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History

Astronomy contains three periods
  • Geocentric period "earth centered"
  • Aztecs: Developed calendars
  • Babylonians: Precise star charts
  • Greeks: Determined dimensions of the earth, and precession
  • Chinese: Developed time tables of eclipses
  • Aristotle: Developed circular model of the universe
  • Hipparchus: Made first star catalogue
  • Eratosthenes: Determined size of the earth (used the well/shadow)
  • Aristarchus: Heliocentric solar system (shot down by Aristotle)
  • Ptolomy: Geocentric solar system and astrology

  • Heliocentric period (sun centered)
  • Copernicus: (1550) reestablished the idea of a helio centric solar system. He said, "All planets in the solar system revolve in circular orbits around the sun."
  • Galileo: (1610) Supported the Copernicus model. He was the first person to use the telescope to study the sky. He was put on trial
    for his beliefs of: -The heliocentric model -Mountains on the moon -Moons of Jupiter
    He was put under house arrest and forced to reverse his views. Then he went blind.
  • Huygens: (1650) Believed in the heliocentric model, understood the rings of Saturn and why they changed, determined the length of
    the Martian day... Greatly admired by the Dutch people.
  • Tycho Brahe: (1598) Made very accurate measurements of the planetary orbits. He did not do much with the data.
  • Kepler: (1613) Assistant to Tycho. He proved planets DO NOT travel in circles, but ellipses!! (He did this with Tycho's data) He developed the three laws of planetary motion. View Kepler's Laws