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Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: 2000 y/o astronomy calculator

Scientists unravel mystery of ancient Greek machine:  Discovered in 1900

Speculation it was built in 65 BC.  Others date it between 100 and 150 BC.  Wow.

Can replicate Moon's orbit.

Can calculate positions of Sol, Moon, Mercury and Venus for ANY date.  Speculation seems near to confirmed that it can also do this for Mars, Saturn and Jupiter's positions.

Nothing comparable to this machine would be built for another 1000 years.  A person quoted in the article says it's more valuable than the Mona Lisa.  Yeah, I'd say. 

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)