Copernicus And Ptolemy Essay, Research Paper

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.

He 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 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.