How we understood the universe throughout history
Discussion of four attempts to explain the structure of the solar system, from Aristotle to Johannes Kepler.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: In the 4th century BC the Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed a model of the universe with the Earth at the center. His model was popular but did not explain planetary motion. In the 2nd century AD, the astronomer Ptolemy provided a solution that kept Aristotle's universe in order for the next 14 centuries. He showed that eccentrics, equants, epicycles, and deferents could explain retrograde motion and the changing brightness of the planets.
In the 16th century Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus designed a model of the universe that placed the Sun at the center with the planets circling around it. His model solved the problems raised by Ptolemy, establishing a fixed order for the planets and starting a revolution in European thought. Less than a century later the German astronomer Johannes Kepler showed that the planets move in elliptical orbits with changing speeds. The modern view of the universe was born.
In the 16th century Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus designed a model of the universe that placed the Sun at the center with the planets circling around it. His model solved the problems raised by Ptolemy, establishing a fixed order for the planets and starting a revolution in European thought. Less than a century later the German astronomer Johannes Kepler showed that the planets move in elliptical orbits with changing speeds. The modern view of the universe was born.