The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy, James Evans' 1998 study from Oxford University Press, covers ancient astronomy from Babylon through Greek astronomy to sixteenth century Europe, with particular depth on Hellenistic Greek technical achievement including Hipparchus' discovery of axial precession. Its strength is that it is a peer-reviewed academic monograph by a historian of science who also worked through the technical astronomy itself. Its limit is that its greatest depth is Hellenistic Greek astronomy specifically, so a claim about Babylonian or later European astronomy on its own terms may need a narrower source.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Reliability tier 1: a peer reviewed academic monograph from Oxford University Press, written by a historian of science who worked through the technical astronomy himself, the standard scholarly form for this claim. NotesA history of ancient astronomy from Babylon through Greek astronomy to sixteenth-century Europe, with its greatest emphasis on Hellenistic Greek technical achievement. Scope note: covers Hipparchus's discovery of axial precession (his rate estimate and method, contrasted with the modern value) as a genuine Hellenistic technical achievement made without a heliocentric model, exactly the claim the atlas attributes to it.
Citation
AuthorJames Evans
PublisherOxford University Press
Publication Year1998
URLhttps://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-history-and-practice-of-ancient-astronomy-9780195095395
Source Typeacademic monograph
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Babylon directly: "Press, covers ancient astronomy from Babylon through Greek astronomy to sixteenth century Europe, with particular depth on Hellenistic Greek technical achievement including Hipparchus' discovery of..."
This source names Babylonians directly: "The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy, James Evans' 1998 study from Oxford University Press, covers ancient astronomy from Babylon through Greek astronomy to sixteenth century Europe, with..."
This source names Europe directly: "Greek astronomy to sixteenth century Europe, with particular depth on Hellenistic Greek technical achievement including Hipparchus' discovery of axial precession."
Claims Backed By This Source (14 claims)
This source backs 14 claims across the atlas. As facts: 10 well-attested. As cited relationships: 3 holds. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 11 claims: 8 well-attested, 3 holds.
- Numbers, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Articles, 1 claims: 1 well-attested.
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