The sky was more visible in the past, telescopes were eventually invented when technology and invention finally allowed. People aren't born with complete understanding, it takes a lifetime. There was no organized school system or tech teams other than what could be assembled by a person of means. Yet the stars and their motions were observed and recorded to great degree. Today, we have modern telescopes that can see far into space, yet the average person, even some astronomers are ignorant of many of the concepts that the ancients pulled from it. I just discussed Greek mythology and its influence on astronomy with an astro-physicist this afternoon. Also discussed was astro-archeology (aka acheo-astrology) and how it determined the placement of temples and other influencial buildings. Things lost to the majority of modern thinking/understanding.

Modern man, using both microscopes and telescopes continually discovers that nothing is new under the sun. In fact, they await the thread that binds both the micro and macro worlds that also has been discovered and expressed to little effect until that day of Great Awakening.