Renaissance Astronomy

People started to explore and experiment with their surroundings once more during the Renaissance. Astronomy was one branch of science that achieved significant advancements during this time. The study of celestial objects in space, such as the Moon, planets, and stars, is known as astronomy.

The universe’s centre is Earth.

The inhabitants of Europe had relied on the discoveries made by the Ancient Greeks for about 2000 years. The Earth’s position at the centre of the universe was the subject of ideas developed by Greek scholars like Aristotle and Ptolemy. They claimed that the Earth was in orbit around the sun and the planets. For all that time, this was accepted as true.

Nicolaus Copernicus

During the Renaissance, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a novel idea. He claimed that the Sun served as the universe’s centre and that the Earth and the planets revolved around it. He was correct that the Earth and the planets orbit the Sun, but not many people accepted his assertion.

Galileo Galilei

One of history’s finest scientists was Galileo. His scientific activity was primarily in the field of astronomy. When Galileo learned about the idea of the telescope, he was already interested in learning more about the planets. He made the telescope better and built one that was capable of viewing the planets.

Galileo was able to make a wide range of novel discoveries with his telescope. He learned that the Moon was actually covered in craters rather than being completely smooth. Additionally, he believed that the moon just reflected sunlight rather than producing any of its own. The phases of Venus, the moons of Jupiter, and sunspots were among the other findings.

Galileo Agrees with Copernicus

Galileo thought Copernicus’ hypothesis that the planets, including the Earth, rotate around the Sun was accurate after observing and analysing the planets and moon via his telescope. He articulated this belief in a well-known piece of writing. However, the Catholic Church disagreed and placed Galileo under house arrest.

Kepler and Tycho

Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler were two further prominent astronomers from the Renaissance. Tycho was a Danish nobleman who over a lengthy period of time made numerous accurate measurements of the planets and stars. Tycho made significant advancements in his profession of surveying the skies.

German astronomer Kepler briefly served as Tycho’s assistant. The three laws of planetary motion were created by Kepler, who also accepted Copernicus’ theory that the planets orbit the Sun. He also plotted many of the planets’ positions and orbits, demonstrating that they didn’t all need to orbit the sun in perfect circles.