Astronomical clock

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/astronomical-clock

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the notable example?Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj), a 15th-century masterpiece of astronomical horology
2. How does an astronomical clock show the Moon’s phase?The clock has a dial that turns once every 29.5 days, the same length as the Moon’s cycle. The gear makes the Moon’s picture change to show whether it is new, half, or full.
3. Why did people build astronomical clocks in the Middle Ages?In the Middle Ages, people used them to learn about time, seasons, and celestial events. They helped farmers, sailors, and churches know when to plant, travel, or celebrate.

Horological Instrument: A device specifically designed for measuring and displaying time.
Geocentric Model: An astronomical model where celestial bodies orbit the Earth.
Sidereal Time: A time scale based on the Earth's rotation relative to the fixed stars, rather than the Sun.