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Nicolaus Copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus. Born 1473 Torun, Poland Died 1543 Frauenburg, Poland. Background and education. Wealthy family Started education at University of Krakow moved to University of Bologna, Italy studied canon law moved to University of Padua, Italy studied medicine

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Nicolaus Copernicus

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  1. Nicolaus Copernicus Born 1473 Torun, Poland Died 1543 Frauenburg, Poland

  2. Background and education • Wealthy family • Started education at University of Krakow • moved to University of Bologna, Italy • studied canon law • moved to University of Padua, Italy • studied medicine • moved to University of Ferrara • studied canon law - doctorate 1503

  3. Career • Taught mathematics in Rome • became canon at the University of Frauenburg – this position supported his astronomical studies • these date from Bologna • roomed with an astronomer, Novara, who was the official astrologer for the city • exposed to criticism of astrology and Ptolemy

  4. Background • At this time - mathematics, astronomy and astrology were intimately associated • problems with Ptolemy were that the order of the planets was indeterminate (Venus and Mercury) • Structure of the zodiac was in question • Copernicus tried other ways of arranging things

  5. Heliocentric system • Fixed Sun at center of circular orbits for all the planets - including Earth • All planets move at constant velocity along these circular orbits • order of things was: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn • Earth was just another planet

  6. Successes • Explained the difference between the inferior and superior planets • allowed the determination of the period for each planet • allowed the determination of the distance of each planet from the Sun

  7. Results • . PeriodDistance • Mercury 88 days 0.39 AU • Venus 7.5 mo. 0.72 • Earth 1 year 1 • Mars 2yrs 2mo 1.6 • Jupiter 11.9 yrs. 5.2 • Saturn 29.6 yrs. 9.5

  8. Results cont. • In other words, the distance and period give the same order of the planets in the solar system • simple explanation of retrograde motion - see the website following • http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/ retrograde/copernican.html

  9. Remaining errors • Circular orbits • Constant velocity

  10. Publications • 1503 wrote the “Little Commentary” but did not publish it. • Visited by Georg Rheticus, mathematician, who was impressed by the heliocentric view • Urged Copernicus to publish the book, undertook to do this • No unpleasant response to this

  11. Role of Osiander • This encouraged Copernicus to publish a larger work “On the revolutions of the heavenly spheres” • Rheticus moves and cannot proceed with the new book • Along comes Andreas Osiander, experienced with publishing technical books

  12. Osiander • Takes on the task of publishing De Revolutionibus… • inserts a “letter to the reader” before the text saying that a) ideas presented did not represent truth, b) it was impossible to know the causes of heavenly phenomena • book appears in 1543 just as Copernicus dies

  13. Major Conflict • Geocentric versus heliocentric • Extremely different views of the world • But no clear way to decide which is true • Needed more accurate observations of the planets • Also needed improvements in Copernican view

  14. Interplay of theory and obs. • Theory due to Copernicus • Better (more accurate) observations need new observing tools • Along came Tycho Brahe • More accurate observations spur improvements in the theory • Along come Kepler and Newton

  15. Old technology • Hand held instruments • made of wood • small and non-standard instruments

  16. Astronomical and civil uses

  17. Brahe • Danish nobility, wealthy, fascinated by astronomy (a precursor of Percival Lowell) • interested also in alchemy • lost part of his nose in a duel - gold replacement • was given an island by the Danish king, Hven, near Copenhagen for an observatory

  18. Brahe • He represents a new kind of scientist, a professional who did “big science” • 1546-1601 • A transitional figure - between the apex of naked eye observations and the telescope (1608)

  19. Astronomical observations • Observed the nova of 1572 - supposed to be a terrestrial phenomenon • Brahe showed the nova was far away (parallax) • Aristotle said it (nova) could not exist

  20. Astronomical observations • Jupiter passes Saturn • predictions were off by days to months • Comet of 1577 • Aristotle said comets were terrestrial phenomena (in the atmosphere) • Brahe showed that the comet was placed among the planets (parallax)

  21. Island of Hven

  22. www.hven.com/EUBORG.htmlwww.hven.com/ELKRKART.html .

  23. Brahe’s observatory on the island of Hven as it is today.

  24. View of scale on the great mural quadrant

  25. Brahe’s improvements • Metal instruments • fixed and therefore more stable • large and therefore more accurate • built a complete laboratory with printing shop, fabrication shops, assistants • continuous observations (vital) • corrected for refraction • also proposed a cosmological theory

  26. Observations • Normally, observations of a planet were only made at a few positions in its orbit • Brahe had observations made continuously each clear night

  27. Tychonic system

  28. Brahe’s weaknesses • Strong on observation • weak on mathematics and theory • enlisted the help of Kepler in 1600 at Prague • at his death (1601), Brahe left his observations to Kepler • Kepler published the best planetary positions (Rudolphine tables)

  29. Johannes Kepler • Born 1571 • Died 1630 • he was convinced that the universe was designed according to geometrical principles (God was a geometer) • trained as a mathematician • imperial mathematician to Rudolf II

  30. Challenge • Calculated the positions of the planets and compared with Brahe’s observation • Worst agreement was for Mars • He spent 4 years trying to explain the orbit of Mars

  31. Geometry aspect • Kepler asked the question “why are there only 6 planets”? • Answer: there are 5 platonic solids • cube, octahedron, tetrahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron • he used these solids to position the planets about the sun

  32. Platonic solids • Cube - 6 faces -- earth • tetrahedron - 4 faces -- fire • octahedron - 8 faces -- air • dodecahedron - 12 faces -- aether • icosahedron - 20 faces --water

  33. Cube

  34. Tetrahedron

  35. Octahedron

  36. Dodecahedron

  37. Icosahedron

  38. Scheme • Pick a solid (for example, the cube) • start with a large sphere, solid inside touching the sphere • place another sphere inside the solid so that the sphere touches the solid • the planet moves in a circular orbit defined by the sphere • then, place another solid inside the sphere so that its corners touch the sphere

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