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Astronomy > Unit 4: Medieval and Renaissance Astronomy > Flashcards

Unit 4: Medieval and Renaissance Astronomy Flashcards

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1
Q

Who was Tycho Brahe and what was his contribution to astronomy?

A

Danish nobleman and astronomer known for precise sky observations and the Tychonic system.

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2
Q

What significant change happened to Tycho Brahe’s status in 1597?

A

The new Danish king reduced noble estates

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3
Q

What position did Tycho Brahe hold in Prague?

A

Imperial Mathematician and Astrologer to King Rudolf II.

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4
Q

Who was Johannes Kepler?

A

German mathematician and astronomer; developed planetary motion laws and believed in a geometric universe.

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5
Q

How did Kepler’s upbringing differ from Tycho’s?

A

Kepler came from poverty

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6
Q

What happened shortly after the Tychonic system was published in 1588?

A

The King of Denmark died—Tycho lost his strongest supporter.

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7
Q

Why did Tycho move to Prague?

A

His estate income was cut

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8
Q

Why did King Rudolf II hire Tycho?

A

To create astrological tables predicting the future using planetary positions.

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9
Q

Why did Tycho want to work with Kepler?

A

He needed a better mathematician to geometrically model his observational data.

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10
Q

How did Kepler become a math professor?

A

He was called to replace a deceased professor after gaining fame for mathematical talent.

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11
Q

What was Kepler’s view of geometry?

A

He believed it was divine

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12
Q

What discovery did Kepler make using an equilateral triangle?

A

The circle ratio (outer to inner) was 2.13—matching Jupiter/Saturn orbit ratios.

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13
Q

What did Kepler discover about the square and planetary spacing?

A

Its circle ratio matched Mars/Earth orbit ratios.

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14
Q

Why did Kepler switch from 2D to 3D shapes?

A

He couldn’t match all orbit ratios with 2D shapes and realized 3D solids might fit better.

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15
Q

What are the five perfect solids?

A

Tetrahedron

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16
Q

Why did Kepler connect perfect solids to planets?

A

There were 5 solids and 5 spaces between the 6 known planets—he saw this as divine.

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17
Q

What was Kepler’s main early book?

A

The Cosmic Mystery.

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18
Q

Why did Kepler believe the heliocentric model must be correct?

A

Only the heliocentric model included Earth as a planet—matching the five perfect solids to orbit gaps.

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19
Q

What famous quote did Kepler say about geometry and God?

A

Geometry existed before the creation… is co-eternal with the mind of God… is God himself.

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20
Q

What did Kepler believe about how the universe was structured?

A

That it was designed using perfect geometric laws—reflections of divine order.

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21
Q

How close were Kepler’s perfect solid predictions to Copernicus’ orbit measurements?

A

Very close—except for Saturn

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22
Q

Why is Kepler’s five solid model ultimately invalid?

A

There are eight planets

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23
Q

Why is Kepler’s discovery historically significant?

A

It convinced him early on that the Copernican heliocentric model was true.

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24
Q

What religious movement began in 1517 and who started it?

A

The Protestant Reformation, started by Martin Luther with the 95 Theses.

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25
What was the Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation?
The Catholic Reformation, an effort to reunite Christians under the Catholic Church.
26
What major religious conflict affected Kepler's life and career?
Kepler was a Protestant in a Catholic region, leading to a teaching ban and his move to Prague.
27
Why did Kepler move to Prague?
To escape religious persecution and work under Rudolf II, who supported science regardless of religion.
28
How did Kepler and Tycho Brahe meet?
They met in Prague around 1600, and Kepler became Tycho’s assistant despite differing models of the universe.
29
What model of the universe did Tycho Brahe support?
The Tychonic system, a hybrid geocentric-heliocentric model.
30
What model of the universe did Kepler support?
The heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus.
31
What was the common ground between Kepler and Tycho?
Both valued accurate data and mathematics to guide scientific conclusions.
32
What caused Tycho Brahe's death according to Kepler?
A bladder infection from not relieving himself during a long banquet.
33
What suspicion arose after Tycho's death?
That Kepler poisoned him to gain access to his data and instruments.
34
What was found in Tycho’s remains during the 1990s exhumation?
Lethal levels of mercury in his beard.
35
What alternative explanation exists for Tycho's mercury exposure?
He may have self-medicated with mercury due to his interest in alchemy.
36
Who was William Gilbert?
An English scientist and physician to Queen Elizabeth I, known for his work on magnetism.
37
What was Gilbert’s major discovery?
That Earth is a giant magnet with a magnetic field like a bar magnet.
38
What book did Gilbert publish in 1600?
On the Magnet.
39
How did Gilbert’s ideas influence Kepler?
Kepler theorized that celestial bodies, including the Sun, might be magnets driving planetary motion.
40
How did Galileo react to Kepler’s magnetic theory?
He criticized it as akin to occult beliefs or dark magic.
41
What concept did Kepler correctly identify despite not knowing the full explanation?
That the Sun drives planetary motion, which helped him discover the laws of planetary motion.
42
What force was later discovered to be responsible for planetary motion?
Gravitational force, as described by Isaac Newton about 100 years later.
43
What realization helped Kepler build the correct planetary model?
That the Sun drives planetary motion and isn't exactly at the center of the orbit.
44
Why does the Sun appear to move faster across the sky in northern winter?
Because Earth is closer to the Sun, making the Sun appear to move faster across the sky.
45
What did Kepler infer about a planet's speed based on its distance from the Sun?
Planets speed up when closer to the Sun and slow down when further away.
46
Why did Kepler reject the idea of perfect circular orbits?
They didn’t match Tycho’s observational data, especially for Mars.
47
What shape did Kepler find planetary orbits to follow?
Ellipses, not perfect circles.
48
What is Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion?
Planets orbit the Sun in ellipses, with the Sun at one focus.
49
What is an ellipse?
A stretched circle with two focus points, defining its shape.
50
What term describes how elongated an ellipse is?
Eccentricity (e), from 0 (circle) to 1 (line).
51
What is the semi-major axis?
Half of the longest diameter of an ellipse; used like a radius to define orbit size.
52
What is Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary Motion?
Planets sweep out equal areas in equal time intervals, moving faster when closer to the Sun.
53
What is 'perihelion'?
The point in a planet's orbit where it is closest to the Sun.
54
What is 'aphelion'?
The point in a planet's orbit where it is farthest from the Sun.
55
How much does Earth’s speed change between perihelion and aphelion?
About 2,000 km/h, from 108,000 to 106,000 km/h.
56
How much does Mars’s speed change between perihelion and aphelion?
About 16,000 km/h, from 95,000 to 79,000 km/h.
57
Why didn’t Mercury’s orbit match Kepler’s laws precisely?
Its data was less accurate and later shown to be influenced by general relativity.
58
What natural law explains Mercury’s slight deviation from Kepler’s laws?
Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
59
What book did Kepler publish to present his first two laws?
*Astronomia Nova* (The New Astronomy), published in 1609.
60
Why did Kepler’s elliptical model match Tycho’s data better than circular models?
It accounted for changing speeds and elliptical orbits, matching observed planetary motion.
61
What book did Kepler publish his third law in?
Harmony of the Worlds (1619)
62
What concepts did Kepler explore in 'Harmony of the Worlds'?
The relationship between geometry, musical harmony, and planetary spacing.
63
Why did Kepler abandon the idea of perfect solids defining planetary spacing?
Perfect solids only fit in spheres, not elliptical orbits defined by his first two laws.
64
What unit did Kepler use to describe planetary motion in 'Harmony of the Worlds'?
Frequency (orbits per year)
65
How did Kepler connect music and planetary motion?
He compared planetary orbital frequencies to musical frequencies and harmonies.
66
What did Kepler discover about adjacent planets' orbital frequencies?
They produced harmonious musical intervals, except between Mars and Jupiter.
67
What did Kepler hypothesize about the dissonance between Mars and Jupiter?
There might be a missing or destroyed planet between them.
68
What is actually found between Mars and Jupiter?
The asteroid belt, possibly remnants of a failed planet.
69
What is Kepler’s Third Law?
P² = a³, where P is orbital period in years and a is semi-major axis in AU.
70
What does Kepler’s Third Law tell us?
The time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is related to its average distance from the Sun.
71
Why is Kepler’s Third Law significant?
It applies to all objects orbiting the Sun and accurately predicts their motion.
72
What are the Rodolphe Tables?
Kepler’s published planetary coordinate tables, based on his three laws.
73
How accurate were Kepler’s Rodolphe Tables?
Accurate to within 10 arc seconds, far superior to earlier models.
74
Did Kepler’s accurate laws convince people to accept heliocentrism?
No, many used his tables while still believing in a geocentric universe.
75
What modern instrument was named after Kepler?
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, launched in 2009 to find exoplanets.
76
Why was NASA's Kepler telescope aptly named?
It studied exoplanet orbits using Kepler’s laws, which apply universally.

Astronomy (7 decks)

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