Observing the Solar System
Dec 30, 2015
Observing the Solar System
Greek Observations• Greek astronomers believed Earth to be the
center of the universe. This is known as a geocentric system.
The Copernican Revolution
• Copernicus thought that the sun is at the center of the system of planets. This system is called a heliocentric system.
Galileo's Evidence
• Galileo Galilei used the newly invented telescope to make discoveries that supported the heliocentric model.– Galileo saw 4 moons revolving around Jupiter,
proving not everything revolves around Earth.– Galileo saw Venus go through a series of
phases, which wouldn’t happen if it only circled around Earth.
Kepler’s Calculations
• Kepler, who was once the assistant to a successful astronomer that died before their research was complete, had concluded from his calculations that the orbit of each planet is an ellipse instead of a perfect circle.
Modern Discoveries
• Since Galileo’s time, we have discovered Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (which is no longer a planet).
• Today we know that the solar system consists of the sun, the planets and their moons, and several kinds of smaller objects that revolves around the sun.