Decoding the ancient Greek astronomical calculator known as the Antikythera Mechanism
@article{Freeth2006DecodingTA, title={Decoding the ancient Greek astronomical calculator known as the Antikythera Mechanism}, author={Tony Freeth and Yanis Bitsakis and X. Moussas and John H. Seiradakis and Agamemnon Tselikas and Helen Mangou and Mary Zafeiropoulou and Roger Hadland and Dominic Bate and Andrew T. Ramsey and Mitchell Allen and Andrea Crawley and P. Hockley and Thomas Malzbender and D. Gelb and William M. Ambrisco and Michael Edmunds}, journal={Nature}, year={2006}, volume={444}, pages={587-591} }
The Antikythera Mechanism is a unique Greek geared device, constructed around the end of the second century bc. It is known that it calculated and displayed celestial information, particularly cycles such as the phases of the moon and a luni-solar calendar. Calendars were important to ancient societies for timing agricultural activity and fixing religious festivals. Eclipses and planetary motions were often interpreted as omens, while the calm regularity of the astronomical cycles must have…
251 Citations
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