History of astronomy

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy. He died on January 8, 1642 in Arcetri somewhere near Florence Italy. “Galileo was and is seen as the ‘hero of modern science’” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). The reason for this is because he made many discoveries and was known for his work as an engineer, philosopher and mathematician while playing a major role in science during the Renaissance. Galileo was the oldest child in his family, born in Pisa, Italy, but he later…

Many cultures throughout history have referenced to distinct patterns in the sky formed by stars. These patterns have been called many things but now scientists refer to them as constellations. Often times in our society we forget what a privilege it is to have tracking tools and measuring devices but 5000 years ago they used these constellations to track time and be able to tell where they are. Constellations have been seen as specific animals or figures that are then told with myths. STILL…

given the opportunity to attend the University. Galileo was encouraged to study medicine so in 1583 he entered the University of Pisa (Galileo). At the university, he stumbled into a mathematics lecture in which changed his perspective and scientific history forever. A lot of Galileos beginning stages of his mathematical inspiration were developed from his background in music. Vincenzo Galilei was an accomplished musician who taught his…

adventure Science,” is a great quote from a man that uses those senses and is emerged in the study of what he calls science, making great contributions in the 20th century. When you look up the definition of astronomy in the dictionary you will probably find something a little like this “ Astronomy is the branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole,” but isn’t it much more than that? If you had the chance to ask someone, an astronomer, they…

Hubble, The Space Telescope That Can See The Universe The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most famous telescopes ever used. It is a large telescope in space weighing aroubd 24,500 lbs. NASA launched Hubble in 1990, it was "named after Edwin P. Hubble, He was an astronomer" (Rosario). Hubble is a traveling telescope it traves around the Earth taking pictures of planets, stars, and galaxies. "It has seen stars being born and stars die, and it has seen galaxies that are trillions of miles…

University of Krakow in 1491. There he developed his love for astronomy, but studied law and medicine. He became a doctor of law in 1503 and had a big participation in the humanist movement, as seen in his translation from greek into latin of a Byzantine Poet’s letters. He was appointed canon in 1503 by his uncle, and later he also served as a secretary and physician to the bishop. He was cannon his entire life, even as he was studying astronomy…

When he was young his father sent him to school to study medicine at the university of Pisa, but quickly got bored and decided to study mathematics instead. He later became a professor at the university, and went on to discover a lot more about astronomy. What were his discovery’s? When he was younger and had only just come out of university he helped Niccolò Tantaglia mathematically describe ballistics and the force of friction. Then after discovering more about moving objects he invented his…

In astronomy, precession is an important concept that determines our view of the night sky. Over the centuries, our view of the night sky has changed due to precession. As a result, everyone should have the right and a duty to know about astronomy. Precession impacts our night sky; thus it is crucial to be aware of. Precession is caused by the axis of rotation twisting due to the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon that makes the Earth’s axis upright relative to its orbit…

advocacy of Copernican heliocentrism is often cited as an example of how the medievals were inherently hostile to science. However, a closer examination of two factors of the Galileo controversy shows that the modern conception is incorrect. First, the history: Galileo had enjoyed the pope’s support until Galileo attacked the pope personally, and even once convicted, Galileo did not suffer under substantial persecution from the church. Second, it is necessary to understand the philosophical…

Aristarchus of Samos was not only an astronomer but also a mathematician. He lived between 310–230 B.C. and belonged to the Pythagorean School of Thought (Heath). His mathematical knowledge helped him to discover great advances in the world of astronomy. His writing The Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon is his only surviving text (Aristarchus ‘16). Aristarchus’ description of the solar system was similar to our modern one and this was about 1500 years before Copernicus made his geocentric…