Table of Contents Early Earthlings on a Scary Planet 4 Starting Off with a Bang 13 Mother Earth the Moon and the Sun 22 Welcome to the Neighborhood 31 Home Sweet Huge Home 38 Who’s Out There 40 Glossary 46 Index 47 Show What You Know 47 Websites to Visit 47 About the Author 48
Early Earthlings on a Scary Planet Imagine being one of the first people on Earth What would you think about the ground under your feet the sky above What are those bright objects in the night sky that seem to move and change And wow Why does that huge blinding orb that keeps you warm seem to disappear only to come back over and over again These natural mysteries outside a human’s control were treated in many ways throughout ancient history Most people thought various gods and goddesses controlled the mysteries around them 4
An Astronomical Treasure The Nebra sky disk is believed to be one of the earliest records of astronomical observation The 12 inch 30 centimeter bronze disk was created sometime around 1600 BCE The 3,600-year-old disk discovered by amateur treasure hunters in Germany in 1999 features an intricate depiction of the sun moon and stars Native Americans were also drawing what they observed in the sky at about the same time The Nebra sky disk can be seen at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle Germany 5
