This course from The University of Hong Kong introduces the history of astronomy and reveals how our relationship with the cosmos has evolved over time.

Ever since our early ancestors began to observe the night sky, we have wondered about our place in the universe.

It was not until 1543 that Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus dispelled the notion that we are at the center of it all by proving that the Earth revolved around the sun. What did this mean for how we conceive of the world and ourselves?

Professor Sun Kwok is a world-renowned astronomer and professor of Space Science at the University of Hong Kong.

In this course presented by edX, you will learn how humans deciphered the mysteries of the night sky, and in doing so, changed their perspective of the universe.

This course will teach you how early civilizations responded to the movement of the heavens and how Ancient Greek philosophers such as Ptolemy and Aristotle used mathematics and geometry to interpret celestial events.