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In 240 B.C.Eratosthenes was the first astronomer to accurately measure the circumference of the earth. He found that the circumference of the earth was 25,000 miles. Eratosthenes's discovery helped promote latitude and longitude and the idea of the equator to further help future scientists with mapping the world.
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In 150 C.E.Claudius Ptolemy came up with the idea of a geocentric model of outerspace. His geocentric model remained in place for hundreds of years with the sun and planets revolving around the earth. Eventually, his model was disproven by Copernicus with the heliocentric model. Although his model turned out to be wrong his knowledge of stars and astronomy was instrumental in devising a map that helped Europeans discover the new world.
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In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus was the first man to propose the heliocentric model for our solar system. Nicolaus's idea helped shape modern astronomy. During his time scientists still thought the earth was in the center. Nicolaus's discovery was the beginning of the scientific revolution. His discovery helped bring groundbreaking ideas to astronomy. Like the idea that all the planets have orbits. His theory also helped discover gravitational force many years later.
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In 1577 Tycho was able to observe a comet. With Tycho's precise measurements he was able to contradict the theory that the heavens never changed. He did this by observing that the comet orbited beyond the path of the moon. Tycho's discovery helped astronomers be more open to what could be out in space and help teach astronomers how to precisely calculate the heavens.
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In 1605 Johannes Kepler discovered that the earth and planets travel about the sun in elliptical orbits. His theory would help other astronomers learn the laws of planetary motion and help prove Copernicus's theory of the heliocentric model.
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Sir Issac Newton's contribution to astronomy in 1687 was the idea of the three laws of motion. The three laws of motion were astounding to science helping future scientists with the principles of universal gravitation. The laws of motion helped astronomers to understand that gravity is what keeps the planets rotating around the sun.
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Albert Einstein made incredible contributions to astronomy. One example of a contribution Einstein made in 1905 is the equivalence of mass and energy or (E=mc^2). Einstein's equation helped prove why stars shine. This equation helped in explaining nuclear fusion for future scientists.