SOL Prep

History of Astronomy

Virginia SOL AS.2

Investigate and understand how human curiosity and ingenuity across cultures and time have shaped our understanding of the universe.

Study AS.2 with SOL PrepBack to Earth Science II Astronomy

What students need to be able to do

  • Compare the astronomical contributions made by ancient cultures.
  • Describe how ancient people determined sizes of Earth, moon, and sun and distances between them, and compare these to current values.
  • Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how the heliocentric model of the solar system is a better predictor of planetary motion than the geocentric model.
  • Explain how advances in astronomical observations and timekeeping led to more accurate measurements of latitude and longitude, improving navigation and global exploration.
  • Explain how Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Newton's law of universal gravitation advanced earlier models of the solar system and allowed for more accurate predictions of orbital motion.
  • Research how technological advances in observational tools contribute to the development of more accurate models of the cosmos and support modern applications such as navigation, communication, and Earth monitoring.