Astro2110 – The Solar System | Aggregating the class blogs of Astro2110 at Vanderbilt

Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by dougkyles422111

Tycho Brahe (14 December 1546 – 24 October 1601)

(For the above and later information on Brahe, I used Brittanica, the online encyclopedia)

Brahe’s life overlapped with Galileo 37 years and with Kepler 30 years

Galileo’s life overlapped with Kepler 71 years

(Determined through calculations of the above dates)

Tycho Brahe recognized that low-quality observations were an impediment to the progress of astronomy. In response he spend decades working within his naked eye observatory to record observations of the sky that are extremely accurate (down to the arcminute). Tycho’s observations allowed Kepler to advance the field of astronomy through his laws of planetary motion. Without the tenacity and accuracy of Tycho the tprogress Kepler made would likely would have not come until decades or even centuries later.

(For this response I used the Ninth Edition of the Cosmic Perspective: The Solar System, by Bennet, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit)

A. (August 8 1588) Britain defeats the ships of the Spanish Armada and becomes ruler of the Atlantic Ocean. Source

(April 26, 1564) Rough estimate of the Birth of William Shakepeare, the most influential playwright of all time. Source

B. Ivan the Terrible (25 August 1530- 28 March 1584) was the first tsar of Russia. While he is deemed cruel as a ruler, his consolidation of the Russian monarchy was monumental for history. His milliary conquest laid the foundation for the modern Russian state. Source

4. I found the challenge of putting historical Astronomers, especially Brahe, in context particularly eye opening. So often, we familiarize ourselves with dates when studying the history of different fields but it seems we tend to forget the achievements within one study are not on their own timeline. At the same time Brahe made his observations of the heavens, Shakespeare wrote plays I’ve spent hours studying. Contextualizing the events of the world in terms of time alone and not compartmentalizing them into categories is crucial to a complete understanding of our history. Further, I was most drawn to reflect on Brahe because of how interesting his observatory design sounded. I cannot imagine the dedication and precision required to make naked eye observatuons as accurate as he can.

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by reidwalker87

Nicholas Copernicus was important to science for creating a model of the universe that placed the sun at the center. The sun-centered model was different from the Earth-centric model that had long been more popular and supported by the church.
He was also a famous mathematician and astronomer. In the lifetime of Copernicus, Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492 after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. Another event that happened was the painting of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci along with other famous works of art.
Leonardo Da Vinci was a famous Italian painter and inventor who lived just before Nicholas Copernicus. His contributions to engineering include rudimentary ideas of tanks, flying machines, and parachutes among others. He also contributed to the depiction of the human form and three-dimensional figures in the field of art.
This assignment made me realize what a revolutionary time the late 1400s must have been in Europe especially considering that in the span of just a few years people became aware of the existence of the Americas and the heliocentric nature of our solar system. Previously, almost everyone who lived on Earth was unaware of either of these important facts that are common knowledge in modern times. I know that the 1400s were considered the beginning of the Renaissance Era in Europe with major contributions in science, philosophy, and art. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that geniuses like Leonardo Da Vinci lived most of their lives under the common belief that the Earth was the center of the universe and monumental discoveries such as the Americas were still yet to be made. Copernicus and his heliocentric model of the universe contributed significantly to European modernity along with these other famous figures mentioned.

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Historical Astronomers in Context: Johannes Kepler

Posted on February 2, 2023 by brandodan

Solar System by NASA and Kepler by Wikipedia Commons

Background

Johannes Kepler (December 27, 1571 to November 15, 1630) was important to astronomy for several reasons. He is most well-known for developing a model of planetary motion that fit Tycho’s data. Kepler’s first law states that the orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. His second law states that a planet moves faster in the part of its orbit nearer the Sun and slower when farther from the Sun, sweeping out equal areas in equal times. Lastly, his third law states that more distant planets orbit the Sun at slower average speeds, obeying the mathematical relationship p^2 = a^3.

Historical Events

One major historical event that occurred during Kepler’s lifetime was The Spanish Armada of 1588. The Spanish Armada involved a fleet of ships sent by King Philip II to invade England. His fleet was defeated by the English navy, which was a major setback for the Spanish navy and ultimately led to the decline of Spain’s influence throughout Europe.

Another historical event that occurred was The Gunpowder Plot in 1605. This event was a failed attempt by a small group of English Catholics to assassinate King James I of England in an attempt to destroy the Houses of Parliament. This event is memorialized as a significant moment in the UK’s history; Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated to this day from that assassination failure.

Historical Figure

Another famous historical figure that lived at the same time Kepler did was William Shakespeare who was born on April 23, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616. William Shakespeare is widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of playwrights and poems in the English language. Some of his most influential works include plays such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” and “Macbeth,” all of which had a lasting influence on literature and the English language.

Reflection

Learning about the context in which Johannes Kepler lived is intriguing because it provides a glimpse into what the world was like during that period of significant change. The other historical events and monumental figures alive during this time highlight the diversity of the human experience and major achievements that hold significance even to this day. It is interesting to see how different events may intersect or influence each other along with how they all shape the world we live in. All in all, this context helps shed light on the complex history of our world, and that is incredibly fascinating in and of itself.

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by alicebyrnes

Johannes Kepler (Born Dec 27th, 1571 and died Nov 15th, 1630) made a vital contribution to astronomy in the form of his three laws of gravitation. His laws, which he did not consider “laws” at the time, were based off a theological framework. Kepler’s work with Tycho Brahe let him access the data to discover and publish, in 1609, the first two laws: that planets have elliptical orbits and that those orbits sweep out equal area in equal time. He published Harmonice Mundi, which contained the third law detailing the exact relationship between a planet’s orbital speed and its distance from the Sun, later in 1619.

Jamestown was first settled in 1607 by a group of men and boys. Over the next few years, the settlement dealt with disease, famine, and conflict with the local Powhatan people. Two major events occurred in 1619: the first representative legislative assembly was called for, and the first African people were forcibly brought to Virginia and enslaved.

Shakespeare also was also alive and active during this time. His career jump-started with his first published works in 1593 and 1594, and his ensuing involvement in the London theater gained him wealth and popularity. His career continued until his death in 1616. As we well know, his works continue to profoundly play a role in and affect society today.

Even if things like the colonization of the Americas and Shakespeare’s career aren’t directly affected by astronomical discoveries, it does very much help put them into context. The basis of our country: including the representative government we still have, and the slave trade that would haunt us for centuries, were being formed. Things like the astronomical discoveries and Shakespeare’s work significantly contributed to the founding and development of America, which we can see the effects of today.

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Changing the Status Quo: Galileo And More

Posted on February 2, 2023 by noahherrero

Galileo Galilei (b. February 15th, 1564, d. January 8th, 1642), can be considered one of the most influential scientist in history solely for his contributions to both Physics such as disproving Aristotelian motion, and principles of relativity.

However, some of his greatest accomplishments comes from astronomy. When presented with the newly made telescope, he spent two years to improving its magnifying power by 21 times. With this newfound power, he was able to see celestial bodies normally invisible to the naked eye, such as Jupiter’s four largest moons: Ganymede, Europa, Io, and Callisto, which are now known as the Galilean moons. Beyond that, he observed sunspots, and most importantly of all the Phases of Venus. At the time the common consensus behind motion in the solar system was the Ptolemaic geocentric theory, where all planets and the sun orbit earth; however, Venus having phases is something that can only exist if the controversial heliocentric theory was correct. This controversial take got him in quite some trouble with the Roman Catholic Church, and despite the danger he held to his beliefs beneath the churches nose.

During Galileo’s lifetime there was a plentiful amount of influential figures and radical changes. Some of the events that happened during his lifetime was:

Writing and Signing of the Mayflower Compact, 1620 – The document, signed November 11th, 1620 by pilgrims aboard the ship of the same name, marked the first official self-governing colony in the New World in Plymouth Massachusetts.

Ending of the Warring States Period/Start of Edo Period, ~1603 – The Tokugawa shogunate was able to centralize and stabilize Japan. To preserve peace, the nation acquired a fierce isolationist ideology, banning faiths like Christianity.

Galileo’s Contemporaries:

William Shakespeare (b.~April 23rd, 1564, d. April 23rd, 1616) – One of the most influential writers with his plays and sonnets covering a variety of themes and topics. Responsible for the creation of 1,700 words in the English language such as “bedroom” and “obscene”.

John Locke (b. August 29th, 1632, d. Oct 28th, 1704) – An enlightenment thinker who believes that everyone has natural rights that cannot be infringed. Locke’s ideas have become a core aspect of many governments of the Western World.

Francis Bacon (b. January 22, 1561, d. April 9, 1626) – An English philosopher, whose most well-known attribute is the creation of the Scientific method for which all modern experiments and theory are based on.

Reflection:

A pitfall I fall into a lot regarding history is believing that everything occurs in isolation of each other. However, looking at the bigger picture tells a completer and more interconnected story. The 16th-17th century was a period where people like Galileo, Shakespeare, and Bacon began to question and iterate beyond the Greco-Roman standard of science, philosophy, and literature. The more the status quo was questioned, the harsher the Roman Catholic church or any sole power became, leading groups to leave and isolate themselves like those aboard Mayflower and the Tokugawa Shogunate, or retort like Locke. That explanation only connects to the contemporaries I mentioned; there were plenty of figures just outside of Galileo’s lifespan showing the influence he had on the world. Viewing history with the grander perspective is not only a cool way to further explore many historical events but also shows how people like Galileo Galilei were a part of a greater movement of change and enlightenment.

• Noah Herrero

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Melanie Marszal

Nicholas Copernicus was born February 19, 1473 and died May 24, 1543.

The Protestant Reformation began in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517. It was a movement started by Martin Luther, who published a document called the 95 Theses where he challenged the Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation sparked creation of and migration to Christian religions other than Catholicism and weakened the power of the Catholic Church.

The Polish-Teutonic War occurred in Poland Copernicus’ home country, from 1519-1521. The Teutonic Order was a Catholic militia. In January 1520, the Teutonic Order raided Frombork, Poland, which is where Copernicus had a residence. It is likely that some of Copernicus’ astronomical instruments were destroyed during this raid.

A historical figure who lived at the same time as Copernicus was Pope Paul III. This was the leader of the Catholic Church at the time Copernicus published his book about his heliocentric theory. Pope Paul III was significant because Copernicus dedicated the book to him, and asked him to protect Copernicus from potential backlash to his ideas.

It is interesting to learn the historical context of past scientific discoveries, because oftentimes the current social/political issues of the time affected the motives for or reception of how ideas were communicated. In the case of Copernicus, and likely all of the astronomers listed above, one of the largest influences on their work was religion. In the 1400s and 1500s, religion was still crucial to every aspect or society, and closely interwoven with politics, science, philosophy, and daily life. Although Genesis may not necessarily say that the earth was created to be at the center of the universe and that it revolves around the sun, at this point in history that is what society believed. Since the configuration of the universe was viewed as a deeply religious concept, any change to beliefs about it threatened to try to undermine religion, creating a huge uproar. It is believed that this concern may be one of the major reasons Copernicus did not publish his book detailing his heliocentric theory until right before his death. This would also explain why he dedicated the book to the current pope, Pope Paul III. Although he had no way to tell for sure how the religious public would feel about his book, and some other Catholic figures he had talked to actually approved of and appreciated his work, his concerns definitely make sense in the historical context. With the Protestant Reformation beginning about 20 years before he published his book, religion was already in a bit of an unstable position. Although Protestants were those who were in favor of shaking things up in the Church, they were actually the first ones to attack the ideas of Copernicus. Although the historical contexts of some scientists may aid or inspire their work, in the case of Copernicus, it seems that the state of the world was a major hindrance to the communication of his ideas.

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Trevor Pillow

Nicholas Copernicus
1. Born: February 19, 1473
2. Died: May 24, 1543
Galileo Galilei
1. Born: February 15, 1564
2. Death: January 8, 1642
Johannes Kepler
1. December 27, 1571
2. November 15, 1630
Isaac Newton
1. January 4, 1643
2. March 31, 1727
Tycho Brahe
1. December 14, 1546
2. October 24, 1601

Kepler, Galileo, and Brahe all lived at the same time during the late 1500’s for 30 years. Galileo and Kepler were then alive for another 29 years..

Isaac Newton is undoubtedly the most impactful of these astronomers. Newton invented calculus, pioneered classical physics, and derived the theory of gravitation. Calculus and physics are essential tools which are foundational to how we understand the universe. He also created color theory and studied how light breaks down into its component wavelengths when it passes through a prism. The light spectrum is very important for analyzing the chemical composition of stars, and it also allows us to study the atmospheres of the planets in the solar system.

Major historical events
1. On 24 October, 1648, the Peace of Westphalia was signed. This marked the end of the 30 Years’ War, which is very important because it is considered the first political war. Prior to the 30 Years’ War, conflict was determined mainly by religious differences.
2. In 1688, Britain citizens of experienced the Glorious Revolution. The previous rulers of the British Isles James II and James VII were deposed by the Dutch William and Mary of Orange. The Glorious Revolution is considered the most recent successful invasion of Britain.

Other notable people at the time: Louis XIV

Louis XIV of France ruled from 1654 to 1715. Known as the Sun King, Louis XIV is one of the most successful monarchs in history. His style of ruling, known as absolutism, was very effective in maintaining France as a European power.

The 17th and 18th centuries are very interesting to learn about because they were incredibly eventful eras. Decisions were made that still impact us today, and the foundations for many important philosophies in science, mathematics, and politics were laid. It’s also interesting to learn about this time because it feels somewhat removed from modern life. We can look at events like the rise of the Sun King as distant history while still being able to read detailed accounts from the time.

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by niqretnuh

Astronomer: Nicolaus Copernicus

February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543
He was important to astronomy because he brought forth the heliocentric model. The most accepted model at the time was Ptolemy’s Geocentric Model where the earth is in the center of the universe, while the rest of the planets and stars revolve around it. However, Copernicus came up with a system in which the Sun is in the center while the Earth is simply one of the astronomical bodies around it. While Copernicus’ system did not increase the accuracy of prediction compared to the older model, it is among the first developed theories that started to depart from the Earth-centric model, and led the way for future, more accurate astronomical models.

Historical Events around the time of this Astronomer

(1) Columbus’ crew found the New World in 1492. Sent by the Spanish, Columbus was sent on a tour to find a more efficient way to India and China(through water), where most of the Globe’s wealth was concentrated. Columbus reached an area of land where he thought was India but later discovered to be a continent that was never known to the other parts of the world–the Americas, or the New World.
(2) The fall of the Aztec Empire. The Spanish conquistadors defeated the Aztec Empire and its capital Tenochtitlan. The advanced armory as well as disease made the outnumbered Spanish conquistadors succeed in their conquest.

Historical figure

Martin Luther. Martin Luther is known as the most important thinker in the Protestant reformation. The “Ninety-five theses” published by Luther was essential for the wave of reformation in Europe that was a major blow to the organized Catholic religion.

A Brief Reflection

This is a major period of change – the scientific revolution following Copernicus, the discovery of a new world and the subsequent conquest and colonization, as well as the spark for new forms of Christianity that challenged unity in Europe “the United Christendom”. It is interesting to link major breakthroughs in Astronomy and Science with other political and religious activities.

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Historical Astronomers in Context: Kepler

Posted on February 2, 2023 by dromalley

Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer who was born on December 27 1571 and died 15th of November 1630. During Kepler’s lifetime, one major event was the Bohemian Revolt in 1618, kickstarted by the Third Defenestration of Prague, which launched the Holy Roman Empire into chaos and began the thirty years war. This war caused untold destruction across Europe, and one small side effect was a significant reduction of spending on arts and sciences. Also during his lifetime, the novel Don Quixote by Cervantes was published in two parts in 1605 and 1610 and is often regarded as the first modern novel. One of Kepler’s other famous contemporaries was the artist Michelangelo da Caravaggio (29 September, 1571- 18 July, 1610), an Italian painter who helped pioneer the Baroque style. Caravaggio made revolutionary improvements in many aspects of his work, especially his technique of lighting and heavy shadow, or Chiaroscuro, which would become emblematic of Baroque painting. In learning the context of these famous astronomers, I was most surprised by how quickly science progressed from questioning heliocentrism to the fundamentals of our modern understanding of the world. The fact that Newton was born the same year that Galileo died, for example, was astounding to me as I had always thought of the two as much further apart due to the huge leaps in knowledge of that era. Overall, I’m leaving this assignment with a much clearer timeline for this period of astronomy.

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Historical Figures in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by aaronxu041009

Galileo Galilei, the father of modern science

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was a famous Italian astronomer with significant contributions to physics, mathematics and astronomy, and was crowned the “father of modern science”. With his refined refracting telescopes, Galileo observed the Moon and deduced that our satellite was covered in mountains and craters, opposing the traditional view that heavenly bodies were perfect spheres. In 1610, Galileo, again with his refracting telescopes, observed that four moons were orbiting Jupiter. This observation was astronomically revolutionary and buries a nail in the coffin of the geocentric model, and in honor of the great scientist, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto were named the Galilean satellites. Galileo also observed the phases of Venus, which confirms the prediction of the heliocentric model that it would exhibit all phases, just like our Moon. Saturn’s ring and Neptune were also observed by Galileo, though Galileo did not know what he was looking at back then. Galileo’s insightful discoveries gave rise to modern astronomy, making him one of the most important astronomers of all time.

Contemporary Events!

King James VI of Scotland was made King James I of England and Ireland, after Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, with the two nations sharing a king for the first time. Later in his rule, King James I contributed to the creation of King James’ version of the bible, which spread the English language around the world.

In 1628, Dutch mathematician Willebrord Snellius discovered the law of refraction, which relates the angle of incidence and refraction to refractive indices and phase velocities.

Monteverdi, the great Italian composer

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was an Italian musician who was one of the most important figures in the transition from Renaissance to Baroque. Monteverdi wrote music in prima pratica (Italian for ‘first practice’), which was more of a polyphonic style like that of Palestrina. Later in his life he wrote music in seconda pratica, a more excited style with Baroque characteristics in form and melody. Monteverdi was also a significant figure in the development of opera, writing famous pieces like L’Orfeo.

Reflection

Galileo was a revolutionary character in astronomy, physics, mathematics and engineering. It was interesting to learn how his specific observations brought forth modern astronomy. Surprisingly, at about the same time period, composers like Monteverdi promoted the change from the Renaissance period to the Baroque period in the musical world, which was not unlike the geocentric to heliocentric change Galileo invoked in the science world. Many other major events happened in the world around Galileo’s lifetime, such as King James I’s rule of England and Scotland, the Thirty Years’ War in Europe, the end of the Chinese Ming Dynasty that had flourished for 300 years, and later in the 17^th century the invention of calculus. Learning that all this happened around the same time was truly fascinating.

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Astro2110 – The Solar System

Historical Astronomers in Context

Historical Astronomers in Context