This course traces the development of man’s understanding of motion and gravitation, starting with the earliest astronomical observations of pre-Greek civilizations, and culminating in the achievements of Isaac Newton. How did mankind progress from a state of total ignorance about the stars, planets, Sun, and Moon to our first scientific understanding of these bodies and the laws that govern their behavior?
When ancient man looked up at the night sky, he had no clue what he was seeing; the bright objects that circled the earth over days and seasons were a total mystery. How did mankind progress from that state of ignorance to our modern understanding of the stars, planets, Sun, and Moon—and to the laws of motion and gravitation that govern their behavior?
This course will trace the development of this understanding from the earliest astronomical observations of pre-Greek civilizations, up through the scientific revolution of the 17th century, and culminating in the unprecedented achievements of Isaac Newton.
Beginning with pre-scientific observational astronomy, we’ll explore the facts that were known to ancient civilizations about the motions of celestial bodies. We’ll then discuss the birth of science in Ancient Greece and the earliest astronomical models, developed by Eudoxus and Aristotle. We’ll cover the development of Greek and Hellenistic astronomy from Aristarchus and Eratosthenes through Hipparchus and Ptolemy. Finally, we’ll explore the Copernican revolution and the birth of modern science in the work of Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton.
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