Here's why:
* Limited Technology: They lacked the powerful telescopes and instruments needed to see beyond our galaxy.
* Geocentric View: The prevailing view was that Earth was the center of the universe, and everything else revolved around it. This made it difficult to imagine the vastness of space beyond our own solar system.
* Lack of Understanding of Distance: They couldn't accurately measure the distances to stars and galaxies, making it seem like everything was relatively close together.
It wasn't until the early 20th century, with the advent of more powerful telescopes and advancements in astronomy, that scientists began to understand the true scale of the universe and realize that our galaxy was just one of many.
