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Ptolemy (A.D. 100 – 170) Planet – Greek for wanderer – retrograde motion Book: Almagest – codified the work of Greek astronomers in a system that survived for over a millennium Ptolemaic or Geo-Centric System Athens is center of universe
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Ptolemy (A.D. 100 – 170) • Planet – Greek for wanderer – retrograde motion • Book: Almagest – codified the work of Greek astronomers in a system that survived for over a millennium • Ptolemaic or Geo-Centric System • Athens is center of universe • Dark Ages end – Arab guardians of this ancient wisdom returned it to Europe to become Christian Dogma.
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543) • Devout Scholar – Canon of the Church • Questioned Ptolemaic System – bothered by it’s complexity/arbitrariness • Works out as pure ‘Mathematical Exercise” • New View – Heliocentric or Copernican view of solar system • Afraid to publish – 1543 – put on index of forbidden books as “False & Altogether Opposed to Holy Scriptures” until 1835
Tycho Brahe (1546 – 1601) • Noble Danish family • Twin brother was a stillborn • Raised by Jorgen – Admiral of Danish Navy • Great interest at university – mathematics • Silver Nose – duel over “better mathematician” • Career shaping events: 1. Eclipse of sun 2. New star in Cassiopeia – Nova 3. Observatory - (Sextant) on island, best in the world – 20 year nightly project to catalog observations.
Johannes Kepler (1571 – 1630) • University of Tubingen – career plan was to be a Lutheran minister • Studied under astronomers • Exiled (mother called a heretic/witch) • Joined Brahe – 1600 after working as an astrologer for Austria Prince • Goal: ascertain true nature of planetary motions – a convinced believer of Copernican system.
Resolution: Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion • The planets travel in elliptical orbits with the sun at one focus. • The area swept out by the line drawn from the sun to a planet is the same in equal time intervals. • The square of the time each planet’s period (‘year’) is directly proportional to the cube of the mean distance between planet and sun.