Understanding of the universe: Kepler Flashcards
Who was he?
A german astronomer (1571-1630)
Influence of Tycho Brahe:
Who was Brahe and what did he have to do with Kepler?
He was a Danish astronomer who Kepler worked for.
Influence of Tycho Brahe:
How did he make an advancement in the understanding of orbits?
He compromised between the Copernican and Ptolemaic view of the world.
All planets rotated the Sun, which rotated the stationary Earth.
Influence of Tycho Brahe:
What did he cause controversy with?
He used empiricism and observation to generate theories, not just maths.
His observation of a supernova went against the Aristotelian and Ptolemaic idea that the universe is unchanging and uniform.
Influence of Tycho Brahe:
What observation effectively made the idea of heavenly spheres redundant?
His observation that comets were outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Their path undermines the idea of heavenly spheres.
Influence of Tycho Brahe:
What did he question about heavenly bodies and spheres?
The spheres were not solid as planets followed separate paths and moved independently through space.
A new theory was needed.
Kepler’s career:
What did he agree with Copernicus on?
He, too, took a heliocentric view of the universe.
Kepler’s career:
What did he assert in “Cosmic Mystery” (1596)?
His strong religious convictions: God had created a flawless and perfect world.
Kepler’s career:
What did his model of the universe do?
He was able to adopt a heliocentric view without relying on Ptolemy.
Yes, he rejected his own theory later on, but he sparked discussion.
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion:
What were his first two laws, as stated in “New Astronomy” (1609)?
1 - Planets travel in elliptical orbits around the Sun.
2 - Planets don’t travel at constant speeds (break from the past) but speed up when closer to the Sun.
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion:
What did he demonstrate with his laws?
That they could be proved empirically, without the need of maths.
It was observation that allowed him to ascertain Mars’ true orbit.
He demonstrated the importance of empiricism and developed a climate for other thinkers to thrive in.
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion:
What was his third law?
A mathematical one that proved that the further the planet is from the Sun, the longer its orbit will take.
Newton’s theory of gravity later proved this.
Religion:
Did religion influence his work?
Yes.
He saw astronomy as his duty to understand God and his flawless creation.
Impact of his theories:
What belief did he begin to shift?
Moved away from the belief that only circular and linear motions were taking place in the universe.
Impact of his theories:
How was his use of maths impactful?
He used maths to explain the physical world, rather than just describe theories.
It led the way for a new generation of maths and natural philosophy as the borders blurred - ppl recognised the importance of using observation to prove a theory.
