Physicists: Heliocentric Model Essay

Aristotle (384-322BC) one of the most influential scientists he argued that the earth was round and not flat. He gave 3 different proofs for this. He also believed that the earth was the centre of the universe. This may seem strange but at the time it didn’t seem very odd because the earth did not appear to move and that the sun, planets and stars where in orbit around the earth. There was no technology to help prove any of this as the telescope had not been invented yet. So therefore to the unaided eye it appeared true. This was also accepted as Aristotle was such an important person in the world of science.

Aristarchus (240BC) was possibly the first scientist to argue against the geocentric model which was accepted at the time. He stated that the Sun was bigger than the earth, the sun was the centre of the universe and that the earth rotates on its own axis which gives the impression that we are revolving around the sun. This model is also known as the heliocentric model. This initial heliocentric model was not rejected due to church or society but the lacking evidence it required to disprove the geocentric model due to the limited technology as he did not have a telescope or any other instruments thus have no effect on the church or society.

Ptolemy (140AD) he refined the original geocentric model which was posed by Aristotle. This new and improved model was able to predict the movements of the planets and stars as he observed them move. Still having no telescope invented he didn’t have enough evidence to prove this model yet the idea was so successful that the Roman Church accepted it as the ‘correct’ model of the universe. This meant that the model was accepted by society regardless of the lacking evidence.

Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1542) was a polish scientist who again opposed the geocentric model in that time. He was quickly silenced by the church because the geocentric model was already accepted by all church and society. In 1543 shortly before his death he published his work and ideas. The work was quickly branded as heretical and the model was not accepted. This work had no evidence which was supported by any new technologies scientist still had to look at the sky with nothing but their eyes.

Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) Danish nobleman posed a combination model of the universe. The earth was still the stationary centre but everything else would orbit the sun and then the sun would orbit the earth. The model was constructed with the highest level of accuracy. The device which made these measurements so accurate was astronomical measuring instruments which he built himself. These devices made his measurements accurate to .5 an arc minute, where other scientists where only as accurate to 15arc minutes. He was unable to prove that the earth even with the aid of his technology. Even with the accuracy of his model it was still unable to change the current view of the universe and the geocentric model.

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) He was a clear mathematician who believed in Copernicus’s model of the heliocentric universe all he needed to find was

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