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10th century CE Greek copy of Aristarchus of Samos's calculations of the relative sizes of the sun, moon and the earth.

A European brass planispheric astrolabe, made in Italy c. 1500. The astrolabe was a device used to measure the position of stars, time, and as a surveying tool. (Science Museum, London)

Earth's solar system by NASA and Rawpixel.

The Intihuatana Stone or 'Hitching Post of the Sun' at Machu Picchu in the High Andes. The stone was used by Inca priests for astronomical observations, especially of the sun. In ceremonies during the solstices the priests symbollically tied...

A 17th-century painting by Henri Testelin titled Establishment of the French Academy of Sciences and of Paris Observatory. Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715) is shown being presented the founding members of the Academy and Observatory (shown...

A 17th-century map by Jan van Loon of the cosmos as proposed by the astronomer and geographer Claudius Ptolemy (c. 100 - c. 170 CE).

A map of the Moon's surface by Galileo (1564-1642), drawn using a telescope the astronomer had built himself. The uneven line of shadow aided Galileo in identifying the nature of the Moon's surface and the approximate size of its mountains...

A 3rd Century CE mosaic from Tusculum, a major ancient Roman city in the Latium region of Italy. Athena (Minerva), goddess of war, can be seen (middle) with the phases of the moon surrounding her. This mosaic is held in the Greek Cross Room...

A photo of the Nebra Sky Disc, a Bronze Age artifact (c. 1600 BCE) found in Nebra, Germany.

The travels of Edmond Halley (1656–1742) exemplify the expanding reach of scientific inquiry during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, an era shaped by the Scientific Revolution. Operating within the maritime world of the Kingdom of...