There Antikythera Mechanism continues to amaze scholars with its mysteries and incredible precision. This ancient astronomical calculator, created by the ancient Greeks, was used to predict eclipses, lunar phases, the position of the Sun and the planets known at the time. A new studyled by astronomers at the University of Glasgow, used advanced statistical techniques, similar to those used to study gravitational waves, to reveal new details about this extraordinary device.
The details of the study
The machine of Antikytherafound in 1901 in a Roman shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera, has long been a puzzle to scholars. Only a third of the mechanism was recovered, fragmented into 82 pieces. However, in 2020, an X-ray study of one of its wheels revealed regularly spaced holes, suggesting that the wheel originally had between 347 and 367.
Intrigued by this discovery, astronomers in Glasgow applied advanced statistical techniques, usually used to analyze gravitational waves, to solve the mystery. Their calculations indicate that the wheel probably had 354 or 355 holes.arranged with extraordinary precision in a circle with a radius of 77.1 millimeters. This suggests that the wheel was used to mark the days of the lunar calendar.
An ancient puzzle of the Antikythera Mechanism
The mechanism of Antikythera represents a puzzle that has challenged scholars for over a century. Each new discovery not only reveals the complexity and technological precision of the ancient Greeksbut also adds more pieces to the puzzle of how this amazing device works.
The machine of Antikythera never ceases to fascinate and amaze. The new discoveries allow us to better understand how this incredible instrument worked, confirming once again the extraordinary technological ability of the ancient Greeks. What other surprises will the Antikythera Mechanism have in store for us in the future?
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