Many of the ideas both developed and adapted by Greek astronomers have stayed constant in astronomy
throughout the years. For example, the Greek astronomer Hipparchus measured how long it took for the moon to go through its phases of waxing and weaning, (28 days) and that is still the case today. Furthermore, there are 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Many of these are constellations originally recognized by Ptolemy over a thousand years ago. The majority of these constellations can be traced back to ancient Greece, and many of the names of these constellations are a part of Greek mythology. The modern constellations that are recognized by the International Astronomical Union are a combination of ancient Greek star patterns and present-day star patterns. As well as the discoveries and observations made by the Greeks, one can also see the connection between ancient Greece and the present-day world through the very terms that are used in astronomy. The word 'planet' comes from the Greek word for 'wanderer'. In addition, the prefixes 'aster' and 'astr' come from the Greek word for 'star'.These prefixes can be found in the words 'asteroid', 'astronaut', and even the name of the subject, 'astronomy'. Although much of the basis of Greek astronomy has been proven false today, the Greeks had many brilliant ideas that provided the foundation for today’s astronomy. Even the mistakes that the Greeks made were understandable, considering the fact that they did not have rovers exploring Mars and satellites taking pictures of the universe miles and miles away.