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Period: 276 BCE to 195 BCE
Eratosthenes
Using the sun, he measured the Earth as round rather than the flat Earth it was commonly thought of. This is important because it helped set the framework for the measurements and knowledge of our round Earth today. -
Period: 90 to 168
Claudius Ptolemy
Ptolemy measured and predicted the movement of the planets. This work was important to the development of astronomy through applying math to calculate the movement of celestial bodies. -
Period: 1500 to 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
Proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system. This is important because it revealed a more accurate way that our Universe functions and allowed for further accurate discoveries to be produced by future astronomers. -
Period: 1569 to
Tycho Brahe
Made accurate measurements of celestial bodies within one arc minute. This is important because such accurate measurements helped other astronomers make more correct predictions, as is the case for Tycho’s assistant’s discoveries, Johannes Kepler. -
Period: to
Johannes Kepler
Using Tycho’s accurate measurements, he discovered that planets orbited in ellipses and devised 3 laws to explain planetary orbit. His discovery helped to further solidify the accurate heliocentric theory as well as set the foundations for the theory of gravity. -
Period: to
Sir Isaac Newton
Newton developed the 3 laws of motion from his discovery of the force of gravity. These laws are important because gravity and forces of motion affect every aspect of daily life. -
Period: to
Albert Einstein
Einstein created the theory of relativity which explained things like space-time and that the rules of physics apply to all of the Universe. This helped to broaden physicist’s ideas of the Universe and explain certain phenomena that occurred in space.