1. Geocentric vs.

Heliocentric
a. Geo – earth was at the center and stationary
i. Ptolemy – interpreted retrograde motion as a real motion as a planet moved
along an epicycle and deferent
1. Made is extremely complex
b. Helio – sun is at the center and the earth rotations on its axis
i. Copernicus – retrograde motion is an illusion because the earth (with a smaller
orbit) over takes mars in its orbit
1. Less complicated explanation
2. However still some problems with Copernicus
a. Held on to ideas from the Greeks
i. Perfectly circular orbits
ii. Planets move at a constant speed
2. Contributions of Greek Astronomers
a. Earth and moon where spheres
i. Explained lunar phases and eclipses correctly
ii. Knew the moon was illuminated by the sun
b. Measured the earth’s diameter
c. Measured and catalogued brightness of stars
d. Discovered precession – the wobble of the earth on its axis
e. Aristarchus proposed a heliocentric model but it never caught on
i. They observed no stellar parallax – a test to determine if the heliocentric model
was accurate
1. Too small for them to observe without a telescope
3. The orbit of the moon is tilted by 5 degrees
4. Lunar and solar eclipse