Six Easy Lectures

on

Ancient Mathematical Astronomy

General Reading Suggestions

General Websites

Lecture 1  

          Introduction and Background, Almagest Books 1 and 2, the celestial sphere, trigonometry, the background

Lecture Notes

Supplementary Reading

Lecture 2  

Almagest Book 3, the Sun, the length of the year, the geometric models, the background

Lecture Notes

Supplementary Reading

Lecture 3  

Almagest Books 4–6, the Moon, parallax, the months, the models, sizes and distances, the background

Lecture Notes

Supplementary Reading

Lecture 4  

Almagest Books 7 and 8, stars and catalogs, precession, risings and settings, calendars, the background

Lecture Notes

Supplementary Reading

Lectures 5–6  

Almagest Books 9–13, geocentric vs heliocentric, the planets, the anomalies, the equant, latitude, distances, the background, the developments (India, Islam, Copernicus, Kepler)         

Lecture Notes

Supplementary Reading