A Revolution in Science Copernicus and Galileo

Nicolas Copernicus  Born in Poland in 1473 to a rich merchant  Priest, philosopher, doctor, and mathematician  Loyal Catholic

Astronomical Problems  The Church realized Julian calendar was wrong  Easter was not falling on the right day.  Copernicus becomes dissatisfied with the accepted model of the solar system.

Geocentric Solar System

Ptolemy’s Errors Pile Up For 1300 years the Church thought the Earth was at the center of the heavens. By Copernicus’s time, the calendar was 10 days off.

Star-Gazing to Determine the Length of a Year

On the Revolution of the Heavenly Bodies  Some Greeks had different ideas than Ptolemy.  Copernicus comes up with a heliocentric solar system and publishes it.  Helios = Gk. the Sun

Luther and Calvin Disagree  Joshua makes the sun stand still in the sky.  Psalm 93: “He has made the world firm…” They claimed the Bible didn’t support his findings:

Publication of Copernicus’s Findings Despite Protestant foes, Copernicus published his findings with the blessing of Pope Clement VII. Another Medici!

Death of Copernicus  Publishes On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies in 1543  Copernicus died in that same year.  His legacy would endure….

Galileo: The Father of Modern Science  That legacy continues with Galileo….  b. 1564, in Pisa, Italy  Astronomer and mathematician  Supported heliocentric solar system

Galileo’s Pendulating Predestination:  Cathedral lamp fascinated him with its motion.  Devoted his life to the study of math & science  Went to the University of Padua, where Copernicus studied

Falling Bodies  Legend: Galileo dropped 2 objects of different weights from the Tower of Pisa.  Aristotle had claimed the heavier one would fall faster.  Galileo disagreed.

From Earthly to Heavenly Bodies…  Developed telescope  Confirmed Copernicus’s theory of a Sun-centered Solar System  Doge of Venice & Galileo (to right):

Galileo’s Telescopic Discoveries  Discovered 4 of Jupiter’s moons (from top to bottom):  Io  Europa  Ganymede  Callisto

1616—Before the Roman Inquisition Chief Theologian condemns Galileo’s ideas.

Keeping a Low Profile  After the Inquisition, Galileo kept quiet.  He kept working though.  1632: Published Dialogue on the Two Chief Systems of the World—Ptolemaic and Copernican

Inquisition Round 2—1633 Church condemned the Dialogue… and forced Galileo to recant. Legend: Galileo said under his breath, “And yet it moves…”

Galileo’s Legacy  In 1989, NASA sent out an unmanned spaceship to study Jupiter and its moons.  They named it Galileo.  It found ice on Ganymede.