Earth Science Gr. 7 Science Early Astronomers Earth Science Gr. 7 Science

Ancient Greek Astronomers called wandering objects in space ‘planets’ believed the universe was perfect Greeks thought all things in the solar system revolved around Earth- this is called the geocentric model

Geocentric Model Celestial Sphere

Ptolemy took the geocentric model a step further all planets and the sun travel in perfect circles around the Earth this theory was widely accepted for over 1500 years

Ptolemy’s Geocentric Model

Copernican Revolution In 1543, Polish astronomer, Copernicus developed the heliocentric model He stated that the sun was the center of the solar system Most people didn’t believe Copernicus

Copernicus & Galileo Galileo used the telescope to help prove the heliocentric theory He discovered four moons revolving around Jupiter The motions of those moons proved that everything in the sky does not revolve around the Earth Observations about Venus and the phases it goes through also supported the heliocentric model

Heliocentric Model

Orbital Patterns Copernicus was correct about the heliocentric model, but not the orbital patterns Planets do not travel in perfect circles around the sun There was no way to prove this using a telescope

Brahe and Kepler mathematicians who studied and recorded observations and positions of the planets for 20 years Brahe dies in 1601, Kepler continues the research Kepler studies the orbit of Mars He discovers the shape of an orbit is an ellipse (oval)

Modern Discoveries Satellites provide information Computers analyze information Space probes gather information as they pass through our solar system Rovers on Mars sent back pictures and data about the terrain and soil Spitzer, Hubble, Fermi and Chandra telescopes

Spirit & Opportunity

Mars Rovers

People to Live on Mars???? NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s Lack of oxygen and water will be a major problem Body must be protected by wearing space suits

Space Probes

Spitzer Telescope

Hubble Telescope

Fermi Telescope

Chandra Telescope

James Webb Telescope- 2018

New Discoveries There are new discoveries in science every day. Not only in space, but on our planet Earth and in the medical field. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will learn something new each day.