The Copernican

Revolution: Beginning
of Modern Astronomy
Event(s) and Assumption(s)
Preceding The Copernican
Revolution
A. The 15th century Astronomy
• The knowledge about the nature of the universe had been unchanged since the Greek
antiquity. Most astronomers believed the theory of Greek astronomer Ptolemy which had
developed more than a millennium earlier. The Church during that time adhere to the
idea of Geocentrism and that anyone who opposes is considered heretic thus, subject to
inquisition.
• most astronomers believed the theory the Greek astronomer Ptolemy had developed
more than 1,000 years earlier. Ptolemy said the Earth was the center of the universe and
was motionless. He believed all other heavenly bodies moved in complicated patterns
around the Earth.
• Copernicus felt that Ptolemy's theory was incorrect. Sometime between 1507 and 1515,
he first circulated the principles of his heliocentric or Sun-centered astronomy.
Two competing models proposed
Geocentrism
The word "ge" in Greek means "earth." Geocentric means that the earth is
in the center. In the geocentric system, the earth is statically located at
the center and the rest of the planets revolve around it, including the sun,
which was also considered a planet.
•The planet nearest to earth is the moon, which completes a single
revolution about the earth in one month. Further out are the rest of the
planets: Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
• Ptolemy said the Earth was the center of the universe and was motionless. He
believed all other heavenly bodies moved in complicated patterns around the
Earth.
• The Ptolemy’s system placed Earth at the center of the universe with the Sun and
all other planets orbiting it. However, it came under increasing criticism leading
into the Renaissance such as Copernicus.
• Aristotle’s idea was similar to Ptolemy that the Earth is motionless but celestial
bodies move around it. Planets move in “epicycles” which are circles concentric
to another circle around the Earth called “deference”. Hence, planets follow a
uniform circular motion
 Two competing models proposed
Heliocentrism
•The Heliocentric Theory is the astronomical model in which the Earth
and planets revolve around a relatively stationary Sun at the center of
the Solar System. The word "helios" in Greek means "sun." Heliocentric
means that the sun is at the center.
• Copernicus felt that Ptolemy's theory was incorrect. Sometime
in the 16th century, he first circulated the principles of his
heliocentric or Sun-centered astronomy.

• The Earth and all the planets are orbiting around the Sun
positioned into an increasing sequence of distance. Therefore,
Copernicus claims that the orbits of Venus, Mercury are closer
to the Sun while Mars, Saturn and Jupiter are farther to the
Sun.
 “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres”

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 Copernicus’
Revolutionary
Idea
 Key concepts of the Copernican
Revolution

• Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543) attested the idea

that the Sun is the center of the universe where planets revolve around it
while other celestial bodies such as the moon orbit the Earth. In an
important way, Copernicus bear a resemblance to ancient Greek
Philosophers as he did not do extensive experiments. Instead, everything
came from his own ideas or thinking which referred as thought
experiment.
• It is believed by many that his book was only published at the end of his life
because he feared ridicule and disfavor by his peers and by the Church,
which had elevated the ideas of Aristotle to the level of religious dogma.
The publication of his book, “On the revolutions of the Heavenly spheres”
in the early 16th century is often cited as the beginning of the scientific
revolution.
 Points of the Copernican Model
1. The celestial spheres do not have one common center. The Earth is not
at the center of everything.
2. Earth is not the center of the universe, only the center of gravity and
the lunar orbit. Only the Moon orbits Earth.
3. All the spheres orbit the Sun. Spheres means the planets.
4. Compared to the distance to the stars, the Earth to Sun distance is
almost nonexistent.
The stars are very much farther away than the Sun.
5. The motion of the stars is due to the Earth rotating on its axis; The
retrograde (clockwise) and forward motions of planets is caused by the
Earth’s motion.
6. the motion of the Sun is the result of the Earth’s motions. (rotation and
revolution)
 Copernican principles

•The Copernican Principle is a basic statement in physics that

there should be no ``special'' observers. The Earth has no
privileged position in the universe; it is not stationary as stated in
the Heliocentric model of the solar system.
•His views challenged the literal interpretation of Scripture,
the philosophical and metaphysical foundations of moral
theory.
Copernicus’ Influence on
Later Scientists
Tycho Brahe’s Observations

• Developed a comprehensive method of

recording precise observations of the skies,
before the advent of the telescope. His many
detailed observations included:
The discovery of a supernova (a new star, to all appearances,
which shone brightly and then faded away) in the heavens, in
1572
Tycho Brahe’s Observations (1546
– 1601)

• Extensive measurements of the position of Mars in

the skies; these data led in time to Kepler's three laws
of planetary motion
• Brahe compiled extensive data on the planet Mars,
which would later prove crucial to Kepler in his
formulation of the laws of planetary motion because
it would be sufficiently precise to demonstrate that
the orbit of Mars was not a circle but an ellipse;
• Discovery of supernova (a star that shines brightly and
fades away);
• observations and measurements for comets that
were further away from the moon.
Tycho Brahe’s Observations (1546
– 1601)
• Tycho proposed an intermediate model of the
universe, where the Earth was still the center
point, but the other planets were allowed to
rotate around the Sun as it rotated around the
Earth. [Tychonic system]
• Brahe believed in a model of the Universe with
the Sun (rayed disk) orbiting the Earth (black dot),
but the other planets (symbols) orbiting the Sun.
In an attempt to prove his theory, Brahe compiled
extensive astronomical records
http://muse.tau.ac.il/museum/galileo/geocentric.html
 Johannes Kepler

• While Copernicus rightly observed that

the planets revolve around the Sun, it was
Kepler who correctly defined their orbits.
• From the researches of tycho brahe,
kepler use it to prove the copernican
theory of Copernicus after the death of
brahe.
•Kepler eventually used to prove
heliocentrism and to calculate the
orbital laws. He found that the orbits of
the planets followed three laws.
 Johannes Kepler’s Laws of Planetary
Motion
• 1st Law: Law of Ellipse: that the planets move in an ellipse (a squashed
circle) with the Sun at one focus point, offset from the center.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OrbitsHistory/
• 2nd law: Law of Equal Areas : the planet must move more quickly
when it is near the Sun, but more slowly when it is farthest from the
Sun
• 3rd law: Law of Periods: there is a precise mathematical relationship
between a planet’s distance from the Sun and the amount of time it
takes revolve around the Sun. It was this law that inspired Newton,
who came up with three laws of his own to explain why the planets
move as they do.
2 3
1 1
Period is the time it took
2 3 a planet to revolve
2 2 around the Sun;
Radius is the average
Where: distance from the Sun.
T = Period
R = Radius Hence, the orbits of
planets are essentially
equal.
 Isaac Newton built upon Kepler’s laws
his Law of Gravitation

•If it wasn’t for Mars and its travels across the system, Johannes may
not have developed his laws and consequently, Newton’s formulation
of his laws as well;

•Kepler’s laws provide accurate evidences to Newton’s laws of motion

and universal gravitation.
Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642)

• Individual stars within the Milky

Way
• Phases for Venus, like those of the
Moon
• Moons orbiting Jupiter (Io, Europa,
Ganymede and Callisto)
Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642)

• Was the first to provide strong,

compelling evidence in favor of the
Copernican system. He made a number of
observations with the (newly invented)
telescope, and discovered:
Mountains and volcanoes on the Moon
Sunspots, which moved, on the Sun
 THANK YOU!

"Man must rise above the Earth—to the top of the atmosphere and
beyond—for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he
lives."
— Socrates, Philosopher