Ancient Mesopotamian Astronomy and Astrology: The History of Celestial Observations in Mesopotamia

In ancient Mesopotamia, the Sumerians also provided the civilizational template for the earliest forms of astronomy. As the Sumerians gazed at the sky and began mapping the cosmos, they successfully tracked retrograde motion and predicted lunar and solar eclipses, bringing forth thousands of years of discoveries made by enterprising astronomers. 

For the Mesopotamians, astronomy and astrology intertwined. Today, astronomy is understood as the scientific study of the universe, focusing on the physical properties of different bodies, from how they move to how they came into being. Conversely, astrology is a non-scientific belief system that interprets the stars and planets to predict human behavior, personality, or future events. However, in Mesopotamia, the astronomy determined the course of religion and the choices made by rulers, providing a certain mix between the mundane and the surreal. From their births to their deaths, the ancient Mesopotamians believed that deities surrounded them, and whether their social interactions were on the level of a smaller city or that of a larger nation-state, the deities played key roles in the social fabric of their society. Astronomy and astrology were thus wielded in order to divine supernatural intentions, and thereby plot proper courses in everyday life.