...Astronomy: Then and Now Have you ever heard the saying you can’t teach an ole dog new tricks? What about the one where three old dogs teach new tricks? I’m sure you have heard that one, anyone who knows about our solar system can thank the three old dogs. Well, they’re not dogs at all, and at their time they weren’t old but in our time their long gone. Of course, I am speaking about Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Kepler. Funny thing is each one of them challenged and changed their predecessor's work, for the better of course, but we will get to that later. We have these three men to thank for a whole lot of new tricks. To name a few would be, our solar system, the way we form our maps, and we can’t forget the numerous mathematical formulas used to make ideas come to life. In this research paper, we will touch base on the lives of three great astronomers and the tricks they have taught us. We will also see how astronomers of today contribute to our everyday lives. Some say that our first astronomer was a great astronomer. Other say, “Ptolemy was the only great astronomer of Roman Alexandria.” (Brown, 2016) It’s all a matter of opinion, but what we cannot deny was Ptolemy was a great astronomer of his time and today. We do not know much about Ptolemy’s personal life. What we do know about him came from his work. He was born around 85ce in Egypt to a Greek family even though he bore a roman name. To say Ptolemy was diverse is an understatement. He was also diverse in his studies...
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...Throughout the past millennia, a commanding influence in the shaping of Europe's future has been the Christian Church. The largest branch, the Catholic Church, spearheaded the growth of Christianity throughout the world. Through this mass expansion, they gained an immense amount of power due to their existence in many European Countries. An example is the presence of the Roman Catholic Church, a specific rite of Catholicism, in Italy. Being home to the Pope, Italy served as the Catholic capital. Structured upon strict, specific beliefs, the Catholic Church was rarely challenged due to their presence in the Italian Government. Some of these beliefs, however, were challenged by the Scientific Revolution, or the origin of modern science, which was catalyzed by Nicolaus Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, or On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. This publication, Copernicus rejected the previously agreed upon theory of geocentrism, a model of the solar system in which the Earth is the center of revolution, in favor of heliocentrism, a model of the solar system in which the Sun is the center of revolution. The Church quickly refuted Copernicus's ideas, claiming that they were absurd and borderline heretical, but not before it piqued the interest of other notable scientists. Galileo Galilei, a respected intellectual...
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...the Church. Amidst the dark, came a light known as the Scientific Revolution which dared to challenge the old system of belief and thinking. From the Scientific Revolution emerged major figures whose discoveries and inventions radically impacted Europe and paved the path to the modernization of science and technology. To start, Nicolaus Copernicus’s theory of a heliocentric universe drastically changed the way that Europeans viewed the universe and set the path for future scientists. Furthermore, Galileo Galilei’s invention...
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...were discovered. Among them are mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, medicine and chemistry. Along with these methods, tools such as microscope, thermometer, sextant and slide rule were invented to be used for scientific research. Talented people from around the world during this time period used their knowledge to come up with these scientific methods and utilized them to answer many other questions. Some of their findings are known as formulas. Today’s generation use these formulas as theories and tries to develop them to solve problems. Observation, experiment and invention existed as early as middle ages but in the mid-15th century the belief about the physical universe was questioned. Curiosity among talented people around the world intensified. This ultimately led to development of science. In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus published the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres. His model of the Universe was alternative to Claudius Ptolemy’s geocentric system which was widely accepted since ancient times. It is believed that Copernicus’s theory of Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres lit the torch in scientific revolution. In 1576, Tycho Brahe set up Uranilborgh observatory. It was a huge step in astronomy. The mystery of the physical universe had begun to reveal. Soon after, Johannes Kepler in 1609 followed up with the Astronomia Nova which included his decade long research of the motion of mars. Galileo Galilei published Starry Messenger in 1610 which was a method of observing...
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...In ancient times, a common belief was the sun and planets revolved around the earth. Nicolaus Copernicus had different views and sought to change how the solar system was viewed. He had an idea of how the solar system was structured, which he named the heliocentric theory. The word “heliocentric” refers to having the sun as the center of something, specifically of the solar system. The prefix helio- means “the sun”, the suffix -centric means “the center of”, which then creates the word heliocentric. This theory was much different than Ptolemy's ever popular geocentric theory, which stated the earth was the center of our solar system. Copernicus’ thoughts and books were heavily criticized by Ptolemy supporters, which included the Catholic Church....
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...Conservation of Mass: New Knowledge Changes the Course of Research In the late-17th century, scientists believe that a substance called phlogiston is released in the process of burning a substance. (Wikipedia.org, 2016). • Georg Ernst Stahl applied the name phlogiston to J.J. Becher’s 1660 hypothesis (Britannica.com, 2016) In 1775, French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier : • Disproved the existence of phlogiston (American Chemical Society International Historic Chemical Landmarks, 2016)., and • Discovered the Law of Conservation of Mass (Bohning, J., 1999). Discovery of the law of conservation of mass helped to turn chemistry into a quantitative science. Example 1: Before the Law of Conservation of Mass Aristotle endorsed the belief that there were only 4 elements - air, water, earth, and fire, that made up all matter. (California State University, n.d.). Alchemists, influenced by Aristotle, believed and were trying to convert metal to gold. (Columbia.edu, 2000). Scientist and alchemists believed a substance called phlogiston came out of burning material and was released into the air. (Lavoisier, M., n.d.) Example 2: Pivotal Change with the Discovery of Oxygen Beginning around 1770, Lavoisier weighed substances before and after heating them in sealed containers when conducting experiments and determined the substances did not lose weight when burned. (Bohning, J., 1999). He discovered that the element of oxygen in the air was involved in combustion...
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...intellectual and social movement known as the Enlightenment. It customarily started with the Copernican Revolution (initiated in 1543) and to be complete in the "grand synthesis" of Isaac Newton's 1687 Principia. The change of attitude came from Bacon whose confident and insistent proclamation of a New Era in the advancement of science inspired the creation of the Royal Society. Galileo supported Copernicus and developed the science of motion. In the twentieth century, Alexandre Koyré introduced the term scientific revolution, centering his study on Galileo, and the term became widely popular in his Origins of Modern Science by Butterfield. The Scientific Revolution was known all over Europe as an international phenomenon; scholars from all over took part in it. The most-important leading figures were Nicolaus Copernicus (Father of Modern Astronomy), Tycho Braye, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, and Isaac Newton. Some of the important discoveries of this time period and their effects were; Copernicus discovered that earth and all the planets revolve around the sun. Before Copernicus discovery astronomers believed, the earth was the center of the universe, and the sun and planets revolved around it. Tycho Braye discovered new stars that are known as supernovae in 1573. He was well-known throughout his life as an alchemist and astronomer. Kepler contributed the three laws of planetary motion, which helped Isaac Newton later on. These...
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...During the Scientific Revolution scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, Descartes and Bacon wrestled with questions about God, human aptitude, and the possibilities of understanding the world. Eventually, the implications of the new scientific findings began to affect the way people thought and behaved throughout Europe. Society began to question the authority of traditional knowledge about the universe. This in turn, allowed them to question traditional views of the state and social order. No longer was the world constructed as the somewhat simple Ptolemaic Model suggested. The Earth for the first time became explicable and was no longer the center of the universe. Many beliefs that had been held for hundreds of years now proved to be false. In addition to this, the Roman Catholic Church, which had always clarified the movements of the universe with the divine power of God, was now questioned by many. The Roman Catholic Church was naturally set as an opponent of the Scientific Revolution, not so much because of opposition to new ideas but instead because the new information contradicted the model of the world the church had created. Fortunately the revolution did not happen overnight but moderately over a 150-year period. Nicolaus Copernicus was one of the first astronomers to question the single worldview that the Christian faith supported. Though it was in the later years of his life that the he published On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres, the question was now raised...
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...Pueblo Community College Galileo Life after punishment Joe Davalos History 102 Western Civilization II Mr. Richard L. Rollins May 1, 2014 Joseph Davalos Mr. Richard Rollins History 102 Western Civilization II April 10, 2014 Galileo: life after punishment Galileo Galilei, born February 15, 1564 was a mathematics professor a scientist, astronomer and physisist. He attended the University of Pisa to study medicine in 1583. He was fascinated with many subjects, particularly mathematics and physics. During his studies at Pisa he was exposed to the Aristotelian view. In 1585, due to financial difficulties Galileo left the university before earning his degree. Galileo continued to study mathematics, supporting himself with minor teaching positions. He began a two-decade study on objects in motion and published The Little Balance in 1586. This work earned him some fame and gained him a teaching position at the .his fabled experiments with falling objects and produced his manuscript Du Motu (On Motion), this was a departure from Aristotelian views about motion and falling objects and thus left him isolated among his colleagues and in 1592 his contract with the University of Pisa was not renewed. Galileo quickly found a new position teaching geometry mechanics and astronomy at the University of Padua. In 1604, controversial findings begin to surface as Galileo published The Operations of the Geometrical and Military Compass. This work revealed Galileo’s...
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...Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei was considered the central figure of the scientific revolution of the 17th century. His role in the history of science was a critical one. He revolutionized the way in which science was conducted, and performed experiments to test his ideas, which led him to be regarded as the father of experimental science. Galileo was born on February 15th, 1564 in Pisa, and was the oldest of seven children. His father, Vincenzo Galilei was a famous composer, lutenist, and music theorist. In 1572 at the age of eight, Galileo’s family moved to Florence, however Galileo stayed behind in Pisa and lived with Muzio Tedaldi who was related to Galileo’s mother for 2 two years. By the age of ten, Galileo joined his family in Florence and was tutored by Jacopo Borghini. By the age of eleven Galileo was sent off to study in a Jesuit monastery, the Camaldolese Monastery at Vallombrosa. Galileo soon found the life of a monk appealing and considered joining the Monastery. After four years of education in the Monastery he informed his father that he wanted to become a monk, which was not agreed upon by his father who had already decided that Galileo should become a medical doctor. Galileo was immediately ejected from the monastery and entered The University of Pisa to study medicine in 1581, at the age of 17. However his medical courses in the university never interested him and he did not take them seriously. Galileo was much more interested in attending mathematics and...
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...Copernicus (1475-1543) 1. He went against what the Church thought about the placement of earth in the orbit. They thought the sun revolved around the earth, he thought otherwise. ¬¬¬¬¬ 2. The church banned his book De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, soon after his death. Vesalius (1514-1564) 1. He published his book on the Structure of the human Body, also known as De Fabrica. 2. He liked to dissect human corpses to study the human anatomy, for surgical reasons. Robert Grosseteste (1175-1253) 1. Laid the philosophical foundations for a departure from Aristotelian science. 2. He was a bishop of Lincoln, his career “was remarkable for his ruthless pursuit of three abiding principles: a belief in the supreme importance of the cure of souls, a...
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...Response Paper #1 The struggle between Religious power and political power has always been a great issue throughout history. In the early 1500’s and onward political power and religious power were indirectly tied together, meaning that Monarchies had a say in religious rules and views/laws, and religious officials had a say in political views/laws. This caused great issues because if you were condemned a heretic by a religious order, you were also considered a heretic by the state. Its issue’s like this that slowly lead to the dissolve or separation of religious and political powers. A Prime example of the complication between the tie of these two powers was the excommunication of Martin Luther, this occurs during the Dict of Worms around 1521. Martin Luther had different views on the catholic religion and he tried to express them to the people in his 95 theses. The catholic leaders did not appreciate that so they went ahead and made Luther a heretic which in turn made Charles V (Leader of HRE at the time) to write the Edict of Worms which also made Luther an enemy of the state. The powers were so closely tied here, you could not just be an enemy of the catholic religion, you would also be an enemy of the state. This started the questioning that religion should not be tied with political power. Luther only questioned religious views on Catholicism had nothing to do with anything political related. We call the start of religious power declining for greater state control secularization...
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...“Response on the Anthropic Principle” The Anthropic Principle, formally proposed at a conference in Poland by Brandon Carter in 1973, is a theory that strongly suggests that humanity holds a special place in the Universe. This topic has become widely discussed and debated topic among scientists. Two branches of the theory are the strong anthropic principle (SAP) and the weak anthropic principle (WAP). The SAP states, “The Universe must have those properties which allow life to develop within it at some stage in its history” (www.physics.sfsu.edu). This branch of the anthropic principle has commonly been used in the argument for intelligent design (ID), which puts forth the proposition that a designer is responsible for the balance of the laws of mathematics and physics that ultimately hold our universe together. The WAP says, “The observed values of all physical and cosmological quantities are not equally probable but they take on the values restricted by the requirement that there exist sites where carbon-based life can evolve and by the requirement that the Universe be old enough for it to have already done so” (www.physics.sfsu.edu). This is simply saying that if people were not here to observe and if the universe did not work as it does, then we could not ask why we are here and why the universe works like it does. Although the SAP and WAP are somewhat different, ultimately they both appear to agree that human life is special given all of the circumstances it takes for us...
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...beginning when he faked the telescope he had allowed anyone and everyone who wanted to see the telescope to come and see it. Nicholas Copernicus gave a theory that he earth and the planets revolve around the sun. No one believed him and thought that his theory was not sensible enough. But Galileo through his experiments proved the Copernican theory to be accurate. He wasn’t afraid to express his views regarding the theory despite of the consequences it may lead to. The church thought that Galileo’s and the Copernican system challenged a normal man’s concept of the universe he was living in and the God they worshiped. This was not acceptable by the Church as it contradicted their teachings. In the 17th century the church was had the power of authority. It was the ideology of the ruling class. Why did the church silence Galileo? Because realist Galileo challenged the power and he was true. The church’s attitude and behavior is juxtaposed. They wanted Galileo to completely stop his research on the Copernican system but at the same time they want to make profit out of him. Besides, Galileo wasn’t even getting a raise in his salary and were expecting him to give them researches every now and then. In scene 7, the header of this episode is “But the Inquisition puts Copernicus’s teachings on the Index.” This shows that the theory of Copernicus has been put in account of the investigators and the church. Galileo and Virginia arrive in Cardinal Bellarmin’s house in Rome to...
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...frequently persecuted him. A similar challenge of scientific authority was also in progress, a radical shift in thought that later became known as the Scientific Revolution. Scientists in all fields were beginning to question the wisdom of the ancient philosophers who had molded their disciplines. They gradually began rely on objective facts and observation and to turn away from the mysticism, religion, and unfounded theorizing that had previously dominated the field. This drastic change in scientific practices and beliefs was most apparent in the field of astronomy. Physics and astronomy had been dominated by the work of Aristotle, a philosopher from the time of ancient Greece, and Ptolemy, an astronomer from the second century A.D. Astronomy was rooted in both philosophy and theology, and it was difficult for scientists to separate their work from that of the mystics or the clergy. Through the work of the four fathers of the astronomical revolution, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton, both the practice of astronomy and man's view of the universe were...
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