-
Scientists that furthered our understanding of the stars.
-
used the sun and mathematics to calculate the size of the Earth (which he, like us, recognized as round) and was close to the measurement we have today. -
Created the Ptolemaic system, the model of the solar system that was used for 1,500 years until a superior model was devised. -
Devised the Heliocentric model of the universe as a theory in 1514. By 1532 he had observed and calculated enough begin writing about his theory. His discovery reshaped the face of astronomy and science as a whole and began a scientific revolution. -
Discovered the variation of the Moon's longitude and a more accurate measure for the oscillations of the Moon on its orbital plane. -
Developed what we today call Kepler's three laws. The three laws revolve around his discovery that planets have an elliptical orbit around the sun, not a circular one. His work has shaped modern astronomy by giving us information that we today view as basic such as the elliptical orbits of planets. His work also provided the foundation for Isaac Newton to make his discovery of universal gravitation.
-
Discovered the law of universal gravitation otherwise known as gravity. This discovery has shaped our understanding of astronomy and physics because it allows us to more accurately understand the reason why thing such the celestial bodies move. -
Devises the general theory of relativity which shows how space and time are distorted by gravity. This has added to our understanding of gravity and the universe at large.