The Antikythera Mechanism: An Ancient Greek Planetarium

Image: Replica of the Antikythera mechanism housed at the National Museum of American History gifted by Derek Price. Image retrieved from the DPLA. CC0. Article by Caleb Strom, PhD Aerospace Sciences. The Collector – June 8, 2025.

Since its discovery in 1901 off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera, the Antikythera Mechanism has fascinated scholars in many fields. Studies of the inscriptions on the mechanism and reconstructions of its gears have established that it was an astronomical calculator. It has gears for telling time and predicting eclipses and planetary positions. The Antikythera Mechanism reveals that mechanical technology in the Hellenistic period was much more advanced than previously thought, rivaling early modern Western Europe. It also reveals how astronomical knowledge was integrated into everyday life. […]

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