Astronomers Pre Dark Ages

Question 1

Idea was a nature-based model of the solar system where Earth was a flat disk suspended in an infinite ocean.

Answer 1

Thales

Question 2

First to have Earth suspended in space, but thought Earth was shaped like a cylinder tube.

Answer 2

Anaximander

Question 3

Used the shapes of the moon’s phases to call the earth, sun, and moon spherical.

Answer 3

Pythagoras

Question 4

Pythagoras believed what was the center of the universe that the Earth, Sun, and other celestial bodies orbited?

Answer 4

fire

Question 5

This astronomer was a firm believer in trusting math and using models to represent things rather than just our observations.

Answer 5

Plato

Question 6

Plato believed what was a stationary sphere at the center of the universe?

Answer 6

Earth

Question 7

In Plato’s geocentric universe, these objects were fixed bodies at the outermost edge.

Answer 7

Stars

Question 8

This astronomer believed all objects were created from four simple elements: earth, water, air, and fire.

Answer 8

Aristotle

Question 9

Used geometry to determine that the Sun was larger than the Earth, which proposed the Earth was not at the center. This was contrary to all other thinking at his time.

Answer 9

Aristarchus

Question 10

Aristarchus proposed the idea that what object was at the center of the universe, but this idea was dismissed by scientist of his day.

Answer 10

Sun

Question 11

This astronomer’s geocentric model of the solar system was so successful in predicting positions of the planets that it endured for 1300 years.

Answer 11

Ptolemy

Question 12

Ptolemy explained the retrograde motion (seeming to move backwards) of objects in the sky with what concept?

Answer 12

Epicycles

Question 13

Ptolemy published this book title, which is our main source of Greek Astronomy that is still used today.

Answer 13

Almagest

Question 14

Earth-centered

Answer 14

geocentric

Question 15

Sun-centered

Answer 15

heliocentric