The Development Of Astronomy During The Scientific Revolution

The Development in Astronomy During the Scientific Revolution Daniel Huffman World History and Geography II Mr. Struck December 8, 2016 Astronomy, the field pertaining to the study of space and the objects that exist within it, is a constantly developing science. Beginning in ancient times, humans would rely on astronomy to observe the positions of the moon and stars in order to measure time and direction (Astronomy, sec. 1). Up until the mid-16th century, the widespread belief among Europeans was that the stars and other celestial bodies orbit the Earth, a theory established by the astronomer Ptolemy (Furlong 80). With the limited technology available at their time, Ptolemy’s geocentric theory was left largely untested, at least until the dawn of the Scientific Revolution. During the Scientific Revolution, a period of several hundred years where science developed to greater resemble our modern practices rather than the more religious and philosophical mindset of the time prior, notable scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton made major discoveries in fields such as astronomy. This revolution starte d with the development of Copernicus’ heliocentric theory of the structure of the solar system, which directly contradicted the accepted beliefs of the time (Scientific Revolution). In the beginning of the 17th century, Galileo designed and constructed an improved telescope, which he used to make significant astronomical discoveries thatShow MoreRelatedChinas Scientific Revolution in the Tang and Song Dynasties779 Words   |  3 PagesThe scientific revolution was most notable in the Tang and Song Dynasties which covered a span of three hundred years. 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