Observation history

See also: Stars in astrology

People have interpreted patterns and images in the stars since

ancient times. This 1690 depiction of the constellation of Leo, the lion, is by Johannes Hevelius.
[4] [5]

Historically, stars have been important to civilizations throughout the world. They have been part of
religious practices, divination rituals, mythology, used for celestial navigation and orientation, to mark
the passage of seasons, and to define calendars.
Early astronomers recognized a difference between "fixed stars", whose position on the celestial
sphere does not change, and "wandering stars" (planets), which move noticeably relative to the fixed
stars over days or weeks.[6] Many ancient astronomers believed that the stars were permanently
affixed to a heavenly sphere and that they were immutable. By convention, astronomers grouped
prominent stars into asterisms and constellations and used them to track the motions of the planets
and the inferred position of the Sun.[4] The motion of the Sun against the background stars (and the
horizon) was used to create calendars, which could be used to regulate agricultural practices.
[7]
The Gregorian calendar, currently used nearly everywhere in the world, is a solar calendar based
on the angle of the Earth's rotational axis relative to its local star, the Sun.
The oldest accurately dated star chart was the result of ancient Egyptian astronomy in 1534 BC.
[8]
The earliest known star catalogues were compiled by the ancient Babylonian
astronomers of Mesopotamia in the late 2nd millennium BC, during the Kassite Period (c. 1531 BC –
c. 1155 BC).[9]
Stars in the night sky

The first star catalogue in Greek astronomy was created by Aristillus in approximately 300 BC, with
the help of Timocharis.[10] The star catalog of Hipparchus (2nd century BC) included 1,020 stars, and
was used to assemble Ptolemy's star catalogue.[11] Hipparchus is known for the discovery of the first
recorded nova (new star).[12] Many of the constellations and star names in use today derive from
Greek astronomy.
Despite the apparent immutability of the heavens, Chinese astronomers were aware that new stars
could appear.[13] In 185 AD, they were the first to observe and write about a supernova, now known
as SN 185.[14] The brightest stellar event in recorded history was the SN 1006 supernova, which was
observed in 1006 and written about by the Egyptian astronomer Ali ibn Ridwan and several Chinese
astronomers.[15] The SN 1054 supernova, which gave birth to the Crab Nebula, was also observed by
Chinese and Islamic astronomers.[16][17][