Here is a collection of posters and information corresponding to the Origins of Astronomy exhibition at the University of Pittsburgh Thaw Hall. This exhibition was organized by Dr. Sandhya Rao and an undergraduate student, Loghan Hawkes, in Spring of 2026. Each exhibit poster was made by a different group of students in Dr. Rao's ASTRON 0088 Class, Stonehenge to Hubble. This class (and exhibit) teaches an overview of astronomical history, from ancient times to modern day. In small groups students work together on specific cross cultural topics and create models of artifacts in partnership with Open Lab. These posters provide more information about the ancient artifacts modeled by students, which are kept in the exhibition case in Thaw Hall.
Students searched through modern photographs of comets to match them with these drawings from the Mawangdui Comet Atlas. Each comet identification correlated with certain omens, which were highly important to the study of astronomy in ancient China. Access this online spinner wheel, made of each of these combined, to find your very own comet omen!
