What's so special about the Antikythera Mechanism?

Question

My physics teacher was talking about it in class and he mentioned that it was a great advance in Ancient Greek astronomical study. Anyone know what this is?

Answer 1

Let me add to the above that there is still a more recent research!!!!
On 30 November 2006, the science journal Nature published a new reconstruction of the mechanism based on the high resolution X-ray tomography described above. This work doubled the amount of readable text, corrected prior transcriptions, and provided a new translation. The new discoveries confirm that the mechanism is an astronomical computer or orrery used to predict the positions of heavenly bodies in the sky. This work proposes that the mechanism possessed 37 gears, of which 30 survive, and was used for prediction of the position of the sun, moon, and probably planets.
On the front face were graduations for the solar cycle and the zodiac together with pointers that indicated the position of the sun and the moon, and the lunar phase. Based on the inscriptions, which mention the stationary points of the planets, the authors speculate that planetary motions may also have been indicated here.
On the back, two spiral pointers indicated the state of two further important astronomical cycles: the Saros cycle, the period of approximately 18 years separating the return of the sun, moon and earth to the same relative positions (essential in eclipse prediction); and the Callippic cycle that proposed 940 cycles in approximately 76 years.
As you can see a very complicated and advanced mechanism!!!

Answer 2

The Antikythera mechanism (Greek: O μηχανισμός των Αντικυθήρων transliterated as O mēchanismós tōn Antikythērōn) is an ancient mechanical analog computer (as opposed to most computers today which are digital computers) designed to calculate astronomical positions. It was discovered in the Antikythera wreck off the Greek island of Antikythera, between Kythera and Crete, and has been dated to about 150-100 BC

Practical uses of this device may have included the following:
-Astrology was commonly practiced in the ancient world. In order to create an astrological chart, the configuration of the heavens at a particular point of time is needed. It can be very difficult and time-consuming to work this out by hand, and a mechanism such as this would have made an astrologer's work very much easier.
-Calculating solar and lunar eclipses. However, the device would probably only have indicated days when eclipses might occur, and a more accurate calculation of the time of day would have to be done by hand.
-Setting the dates of religious festivals connected with astronomical events.
-Adjusting calendars, which were based on lunar cycles as well as the solar year.