Copernicus and Ptolemy Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Two of the greatest astronomers of all time are Claudius Ptolemy and Nicolaus Copernicus. These men had very different ideas and theories. Claudius Ptolemy was born around 100 A. D. and died around 165 A.
D. He was considered one of the greatest Greek astronomers and geographers of ancient times. Very little is known about him, but he did his observations of astronomy in Alexandria, Egypt. His works are known as Almagest, which means the greatest.
Ptolemy did not believe that the earth moved. He said that since the earth is round, gravity pulls everything to the center of the earth. The moon, sun, stars, and planets move around the earth at various speeds. He also believed that the planets were much closer to the earth than the stars, but the moon is even closer. Plotemy found that the moon had an irregularity in its orbit. This is called evection.
He also had a theory of map projection. In one of these theories he miscalculated the land between Spain and China and the size of the ocean. This is what led to Columbus sail in 1492. These claims and discoveries were accepted in Europe until the late fifteenth century, when another astronomer questioned his findings. Nicolas Copernicus was born in 1473 and died in 1543. He is known as the father of modern astronomy and a great mathematician.
He was very well-educated and received both a master s and doctor s degree. Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who believed that the sun is the center of the solar system and the earth is a rapidly moving planet. His equipment was very basic and he saw things only with his eyes, no other help. He applied his logic and mathematics skills to work out a theory other than Plotemy s. H found that the earth travels through space and we cannot see the movement because we are on earth. He also said that all the planets are moving in orbits and revolving around the sun.
The Essay on Greek Astronomer Earth Copernicus Astronomy
... the moon smaller than the earth, he also suggested that the earth revolved around the sun. Another great astronomer was Eratosthenes he lived from ... introduce. In a way Copernicus was better of than Ptolemy; he could make better measures of the planets and their movements, and ... than a large one, and Copernicus looked for some way of avoiding the complications which Ptolemy and his followers had been ...
The earth spins around its axis once a day. He believed that a planet moves faster if it is near the sun and in a small orbit. Copernicus could not prove his own theory, but it was later proven to be correct. This is when modern day astronomy began.
