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276 BCE
Eratosthenes
He made the first measurement of the size of earth. He invented a system of longitude and latitude and made a map of the known world. He also designed a system for finding prime numbers — whole numbers that can only be divided by themselves or by the number 1.255 BC Eratosthenes calculated the tilt of Earth's axis relative to the plane of its equator with good accuracy. He produced the first map of the world featuring meridian lines and parallel lines. -
100 BCE
Claudius Ptolemy
Ptolemy's most famous work is the Almagest, an astronomy textbook and star catalogue. The Almagest was a substantial, ambitious work
His work enabled astronomers to make accurate predictions of planetary positions and solar and lunar eclipses. 150 ce -
Feb 19, 1473
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer known as the father of modern astronomy. He was the first modern European scientist to propose that Earth and other planets revolve around the sun, or the Heliocentric Theory of the universe. 1508-1543 The Heliocentric theory is important because it it led to the advancement and accuracy in astronomical tools, both physical and mathematical and changed the way scientists understand the design of our solar system. -
Dec 14, 1546
Tycho Brahe
He developed astronomical instruments and in measuring and fixing the positions of stars paved the way for future discoveries. His work was between 1572 and 1577. -
Dec 27, 1571
Johannes Kepler
He discovered three laws of planetary motion 1. the planets move n elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus 2. the time necessary to traverse any arc of a planetary orbit is proportional to the area of the sector between the central body and that arc an 3. there is an exact relationship between the squares of the planets’ periodic times an the cubes of the radii. 1550-1631
His work today is important his work has been used to predict the orbits of many objects such as asteroids and comets -
Sir Issac Newton
Newton made discoveries in optics, motion and mathematics. 1672-1687
He listed 3 laws of motion. First Law
A stationary body will stay stationary unless an external force is applied to it. Second Law
Force is equal to mass times acceleration, and a change in motion (i.e., change in speed) is proportional to the force applied. Third Law
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. -
Albert Einstein
Einstein is best known for developing the theory of relativity, but he also made important contributions to the development of the theory of quantum mechanics. 1920's Albert Einstein is famous for devising his theory of relativity, which revolutionized our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe