Mesopotamian Star Catalogs

Babylonian astronomers were among the first to systematically record celestial observations, creating star catalogs like the MUL.APIN tablets dating to around 1000 BCE. Their meticulous records of planetary positions and eclipse cycles laid the groundwork for mathematical astronomy.

Using their base-60 number system, Babylonian scholars developed predictive models for lunar and planetary phenomena that remained unsurpassed for centuries.