Ancient Greek computers more than 1,000 years ago were able to accurately predict the movements of planets and stars, even as they appeared to be moving back and forth across the sky. New search found.
The Antikythera mechanism was discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece in the early 20th century.
Archaeologists immediately suspected it was some kind of astronomical clock, but found that it may have come from a resurrection due to its complexity.
It wasn’t until the second half of the twentieth century that researchers realized that it originated in ancient Greece – possibly around 100 BC – 200 BC – and accurately tracked the movement of the sun and moon, and predicted when an eclipse would occur. happen.
No other machine of this complexity has been invented since then, the technology being lost until the end of the Middle Ages.
It is known that the Antikythera Mechanism also tracks the movements of Venus and Saturn – including when their orbits, when viewed from Earth, appear to be moving backwards across the sky.
Until now, nobody knew that the ancient Greeks had this kind of astronomical knowledge, let alone how to program it into analog computers – much to the amazement of researchers.
“Classical astronomy dates back to the first millennium BC in Babylon, but nothing in this astronomy shows how the ancient Greeks discovered the high-resolution 462-year Venus cycle and 442-year Saturn cycle,” said a PhD candidate and research Antikythera. team at the University of California. Aris Dacanalis member.
Evidence found using X-rays reveals that this mechanism, which was found in the chunk, maps the orbits of all the other planets that were also known to the ancient Greeks.
“After a major struggle, we were able to match the evidence in fragments A and D with the Venus mechanism, which precisely represents the relationship of the planetary period of 462 years, with 63 teeth playing a critical role,” said team member David Higgons. .
Schematic diagram of an AM installation (courtesy of Adler Planetarium, Chicago).
The researchers say the next step is to establish a true recreation of the Antikythera Mechanism – something they admit will be difficult, even with modern technology.
“A particular challenge is the interlocking tube system that carries astronomical products,” said study co-author Adam Wujick.
The research is published this week in Scientific Reports.
He concludes, “Our work reveals the Antikythera Mechanism as a beautiful concept, one that has been beautifully engineered into an ingenious device.”
“This challenges all our prejudices about the technological capabilities of the ancient Greeks.”
On this day in 1902, the Antikythera Mechanism was discovered
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