The Celestial Vault: A Historical Perspective Overview
Ever since the beginning of civilizations, man has looked up in awe at the night sky , which changes from one instant to another. The concept of the " celestial vault ," that is, an imaginary vault or canopy above the Earth , has been a cornerstone of human understanding of the cosmos for millennia. This article discusses the historical meaning of this concept, its evolution across cultures, and its deep impact on our understanding of the universe. Definition and Historical Context The " celestial vault " is a metaphorical expression of the sky as a solid, inverted bowl or dome. This concept has been common to most cultures, giving meaning to the apparent motions of the stars and other objects in the sky . To early people, the Earth was a flat plane with the sky being a real, physical object in which the stars, moon, and Sun were embedded. Importance of Horizon, Equator, and Ecliptic The horizon is the apparent line in the sky where the heavens meet the E...