A Greek star catalog from the dawn of astronomy, revealed.

  • Published In: Science News, 2026, v. 208, n. 4. P. 26 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Mann, Adam 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the recovery of ancient star maps and a Greek poem about celestial phenomena from a palimpsest known as the Codex Climaci Rescriptus, using advanced X-ray imaging at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The star maps originate from a catalog by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus of Nicaea (circa 150 B.C.) and were hidden beneath later overwritten texts on animal hide. This discovery provides rare direct insight into early astronomical science and has helped clarify that the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy used Hipparchus' work as a reference rather than plagiarizing it. Researchers plan to further analyze the manuscript with computer algorithms to uncover more historical scientific data. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Science News. 2026/04, Vol. 208, Issue 4, p26
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:0036-8423
  • Accession Number:192078168
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