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Period: 276 BCE to 195 BCE
Eratosthenes
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240 BCE
Eratosthenes' Measurement of Earth
Eratosthenes' is most famous for his accurate measurement of the Earth. This is important because it shows the combination of math and physics in astronomy. -
Period: 100 to 170
Claudius Ptolemy
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150
Ptolemy's Geocentric Model
Ptolemy created a geocentric model of the solar system showing that Earth was at the center. This is important because it was the way the solar system was observed for hundreds of years. -
Period: Feb 19, 1473 to May 24, 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
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1514
Copernicus' Heliocentric Model
Copernicus creates his heliocentric model of the solar system. This is important because it changed the theory from the Earth being the center to the Sun. -
Period: Dec 14, 1546 to
Tycho Brache
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Period: Dec 27, 1571 to
Johannes Kepler
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1572
Brache's Star Discovery
Brache discovered a new star. This is important because he used the next 15 years to create better instruments to better measure stars. -
Kepler's Laws of Motion
Kepler released the first two of 3 laws of motion: that planets have elliptical orbits and they travel at different speeds throughout their orbits. This is important because it changed the view of orbits from circles to ellipticals. -
Period: to
Sir Issac Newton
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Newton's Laws of Motion
Newton's 3 laws of motion are released. This is important because it built upon Kepler's laws and helped explain gravitational forces. -
Period: to
Albert Einstein
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Einstein's General Relativity
Einstein began working on general relativity. This is important because it helps us understand black holes.