How We Come To Realize That The Earth Is Not The Center of The Universe

How we come to realize
that the earth is not the
center of the universe.

Objectives
1. explain what the Greeks considered to be the three types of terrestrial motion
2. explain what is meant by diurnal motion, annual motion, precession of the equinoxes
3. explain how the Greeks knew that the Earth is spherical
4. explain how Plato’s problem of “Saving the Appearances” constrained Greek models of the
Universe
5. compare and contrast the models/descriptions of the universe by Eudoxus, Aristotle,
Aristarchus, Ptolemy, and Copernicus
6. cite examples of astronomical phenomena known to astronomers before the advent of
telescopes
7. compare and contrast explanations and models of astronomical phenomena (Copernican,
Ptolemaic, and Tychonic)
8. explain how Galileo’s astronomical discoveries and observations
(lunar craters, phases of Venus, moons of Jupiter, sun spots,
supernovas, the apparently identical size of stars as seen through the
naked eye, and telescope observations) helped weaken the support for
the Ptolemaic model.
9. explain how Brahe’s innovations and extensive collection of data in
observational astronomy paved the way for Kepler’s discovery of his
laws of planetary motion
10. apply Kepler’s 3rd law of planetary motion to objects in the solar
system
science
“a collection of known truths
about the Universe that develops
and expands over time.”
Why is SCIENCE dynamic
and ever-changing?
Astronomy is a major
influence to the
development of Physics.
That is why we discuss
ancient Greek philosophy,
cosmology and astronomy. The
Greeks divided the universe into
domains, the celestial domain and
the terrestrial domain.
Three types of Motion (according to greeks)
The classical Greeks in their philosophy regarded

the three types of terrestrial motion as:
1.Motion in respect to quality;

2.Motion in respect to quantity;
3.Motion in respect to place.
Motion with respect to quality –
Motion in respect of Quality let us call alteration, a general
designation that is used to include both contraries: and by Quality
I do not here mean a property of substance (in that sense that
which constitutes a specific distinction is a quality) but a passive
quality in virtue of which a thing is said to be acted on or to be
incapable of being acted on.
Motion relating to quality, e.g., from green to brown, is alteration.

Motion with respect to quantity –
Motion in respect of Quantity has no name that
includes both contraries, but it is called increase or
decrease according as one or the other is designated:
that is to say motion in the direction of complete
magnitude is increase, motion in the contrary direction
is decrease.
Motion relating to quantity, from large to small or small

to large, is decrease or increase.
Motion with respect to place –
Motion in respect of Place has no name either general
or particular: but we may designate it by the general
name of locomotion, though strictly the term
'locomotion' is applicable to things that change their
place only when they have not the power to come to a
stand, and to things that do not move themselves
locally.
motion in terms of locomotion, that is, motion from

one place to another or repetitive motion, such as
circular motion.
Substantial Motion
• Substantial motion is coming to be or passing
away: the development of an embryo to viable
infant to adult is an example of coming to be in
the category of substance. The change of clay
into a pot is different from, but analogous to, the
substantial motion that occurs in the
development of living organisms.
Explain what is meant by diurnal motion,
annual motion, precession of the equinoxes.
Diurnal Motion
Diurnal motion is the daily motion of stars and other
celestial bodies across the sky. This motion is due to the
Earth's rotation from west to east, which causes celestial
bodies to have an apparent motion from east to west.
Annual Motion
Over the course of a year, the
Sun appears to move a little
towards the East each day as
seen with respect to the
background stars. This daily
eastward drift is <1° per day
(there are 365 days in a year, but
only 360° in a circle). This
apparent motion is a reflection of
the Earth's annual orbit around
the Sun.
• Precession of the equinoxes
• Earth's precession was historically called the precession of the equinoxes,
because the equinoxes moved westward along the ecliptic relative to the
fixed stars, opposite to the yearly motion of the Sun along the ecliptic
H OW THE GREEKS KNEW
THAT THE EARTH IS
SPHERICAL ?
GREEK
HISTORY
Itall started as a
philosophical concept
developed by the Greeks
around the 6th century BC. It
wasn’t until the 3rd century
BC when Hellenistic
astronomy came to the
conclusion that the earth was
in fact physically spherical.
At first, there was no
real explanation of
how the Greeks came
up with this
conclusion, other than
their observation on
the change of the
stars when they
traveled.
Pythagoras and Plato taught
their students that the world was
round but they had no justification
or proof.
The round Earth
theory didn't get a
proper explanation
until Aristotle (384-
322 BC) made three
important
observations:
ARISTOTL IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS:
E Every portion of the Earth tends
toward the center until by
compression and convergence
they form a sphere.
Travelers going south see
southern constellations rise
higher above the horizon; and
The shadow of Earth on the
Moon during a lunar eclipse
is round.
 This knowledge was then passed from generation to
generation.
 It was then spread to the eastern world where they thought
that the earth was a flat disk floating in an ocean surrounded by
a spherical sky, as explained by the Mesopotamian mythology.
The Models of the Universe:

How We Come To Realize That The Earth Is Not The Center of The Universe

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

How We Come To Realize That The Earth Is Not The Center of The Universe

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

How We Come To Realize That The Earth Is Not The Center of The Universe

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

How we come to realize

that the earth is not the

center of the universe.

The classical Greeks in their philosophy regarded

1.Motion in respect to quality;

Motion relating to quality, e.g., from green to brown, is alteration.

Motion relating to quantity, from large to small or small

motion in terms of locomotion, that is, motion from

You might also like