Astronomy


 * Amy Ma**

Prompt: " Describe the new astronomy of the 16th and 17th centuries and analyze the ways in which it changed scientific thought and methods."

 Thesis: Contrary to the old ideals of a Aristotelian- Ptolemaic view, the new astronomy of the 16th and 17th centuries that consisted of a heliocentric-based universe and elliptical orbits of the planets disproved the past theory of the geocentric universe and the notion of the perfect heavenly bodies.


 * Old Ideals**
 * Aristotelian-Ptolemaic View
 * "logical" view of the earth being the center of the universe
 * planets moved in perfect geometric shapes
 * objects on earth fell towards the earth because of the substance they were made out of, not gravity


 * New: Ideals of Nicholas Copernicus**
 * Heliocentric theory
 * the sun, not the earth, was the center of the universe
 * contradicted contemporary scientific thought and challenged the traditional teachings
 * destroyed impression that the Earth was different from a heavenly world
 * Was condemned by Luther and Calvin


 * New: Ideals of Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo**
 * Brahe
 * spent over twenty years in an observatory studying astronomy
 * left data for others to use
 * Kepler
 * used Brahe's data
 * 3 laws of planetary motion
 * planets moved in elliptical shapes
 * planet's orbital speed depends on its distance away from the sun
 * period for a planet to circle the sun increases rapidly with the radius of the orbit
 * Galileo
 * //Starry Messenger//
 * The moon is imperfect with spots and dents
 * contradicted the notion of perfect heavenly bodies
 * //Dialogue//
 * Invention of the telescope


 * New: Ideals of Newton**
 * //Principia Mathematica//
 * foundation of mathematics
 * 3 Laws of motion
 * an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force (law of Inertia)
 * acceleration is produced when a force act on mass
 * for every action there is an equal and reaction
 * Universal law of gravitation
 * things fall back to earth because of gravity, and but because what substance they are made out of
 * Calculus


 * Source**: CliffsAP European History by Michael J. Romano