Astro2110 – The Solar System

The astronomer I chose is  Johannes Kepler who lived from December 27, 1571 to November 15, 1630.

Two historical events of the 16th century that I want to highlight are the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar.

In 1572, Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre took place in Paris. On 23-24 August, Catholics assassinated an estimated minimum of 5000 Huguenot Protestants, most of whom were gathered in Paris to witness the marriage of their Protestant prince Henry de Navarre with Margaret of France, the daughter of the catholic French queen regent.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII implemented the Gregorian calendar which we use in this modern day. It was a refinement to the previously used Julian calendar. One of the motivation for the adoption was to change the drift of the Date of Easter which was linked to the Spring Equinox. The Soviet Union was the last country to adopt the Gregorian Calendar.

An important historical figure who lived during the 16th century was John Napier (1550-1617). He was an astronomer, mathematician and physicist who is most well known for his discovery of logarithms. He spent 20 years of his life computing a extensive table of logarithms to make mathematical calculations easier to perform.

My reflections on the historical context

I think musing into the 15^th and 16^th century makes one realize that Astronomy was a privileged and provincial field to study. It is true that the European Renaissance and the following Scientific Revolution during that period accelerated and the study of the cosmos and made it more accessible. However, the world was still embroiled in feudal and religious conflicts, and one would certainly had to have been affluent or be funded by aristocracy to be able to research in to something that did not add to survivability of the common man.

Johannes Kepler

Born December 27, 1571 and died November 15, 1630, Kepler was a German Astronomer, mathematician, and Astrologer. Most famous for his laws of planetary motion, he was an adamant defender of the heliocentric theory and his research showed that orbital paths of celestial objects are not perfect circles. 

During his lifetime

On 26 July 1581, The Act of Abjuration was signed. It was the formal declaration of independence of the Dutch Republic from Philip II of Spain.

On March 13, 1610, Europa was discovered by Galileo. It was the first celestial objects that were observed to orbit an object other than the Earth and the sun.

Hans Lippershey (1570 – 1619) was one of Kepler’s contemporaries. He was a German spectacle-maker who became Dutch in 1602. He was often credited to have invented the telescope in 1608. [4]

Reflection

The telescope spread rapidly and enabled Galileo to discover many moons of Jupiter using an improved version of the original design.  The telescope was only invented in 1608, 65 years after Copernicus’ death and thousands of years after ancient Greek and Chinese astronomers. Early astronomers were able to create significant works of science with very little at their disposal. The degree of accuracy and the depth of knowledge of the works produced is really awe inspiring considering all astronomical data was collected and calculated using only the naked eye and other primitive instruments. Technological constraints were not the only factor that limits the progress in astronomy. Astronomers at the time also had to deal with political instability and even war, for example the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) was one of the longest and most devastating wars in European history that reduced the population in the German states by about 25% to 40%. Despite these hardships, astronomy and science in general flourished, making 17^th century Europe an era of crisis as well as innovation.

Johannes Kepler

Born December 27, 1571 and died November 15, 1630, Kepler was a German Astronomer, mathematician, and Astrologer. Most famous for his laws of planetary motion, he was an adamant defender of the heliocentric theory and his research showed that orbital paths of celestial objects are not perfect circles. 

During his lifetime

On 26 July 1581, The Act of Abjuration was signed. It was the formal declaration of independence of the Dutch Republic from Philip II of Spain.

On March 13, 1610, Europa was discovered by Galileo. It was the first celestial objects that were observed to orbit an object other than the Earth and the sun.

Hans Lippershey (1570 – 1619) was one of Kepler’s contemporaries. He was a German spectacle-maker who became Dutch in 1602. He was often credited to have invented the telescope in 1608. [4]

Reflection

The telescope spread rapidly and enabled Galileo to discover many moons of Jupiter using an improved version of the original design.  The telescope was only invented in 1608, 65 years after Copernicus’ death and thousands of years after ancient Greek and Chinese astronomers. Early astronomers were able to create significant works of science with very little at their disposal. The degree of accuracy and the depth of knowledge of the works produced is really awe inspiring considering all astronomical data was collected and calculated using only the naked eye and other primitive instruments. Technological constraints were not the only factor that limits the progress in astronomy. Astronomers at the time also had to deal with political instability and even war, for example the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) was one of the longest and most devastating wars in European history that reduced the population in the German states by about 25% to 40%. Despite these hardships, astronomy and science in general flourished, making 17^th century Europe an era of crisis as well as innovation.