Astronomy was an important way in which the Mesopotamians made sense of their world. This chapter explains how Babylonian astronomers used their knowledge of astronomy to understand time, and used their writing systems to record their findings.

The home page explains the importance of Babylonian astronomers in maintaining the calendar and predicting the future.

The story is a fictional account of an astronomer called Aplum. It describes how record keeping by ancient astrologers ensured that the Babylonian calendar remained accurate. It could be used to help pupils understand ideas about different types of calendars and why they are important.

The explore allows pupils to investigate a virtual Babylonian library. Astronomers' tablets may be explored to discover the different forms of information they recorded.

The challenge allows pupils to discover how the Babylonians were able to predict where and when a planet would reappear in any given year.