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Period: 240 BCE to 220 BCE
Eratosthenes
Came up with the longitude and latitude system and was also the first person to accurately measure the circumference of the Earth. This is basically played a big role in supporting how the Earth was round and not flat -
150
Claudius Ptolemy
Came up with a way to measure the distances of stars while on Earth. Also had an accurate depiction of planetary positions along with lunar and solar eclipses. This helped shape the way for a variety of discoveries up until the 17th centyry -
1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
Was the first European to propose that the Earth orbited around the sun and that it spun on its axis while doing so. This is important because his heliocentric model of the solar system is still being used to this day. -
Period: 1570 to 1580
Tycho Brahe
He had an accurate depiction and discovery of over 1000 stars. Also studied the solar system, saying that the orbit of a comet was beyond the moon. Overall, his studies contributed to knowing more of the stars -
Period: to
Johannes Kepler
Discovered the 3 laws of planetary motion. This helped us establish how the planets move in an elliptical orbit at different times and speeds. -
Sir Isaac Newton
Discovered the theory of universal gravitation, stating that things were being pulled down by gravity. This laid the foundation on more discoveries for gravity in the future -
Albert Einstein
He came up with the theory of general relativity, stating that the bigger an object was, the more it warped the space around it. This basically added on to what we knew about how gravity worked and why it was weaker or stronger depending on the planet or star.