The Babylonians and mesopotamians lived in the area around what it now Iraq and Syria. They gave us the 360 degree circle with 60 minutes in a degree and 60 seconds in a minute. Babylonian astronomy was very mathematical, but it also involved looking at the motion of the Sun and planets, because they wanted to establish a calendar. There was no geometrical model of the universe, but the arithmetical models were very effective and led to precise predictions of what would happen to the heavenly bodies.

In ancient Egypt, astronomers used the stars and heavenly bodies to help the dead find their place in the afterlife. They created a calendar to help predict the flow of the Nile and its annual flood - essential for a civilisation whose livelihood was at the mercy of this massive river. The pyramids are full of astronomical features, with prayers carved into the wall making reference to the Pharaoh's descent into the sky. The Great Pyramid - the largest of the lot, contains internal shafts which point to the star Thuban, which in ancient Egypt was the North Star.