Monthly Archives: January 2019

Copernicus Does a Revolution

Copernicus is known for challenging the established geocentric model that was integral to the catholic church’s perception of earth’s divine creation with his publication of The Revolutions (Of the Celestial Spheres). He set the stage for a better understanding of our place in the solar system, and soon after his death in 1543 the world … Continue reading Copernicus Does a Revolution Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Isaac Newton had several major discoveries or influences on the field of astronomy. First, he developed a theory to describe motion in the universe, gravity, and has three laws of motion named after him. Secondly, and perhaps more important to the field of astronomical observation, rather than theory, Newton’s work in optics allowed him to … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Galileo Galilei was born February 15th, 1564 and died on November 15th, 1630. He was an Italian astronomer and made great strides in his field. Galileo made great strides in astronomy, one of them being the creation of his telescope. This telescope was the best of its time, measuring up to 30x magnification. Galileo also … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Nicholas Copernicus

Nicholas Copernicus – February 19, 1473 to May 24, 1543 Historical Events During Life of Copernicus In 1492, Christopher Columbus, trying to create a more direct trade route between India and Spain, becomes the first European explorer to discover the Americas. In 1517, Martin Luther posts his theses, a list of grievances with the Catholic … Continue reading Nicholas Copernicus Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Galileo Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642) made the telescope famous by improving upon spyglasses in order to increase their magnification and observe phenomena in space. He discovered that neither the sun nor the moon are smooth, observed the phases of Venus, and discovered the 4 biggest moons of Jupiter. Considering that … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Nicholas Copernicus was born in 1473 and died in 1543. Copernicus was one of the first “modern day” astronomers and his work changed the way that scientist of his time viewed the solar system. His most notable work involved proposing a model of the solar system. This model suggested that earth was revolving around the sun, the opposite of what had been believed … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Tycho Brahe in Context

Tycho Brahe (14 December 1546 – 24 October 1601) was a naked-eye astronomer who observed planetary motion, and his work was largely centered around improving measurements. Although his own model of the solar system proved to be inaccurate, his observations provided important information that set the foundation for future astronomers to construct more accurate models. … Continue reading Tycho Brahe in Context Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context: Johannes Kepler

Johannes Kepler succeeded his mentor, Tycho Brahe, in his attempt to explain the motion of planets. Kepler used Brahe’s data on the paths of planets – with particular discern for Mars – to postulate the three laws of planetary motion as they are known today. They are (1) the orbit of each planet about the … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context: Johannes Kepler Continue reading

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HW3: Historical Astronomers in Context

Question 2 I chose Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642). Galileo Galilei’s contributions to Astronomy were primarily observational. From what we know about his very own scientific method, however, we understand how important those observations really were. It’d be very easy to simply dismiss someone who simply took existing technology and just … Continue reading HW3: Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Tycho Brahe – Historical Astronomers in Context

Tycho Brahe (December 14, 1546 – October 24, 1601) was an incredible naked-eye astronomer, whose observations far eclipsed other data of his time. Although Tycho’s own geocentric model of the solar system held no water, the data he collected paved the way for other astronomers to develop improved models of the solar system. In particular, […] Continue reading

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