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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2010

Jay Pasachoff
Affiliation:
Williams College, Massachusetts
John Percy
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
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Summary

Astronomy is deeply rooted in almost every culture, as a result of its practical applications and philosophical implications. Nowadays, we determine time, date, and direction from clocks, calendars, compasses, and global positioning system (GPS) signals from the sky. In earlier times, these were determined by direct observation of the sky. Even today, the Islamic month and new year are based on direct observation, not on a calendar prepared in advance. One of us (JRP) lives and teaches in the most multicultural city in the world - Toronto. There, a large fraction of students come from Asian cultures that set their calendar by the sun and/or moon. The other (JMP) comes from another multicultural city, New York, where the lunar Jewish calendar still resonates in a large fraction of the population. The Christian calendar also approved by and named after Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, now often called 1582 CER (Common Era) but formerly ad (Anno Domini) 1582, also has many astronomical connections, and students may be interested to learn about these.

The connection between astronomy and religion, of course, can be problematic. In Part V, we included creationism under the heading of pseudoscience. But astronomy and religion need not conflict. Our astronomical colleagues in the Vatican Observatory are both astronomers and Jesuits. Over the years, they have developed a deep understanding of the possible relationships between science and religion, while maintaining a first-class astronomy research program (and a major collection of meteorites). Nevertheless, many humans are deeply influenced by their belief and faith in their religions, as well as by their culture. Many issues can be introduced through the history of astronomy.

Type
Chapter
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Teaching and Learning Astronomy
Effective Strategies for Educators Worldwide
, pp. 179 - 180
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2005

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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Jay Pasachoff, Williams College, Massachusetts, John Percy, University of Toronto
  • Book: Teaching and Learning Astronomy
  • Online publication: 18 May 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511614880.027
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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Jay Pasachoff, Williams College, Massachusetts, John Percy, University of Toronto
  • Book: Teaching and Learning Astronomy
  • Online publication: 18 May 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511614880.027
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Edited by Jay Pasachoff, Williams College, Massachusetts, John Percy, University of Toronto
  • Book: Teaching and Learning Astronomy
  • Online publication: 18 May 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511614880.027
Available formats
×