Renaissance Astronomy

Question 1

“Wanderers” according to the Greeks

Answer 1

Planets

Question 2

What do Planets move relative to?

Answer 2

Stars

Question 3

Geocentric System

Answer 3

The structure of the solar system in which the Earth is the center of the universe.

Question 4

Who proposed the Geocentric System?

Answer 4

Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy)

Question 5

Almagest

Answer 5

Mathematical model to predict/explain motions of celestial objects; makes motions in the heavens reflect perfect properties such as circular motion and constant speeds.

Included tables for predicting events that was used for 1200 years.

Question 6

Epicycles

Answer 6

Small circular orbit that moves along a larger circular orbit.

Question 7

What did Tycho Brahe do?

Answer 7

Known for developing instruments to make precise measurements/collect mathematical data about the position of stars.

Discovered a Supernova through “De Nova Stella”

Question 8

What is the Tychonic System? (Geo-heliocentrism)

Who came up with this system?

Answer 8

Structure of solar system where the Earth is in the center in which the sun and moon revolved around. Other planets revolve around the Sun.

Tycho Brahe

Question 9

What did Nicolas Copernicus do?

Answer 9

Proposed the modern solar system; The Sun is at the center of the universe motionless. Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun in a CIRCULAR motion.

Question 10

What are Kepler’s Three Laws?

Answer 10

1. The orbit of each planet around the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus.
2. Objects move quicker the closer they are to the object they are orbiting.
3. The longer it takes a planet to complete its orbit, the further away it is from the sun. (Used to compare two objects orbiting the same thing)

Question 11

What did Galileo discover?

Answer 11

The Sidereal Message:
Invisible Stars
Galilean Moons
Discovery of Sun’s Rotation & Sunspots
“Ears” around Saturn
Mountains on the Moon