Why study the history of astronomy?
"We feel no gratitude toward those whose assiduous toil has given us illumination on the subject of the moon, while owing to a curious disease of the human mind we are pleased to enshrine in history records of bloodshed and slaughter, so that persons ignorant of the facts of the cosmos may be acquainted with the crimes of mankind."
Pliny the Elder, Natural History II, 43 (Loeb).
[On my supervisor's door. I've been meaning to share this for some time]