Ancient Astronomers Timetoast Timeline

Claudius Ptolemy

170

Astronomical Discovery - He wrote the Almagest. This book catallogued over 100 stars, it also had a mathematical model predicting the movement of the planets. He based the universe around earth.
Year that it occured - about 150
Reason the discovery was important - It enabled astronomers to make accurate predictions of planetery positions and solar and lunar eclipses.
Birth and Death Ad 100 - 170

Eratosthenes

195

Astronomical Discovery - He was the first person that figured out how to calculate the circumfrence of the earth. He was also the first to calculate the lift of earth's axis.
He invented the armillary sphere to model objects in the sky.
Year it occured - 255 BC
Reason the discovery is important - The armillary sphere was used by other scientists to map and model many things in space.
Birth and Death - 276 BC - 195 BC

Nicolaus Copernicus

Jan 1, 1543

Astronomical Discovery - He proposed that the earth revolved around the sun. He published De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium that explained his theory.
Year it occured - Book was written in 1543 when he was dying.
Reason the discovery is important - If changed the way scientists viewed the solar system.
Birth and Death - 1473 - 1543

Tycho Brahe

Jan 1, 1572

Tycho Brahe
Astronomical discover - He developed astronomical instruments that measured the positions of stars.
He discovered the new star in Cassiopeia.
Year that it occured -1572
Reason the discovery is important -
His discovery proved that a star can change.
His instruments led to the invention offuture instruments.
Birth and Death of scientist - 12/14/1546 10/24/1601

Johannes Kepler

Jan 1, 1630

Astronomical Discovery - Detirmined that the planets travel around the sun in ellipses. He calculated 3 laws, involving motions of planets.
Year that it occured - He published his first planetary law in 1609, along with his second law that states that planets do not travel at the same rates throughout their orbits. Reason the discovery is important - Keplers 3 laws are still used to describe the movement of planets in their orbits.
Birth and death - 1571 - 1630

Sir Isaac Newton

Mar 20, 1726

Astronomical Discovery - He formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation. He built the first telescope. He made the first calculation for the speed of sound.
Year that it occured - Telescope 1668
Reason the discovery is important - people all over the world use telescopes to study and observe space.
Birth and Death - 12/25/1642 - 3/20/1726

Albert Einstein

Apr 18, 1955

Astronomical Discovery - He devloped the general theories of relativity. He explained the photo electric effect. He also contributed to the theory of quntum mechanics.
Year that it occured - 1921 and 1905
Reason the discovery was important-
His discovery are still used today to explain and predict scientific theories. His discoveries led scientists to understand new ways to look at energy, matter, gravity, space, and time.
Birth and Death - 3/14/1879 - 4/18/1955