AE 313 Space Mechanics

A Brief History
Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy)
The Almagest
Earth-centered Universe
Based on Babylonian
observations
Motion comprised of
perfect circles: deferent
and epicycles
Ptolemy on the Web
85 - 165
Nicholas Copernicus
Heliocentric model
Simply rearranged
Ptolemys system
(epicycles had 1 year
periods)
Replaced epicycles with
single circles
Copernicus on the Web
1473 - 1543
Tycho Brahe
Danish nobleman &
Party Animal
Duel
Death
Maintained the Geocentric
view (Tychonian system)
Eclipse Astronomy
Extensive systematic
observations
Planetary parallax
Brahe on the Web
1546 - 1601
Galileo Galilee
Italian physicist, of the scientific
revolution
Invented telescope
Observed lunar craters
Discovered the 4 Galilean moons of
Jupiter
Disproved center of motion cannot be
in motion
Trouble with the Inquisition over
Dialogue on the Two Great World
Systems
Salvati, Sagreto, Simplicito
Simplicito: Respected commentator on
Aristotle, but means idiot in Italian
Galileo on the Web
1564 - 1642
Johannes Kepler
German Astronomer,
Imperial Mathematician
Assistant to Tycho Brahe
Keplers Laws
Planets: Elliptic orbits
Equal areas in equal times

Successfully predicted transit
of Venus
Kepler on the Web
1571 - 1630
2
2 3
4
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Isaac Newton
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia
Mathematica
Law of Gravitation
Laws of Motion (derived Keplers Laws)
Invented calculus (so did Leibnitz)
Doctorate in 1668 contained none of
these!
Theory of Color poor reviews
19 years later, Halley published at own
expense
Others: momentum, binomial theorem,
contributions to fluid mechanics
Newton on the Web
1642 - 1727