scientists

By birdjos000
  • 240 BCE

    eratosthenes

    Eratosthenes: Astronomical Discovery: Calculated the Earth's circumference using the angle of the Sun's rays at different locations.
    Year/Date Range: Around 240 BCE.
    Importance: Eratosthenes' measurement of the Earth's circumference was a remarkable achievement in ancient times. It provided a valuable estimate of the Earth's size and contributed to the development of geography and cartography.
  • 101 BCE

    ptolemy

    Claudius Ptolemy: Astronomical Discovery: Proposed the geocentric model, which placed Earth at the center of the universe with the planets and Sun orbiting around it.
    Year/Date Range: 2nd century CE
    Importance: Ptolemy's geocentric model was influential for centuries and served as the dominant cosmological model during the medieval period. While later disproven, his work had a significant impact on astronomy and provided a basis for later astronomical theories and observations.
  • 1543

    copernicus

    Nicolaus Copernicus: Astronomical Discovery: Proposed the heliocentric model, suggesting that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun.
    Year/Date Range: 1543
    Importance: Copernicus' heliocentric model challenged the prevailing geocentric view, initiating the Copernican Revolution and paving the way for a more accurate understanding of the solar system.
  • 1572

    tycho

    Tycho Brahe: Astronomical Discovery: Accurate and extensive observations of celestial objects, including the supernova of 1572.
    Year/Date Range: 1572 (Tycho's Supernova).
    Importance: Tycho Brahe's meticulous observations provided crucial data for later astronomers, including his student Johannes Kepler, who used these observations to develop his laws of planetary motion.

  • kelper

    Johannes Kepler: Astronomical Discovery: Formulated three laws of planetary motion, known as Kepler's Laws.
    Year/Date Range: 1609-1619
    Importance: Kepler's Laws revolutionized our understanding of planetary motion and laid the foundation for Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation. They provided a mathematical description of how planets move, explaining their elliptical orbits and the relationship between their orbital periods and distances from the Sun.

  • newton

    Sir Isaac Newton: Astronomical Discovery: Developed the law of universal gravitation, explaining the motion of celestial bodies.
    Year/Date Range: 1687
    Importance: Newton's law of universal gravitation brought celestial and terrestrial mechanics together, explaining not only the motions of planets but also the motion of objects on Earth.

  • einstein

    Albert Einstein: Astronomical Discovery: Prediction and explanation of the gravitational bending of light by massive objects, known as gravitational lensing.
    Year/Date Range: 1915
    Importance: Einstein's theory of general relativity revolutionized our understanding of gravity and provided a new framework for studying the universe. The prediction and subsequent confirmation of gravitational lensing supported the theory and had significant implications for observational astronomy.