Tag Archives: Historical

Historical Vanderbilt Astronomer

Posted on February 20, 2022 by AndreaS

If you have spent much time in E. Bronson Ingram residential college on Vanderbilt’s campus, you may have noticed that part of the dorm is named after one Edward Emerson Barnard. As it turns out, Barnard was an astronomer who attended the university from 1883-1887. His research focused on observation and photography of stars and […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2022 by ccatanese1

Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) is very well-known for his heliocentric theory which postulated that the sun is the center of the solar system. It had been widely believed that the earth was the center of the universe and it wasn’t until Copernicus that this belief began to shift. Initially the […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2022 by AndreaS

In this post we will be discussing Galileo Galilei in context of his historical era. But first, a little detail about Galilei himself. Galileo Galilei is notable for his astronomical work with the telescope. Using the apparatus that could magnify objects to 20 times their size, he was able to observe the surface of the […] Continue reading →

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Johannes Kepler: Context

Posted on February 9, 2022 by solarelizabeth

Johannes Kepler was born December 27, 1571 and died November 15, 1630. Johannes Kepler, continuing Brahe’s work, discovered that planetary orbits are ellipses with varying levels of eccentricity instead of perfect circles. This helped him predict planetary positions and discover three laws of planetary motion. Kepler’s discoveries helped solidify the theory that planets move around […] Continue reading →

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