World

The Aztec Empire was the largest and most successful Mesoamerican empire in terms of size and demographics. It stretched across highlands, coastal plains, valleys, and forests. It is not surprising,...
Temple of Edfu illustration by artist David Roberts.

The Grand Architect: The Sacred Link Between Architecture and the Divine Across Ancient Cultures

In 1892, architect W.R. Lethaby wrote: “The main purpose and burden of sacred architecture - and all architecture, temple, tomb, or palace, was sacred in the early days - is…inextricably bound up...
Vintage armillary sphere.

Armillary Spheres: Following Celestial Objects in the Ancient World

Astronomy is often considered to be one of the oldest branches of science. In many ancient societies, astronomical observations were used not only for the practical job of determine the rhythm of...
Colored Giza Casing Stones, Menkaure's Pyramid.

Stones of Diverse Colors: Symbolic and Astronomical Significance in the Very Fabric of the Giza Casing Stones

Most casual students of ancient history know that the outer casing stones of the Giza pyramids were constructed of highly polished Tura limestone blocks that caused them to gleam like a trio of...
Medieval stargazers. People have been fascinated by the stars and their possible influence over our lives, long before and after the time of Babylonian astrology.

Complex Astronomical and Astrological Systems Detailed on Ancient Assyrian Tablets

Archaeologists studying a group of five unique stone tablets dating to the first millennium in Babylonia and Assyria have announced that they reveal a hitherto unknown level of astronomical...

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