Archaeoastronomy
Study of astronomy of ancient people
What is geocentric universe?
Universe with Earth in center
What is heliocentric universe?
Universe with Sun in center
Classical philosophers believed that Earth was
center of universe
Eratosthenes accurately estimated...
diameter of Earth
Classical philosophers believed that Earth did not..
move
Thales taught that the Universe is
rational and it can be understood by human mind
Pythagoras taught that all natures was underlain by
mathematics
Pythagoras believed that harmony of celestial movements produces
actual music, "music of spheres
Greek astronomers tried to describe the Universe using
geometrical forms
Philolaus argues that Earth moved in
circular path around "fire" which is hidden behind Earth
Plato argues that
reality humans see is distorted version of perfect, ideal form
What is uniform circular motion?
Motion of heavens described by motions of multiple rotating spheres
Why is Stonehenge thought to be an ancient astronomical observatory?
Because stones are aligned with significant rising and setting position
Plato proposed that all heavenly motion are
circular and uniform
Plato believed in principle of
perfection of the heavens
What is perfection of the heavens?
Heavens represent perfection (circles)
What did Plato propose about all heavenly motion?
motion in circular paths
Plato believed that this _ was perfect geometric form
sphere
Plato believed that Universe consists of
perfect spheres
What effect did Plato's proposal have on future astronomers?
His idea of a sphere being the most perfect geometric form influenced astronomical theories for literally hundreds of years.
Scientific method did not exist in
Ancient Greece
Aristotle attempted to understand his world by reasoning logically and carefully from
first principle
What is first principle?
Something that is held to be obviously true and needs no further examination
First Principle: Once principle is recognized as true, whatever can be derived from it must also be
true
Aristotle believed that the Universe was divided into two parts:
Earth (imperfect and changeable), heavens (perfect and unchanging)
Aristotle believed that Earth was
imperfect and changeable
Aristotle believe that heavens were
perfect and unchanging
Aristotle's model of universe was
geocentric
Aristotle believed that Earth did not
move
Who accurately determined the size of Earth by considering sun angles at Syene and Alexandria?
Eratosthenes
One of the first principles of ancient astronomy is that the heavens beyond _____ are perfect, and the Earth is corrupt.
moon
Who taught that the Earth is stationary and at the center of the universe with the sun, the moon, and the planets moving around Earth in perfect circles?
Aristotle
Evidence of early prehistoric human cultures observing astronomical phenomena exists in
archaeoastronomical sites
What did Ptolemey do?
Updated Aritotle's model of universe by transforming it into sophisticated mathematical model
What was first principle which was accepted by ancient philosophers and astronomers?
Heavens were geocentric with Earth at the center and the Sun, Moon, and planets moving in uniform circular motion
What is an epicycle?
Small circle
What is the deferent?
Larger circle
What is equant?
Point from which the center of an epicycle appeared to move at constant rate
What is parallax?
Apparent motion of an object because of the motion of the observer
The parallax is too small to
be seen with the unaided eye
Retrograde motion is
when planets moved to East, but then started to move to west than back to East
The Ptolemaic model of the Universe was
geocentric and based on uniform circular motion
How did Claudius Ptolemy account for the retrograde motion of the planets?
Each planet moves on an epicycle that in turn moves on a deferent that circles around Earth
Which planets' motions were described with epicycles in the Ptolemaic system?
All of known planets
In Ptolemy's mathematical model of planetary motion, a planet was on a circular path, known as an
epicycle
An epicycle's center was on
deferent
deferent was centered on
Earth
What were epicycles used to describe?
retrograde motion of planets
How did the epicycles of Mercury and Venus differ from those of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in Ptolemey's mathematical model of planetary motion?
Their centers had to always be on the line between Earth and the sun
Why did the centers of the epicycles of Mercury and Venus have to remain on the line between Earth and the sun?
because they were never seen very far from the sun in the sky
Copernicus changed the place of Earth by devising a heliocentric model of the cosmos. Based Copernicus and the heliocentric system, select all of the correct statements from the following list:
- Copernicus's heliocentric model provided a simple explanation for retrograde motion.
- Copernicus's model featured multiple motions of Earth
How did Nicolaus Copernicus account for the retrograde motion of the planets? Aka explanation for retrograde motion
Inner planets orbit the sun faster and pass outer planets as they orbit around the sun.
Retrograde motion
Inner planets orbit the sun faster and pass outer planets as they orbit around the sun.
What feature of Aristotle's model of the universe was included in the model proposed by Copernicus?
Uniform Circular Motion
Why did the model of the universe proposed by Copernicus gain support soon after its publication?
It was a more elegant explanation of retrograde motion
Why did Copernicus use epicycles in his system?
Copernicus insisted on circular motions and needed epicycles to reproduce minor variations in motions of planets.
Why didn't Copernicus's system predict the positions of planets any better than Ptolemy's?
Because both Copernicus and Ptolemy used uniform circular motion
Which set of astronomical tables is based on Ptolemy's model?
Alfonsine tables
Which set of astronomical tables is based on the Copernican model?
Prutenic tables
Which set of astronomical tables were considered most accurate?
Rudolphine tables
What was the most important idea of Copernicus's book?
Universe is heliocentric
In the Copernican system, Earth moves ___ along its orbit than the planets that lie farther from the Sun
faster
Copernicus explained retrograde motion, by "saying" that
Earth moves faster than other planets
True or false: Copernicus's system was useful in predicting phases
false
The closer planet to the Sun
faster it moves
When Tycho observed the new star of 1572, he could detect no parallax. Why did that result undermine belief in the Ptolemaic system?
This star is farther away than the moon and thus the heavens are not perfect and unchanging
What was the most important contribution of Tycho Brahe to modern astronomy?
twenty years of accurate measurements of planetary positions
How was Tycho Brahe able to make more accurate astronomical measurements than had been made before his time?
He designed and used large devices to measure small angles
Increasing the distance between the foci increases
ellipticity
When the distance between the two foci is zero, the figure is
circle
How did Kepler's first law of planetary motion alter the Copernican system?
It changed the perfect circles to ellipses and it placed the sun at one focus of each orbit
Which of the "First Principles of Ancient Astronomy" did Kepler's laws contradict?
Earth is at the center of the universe and all heavenly motion is uniform and circular
What does Kepler's second law indicate about the orbital speed of a planet?
A planet moves at its fastest when it is closest to the sun
Tycho believed that planets orbit
sun which orbits earth
What is hypothesis?
assertion or conjecture that must be tested
What is theory?
system of rules and principles that can be applied to a wide variety of circumstances
What is natural law?
theory that has been refined, tested, and confirmed so often that scientists have great confidence in it
What astronomical table was developed most recently?
the Rudolphine tables
Who created the Rudolphine tables?
Tycho and Kepler
The quantitative numerical result of Kepler's research was
set of tables giving future positions of the planets
What phases of Venus are predicted by the Ptolemaic system?
new and crescent phases only
Galileo discovered that the Moon was...
imperfect
Moon has...
craters and mountains
Sun has
sunspots
Galileo was first to use this object for astronomy
telescope
When observing Jupiter, Galileo discovered that
Jupiter has four moons
Jupiter's four moons are called
Galilean moons
The moons of Jupiter were strong evidence for
heliocentric system
In Tycho's model, the phases of Venus were which of the following?
Copernican's system
Ptolemey said that Venus has only
two phases
Superior planets doesn't show
phases
Inferior planets show
phases
The object with largest angular distance is
closest
Archaeoastronomy
Study of astronomy of ancient people
What is geocentric universe?
Universe with Earth in center
What is heliocentric universe?
Universe with Sun in center
Classical philosophers believed that Earth was
center of universe
Eratosthenes accurately estimated...
diameter of Earth
Classical philosophers believed that Earth did not..
move
Thales taught that the Universe is
rational and it can be understood by human mind
Pythagoras taught that all natures was underlain by
mathematics
Pythagoras believed that harmony of celestial movements produces
actual music, "music of spheres
Greek astronomers tried to describe the Universe using
geometrical forms
Philolaus argues that Earth moved in
circular path around "fire" which is hidden behind Earth
Plato argues that
reality humans see is distorted version of perfect, ideal form
What is uniform circular motion?
Motion of heavens described by motions of multiple rotating spheres
Why is Stonehenge thought to be an ancient astronomical observatory?
Because stones are aligned with significant rising and setting position
Plato proposed that all heavenly motion are
circular and uniform
Plato believed in principle of
perfection of the heavens
What is perfection of the heavens?
Heavens represent perfection (circles)
What did Plato propose about all heavenly motion?
motion in circular paths
Plato believed that this _ was perfect geometric form
sphere
Plato believed that Universe consists of
perfect spheres
What effect did Plato's proposal have on future astronomers?
His idea of a sphere being the most perfect geometric form influenced astronomical theories for literally hundreds of years.
Scientific method did not exist in
Ancient Greece
Aristotle attempted to understand his world by reasoning logically and carefully from
first principle
What is first principle?
Something that is held to be obviously true and needs no further examination
First Principle: Once principle is recognized as true, whatever can be derived from it must also be
true
Aristotle believed that the Universe was divided into two parts:
Earth (imperfect and changeable), heavens (perfect and unchanging)
Aristotle believed that Earth was
imperfect and changeable
Aristotle believe that heavens were
perfect and unchanging
Aristotle's model of universe was
geocentric
Aristotle believed that Earth did not
move
Who accurately determined the size of Earth by considering sun angles at Syene and Alexandria?
Eratosthenes
One of the first principles of ancient astronomy is that the heavens beyond _____ are perfect, and the Earth is corrupt.
moon
Who taught that the Earth is stationary and at the center of the universe with the sun, the moon, and the planets moving around Earth in perfect circles?
Aristotle
Evidence of early prehistoric human cultures observing astronomical phenomena exists in
archaeoastronomical sites
What did Ptolemey do?
Updated Aritotle's model of universe by transforming it into sophisticated mathematical model
What was first principle which was accepted by ancient philosophers and astronomers?
Heavens were geocentric with Earth at the center and the Sun, Moon, and planets moving in uniform circular motion
What is an epicycle?
Small circle
What is the deferent?
Larger circle
What is equant?
Point from which the center of an epicycle appeared to move at constant rate
What is parallax?
Apparent motion of an object because of the motion of the observer
The parallax is too small to
be seen with the unaided eye
Retrograde motion is
when planets moved to East, but then started to move to west than back to East
The Ptolemaic model of the Universe was
geocentric and based on uniform circular motion
How did Claudius Ptolemy account for the retrograde motion of the planets?
Each planet moves on an epicycle that in turn moves on a deferent that circles around Earth
Which planets' motions were described with epicycles in the Ptolemaic system?
All of known planets
In Ptolemy's mathematical model of planetary motion, a planet was on a circular path, known as an
epicycle
An epicycle's center was on
deferent
deferent was centered on
Earth
What were epicycles used to describe?
retrograde motion of planets
How did the epicycles of Mercury and Venus differ from those of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in Ptolemey's mathematical model of planetary motion?
Their centers had to always be on the line between Earth and the sun
Why did the centers of the epicycles of Mercury and Venus have to remain on the line between Earth and the sun?
because they were never seen very far from the sun in the sky
Copernicus changed the place of Earth by devising a heliocentric model of the cosmos. Based Copernicus and the heliocentric system, select all of the correct statements from the following list:
- Copernicus's heliocentric model provided a simple explanation for retrograde motion.
- Copernicus's model featured multiple motions of Earth
How did Nicolaus Copernicus account for the retrograde motion of the planets? Aka explanation for retrograde motion
Inner planets orbit the sun faster and pass outer planets as they orbit around the sun.
Retrograde motion
Inner planets orbit the sun faster and pass outer planets as they orbit around the sun.
What feature of Aristotle's model of the universe was included in the model proposed by Copernicus?
Uniform Circular Motion
Why did the model of the universe proposed by Copernicus gain support soon after its publication?
It was a more elegant explanation of retrograde motion
Why did Copernicus use epicycles in his system?
Copernicus insisted on circular motions and needed epicycles to reproduce minor variations in motions of planets.
Why didn't Copernicus's system predict the positions of planets any better than Ptolemy's?
Because both Copernicus and Ptolemy used uniform circular motion
Which set of astronomical tables is based on Ptolemy's model?
Alfonsine tables
Which set of astronomical tables is based on the Copernican model?
Prutenic tables
Which set of astronomical tables were considered most accurate?
Rudolphine tables
What was the most important idea of Copernicus's book?
Universe is heliocentric
In the Copernican system, Earth moves ___ along its orbit than the planets that lie farther from the Sun
faster
Copernicus explained retrograde motion, by "saying" that
Earth moves faster than other planets
True or false: Copernicus's system was useful in predicting phases
false
The closer planet to the Sun
faster it moves
When Tycho observed the new star of 1572, he could detect no parallax. Why did that result undermine belief in the Ptolemaic system?
This star is farther away than the moon and thus the heavens are not perfect and unchanging
What was the most important contribution of Tycho Brahe to modern astronomy?
twenty years of accurate measurements of planetary positions
How was Tycho Brahe able to make more accurate astronomical measurements than had been made before his time?
He designed and used large devices to measure small angles
Increasing the distance between the foci increases
ellipticity
When the distance between the two foci is zero, the figure is
circle
How did Kepler's first law of planetary motion alter the Copernican system?
It changed the perfect circles to ellipses and it placed the sun at one focus of each orbit
Which of the "First Principles of Ancient Astronomy" did Kepler's laws contradict?
Earth is at the center of the universe and all heavenly motion is uniform and circular
What does Kepler's second law indicate about the orbital speed of a planet?
A planet moves at its fastest when it is closest to the sun
Tycho believed that planets orbit
sun which orbits earth
What is hypothesis?
assertion or conjecture that must be tested
What is theory?
system of rules and principles that can be applied to a wide variety of circumstances
What is natural law?
theory that has been refined, tested, and confirmed so often that scientists have great confidence in it
What astronomical table was developed most recently?
the Rudolphine tables
Who created the Rudolphine tables?
Tycho and Kepler
The quantitative numerical result of Kepler's research was
set of tables giving future positions of the planets
What phases of Venus are predicted by the Ptolemaic system?
new and crescent phases only
Galileo discovered that the Moon was...
imperfect
Moon has...
craters and mountains
Sun has
sunspots
Galileo was first to use this object for astronomy
telescope
When observing Jupiter, Galileo discovered that
Jupiter has four moons
Jupiter's four moons are called
Galilean moons
The moons of Jupiter were strong evidence for
heliocentric system
In Tycho's model, the phases of Venus were which of the following?
Copernican's system
Ptolemey said that Venus has only
two phases
Superior planets doesn't show
phases
Inferior planets show
phases
The object with largest angular distance is
closest