25 questions and answers

24) How could they predict eclipses in ancient times? ancient times?

Ancient astronomers could predict eclipses, even though they did not have as much knowledge of physics or understand celestial mechanics as we do today. Their methods were based on centuries of observing the sky, numerical cycles, and very accurate records. 

Although the Egyptians had a very advanced calendar, they left few written records about solar eclipses. This is probably because they considered them to be bad luck, so they avoided talking about them. Their knowledge was based more on observation and mythology than on mathematical models to predict them.

The Babylonians were the best predictors of eclipses before the Greeks. They based their predictions on centuries of observing the sky and on very detailed records on clay tablets. This is how they discovered the Saros cycle (which states that eclipses repeat every 18 years + 11 days + 8 hours), which shows that eclipses repeat every 18 years or so. This allowed them to predict when an eclipse might occur, although they also interpreted them as omens sent by the gods.

The Maya ( 250–900 AD) developed highly accurate astronomy based on calculations, calendars, and lunar cycles. They carefully observed the movement of the Sun and Moon and used a complex calendar system to predict eclipses. The Dresden Codex contains tables with hundreds of lunar cycles, which allowed them to achieve a level of accuracy comparable to modern methods.