Squires

"Early Astronomers" Internet Assignment - 15 pts. Due Wed. 11/26/03

The people listed below made important contributions to the early history of astronomy. Using the Internet and other reference materials, look up the following names and write a brief summary about each scientist. Include in your summary: When and where did each scientist live? When did they die? What was the major contribution of each scientist to astronomy- What made them famous? Include any other interesting information.

. Also include a picture and diagram of each scientist.

Ptolemy

He was born in about 87 A.D. and then died about 150 A.D. Ptolemy was born

in Alexandria , Egypt . This famous man had many good qualities, such as him

being an astronomer, mathematician, and geographer. His main contribution to his time was the theory that the sun and the planets revolve around the

sun. They were in this order beginning with the planet Mercury closest to the sun, then Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Not only did he have this great accomplishment in astronomy, but he also was the first man to make a map of the round Earth. He believed Earth was round.

Nicolaus Copernicus

He was born in 1472 A.D. and then died in 1543. Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun , Poland . This great man was a mathematician, astronomer, but also studied different types of medicine. His main contribution to his time was his heti-9c~tric theory in which all the planets orbit around the sun, not the earth. He also believed that all these planets orbited in perfect circles. This heliocentric idea helped to pave the way for other future astronomers.

He was born in 1546 A.D. and then died in 1601 A.D. Tycho Brahe was born in KnudstruD. Denmark . Brahe was an astronomer that basically led to the

success of Johannes Kepler. He figured out he correct order of the planets,

and made many observations of the planets which Kepler later put to use.

He was born in 1571 A.D. then died in 1630 A.D. Johannes Kepler was born in Weil der Stadt, Wurttemberg, Holy Roman Empire. Kepler was a great astronomer and mathematician. His main accomplishment for his time period was Kepler's Three Laws. The first law stated that all celestial bodies orbit in an eclipse. His second law states that a planets orbiting speed increases the closer the planets orbit gets to the sun. His third law states shows how the average distance of an orbiting planet from the sun effects the amount of time it takes for that planet to orbit the sun.

Galileo Galilei

He was born in 1564 A.D. then died in 1642 A.D. Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa , Italy . Galileo was not only a famous astronomer, but was also a mathematician, and physicist. His main accomplishments for his time period were that of his studies of ~~ots with his telescope he bui It himself, which in the future made him blind. He also studied the moon and found out that it had craters and was not smooth. He studied the milky way as well and discovered it was made of thousands of stars.

Isaac Newton

He was born in 1642 A.D. and then died in 1727 A.D. Isaac Newton was born

in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire , England . Newton was another famous astronomer, mathematician, and physicist like Galileo. His man accomplishment was that of discovering the force which makes the planets rotate, and holds everything together. He stated that this is the force which holds all the planets in their orbits.