Astronomy 2021A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, Apparent Retrograde Motion, Atomism
9 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Chapter 2 the science of life in the universe. Every day the sun rises in the east and sets in the west its precise path varying with the seasons. Stars circle the sky with different constellatinos prominent at different times of year. The moon goes through monthly phases from new to full and back again, while the planets gradually meander among the stars in seemingly mysterious ways. It would be natural to assume as the greek people did that the earth is flat motionless surmounted by a sky across which the heaven moves. Moons connection to the tides obvious to people living near the sea. Carful observations of the sky also served practical needs by enabling ancient peoples to keep track of the time and the seasons crucial requirements for agricultural societies. The development of science began with greek attempts to create models to explain observations of the heavens.
