Daily Archives: February 14, 2021

Galileo Galilei: More Than a Fun Name to Say

Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy, on February 15, 1564 (his birthday is tomorrow!) and died on January 8, 1642 (Wikipedia Contributors, 2021). Galileo was instrumental to the field of astronomy (and arguably one of the most iconic astronomers), with one of his most prominent contributions being the solidification of the Copernican view. Galileo… Continue reading

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Historical Figures in Context

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 1st, 1473, and he died on May 24th, 1543. You can find this information, as well as more information about Copernicus’s life here. Nicolaus Copernicus came up with the heliocentric model of the universe, which theorized that the Sun, rather than the Earth, was at the center of the … Continue reading Historical Figures in Context Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

My chosen historical astronomer is Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer known for developing the scientific method, improving the telescope, and living under house arrest. During Galilei’s life, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII implemented the Gregorian calendar, the one we use today, to replace the previous Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar is slightly more accurate. TheContinue reading “Historical Astronomers in Context” Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Nicholas Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) was important to astronomy because, when he was studying astronomy, the Ptolemaic model for planetary motion was no longer accurate so he began studying Aristachus’ model from 1700 years before in which the planets orbit the sun. While working based on this idea, he was ableContinue reading “Historical Astronomers in Context” Continue reading

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