Johannes Kepler
Astronomer, Mathematician, Astrologer
Role in the Scientific Revolution
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Explained the motion of planets and heavenly movements mathematically
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Three laws of planetary motion
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One of the first people to use what we now know of as the scientific method
What was their role in the Scientific Revolution?​
What did he discover/introduce?
Kepler introduced the 3 laws of planetary motion. They are:
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"Planets move around the Sun in ellipses, with the Sun at one focus"
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"The line connecting the Sun to a planet sweeps equal areas in equal times."
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"The square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube (3rd power) of the mean distance from the Sun
in (or in other words--of the"semi-major axis" of the ellipse, half the sum of smallest and greatest distance from the Sun)"
How did he make his discovery/introduce his thoughts?
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Used Brahe's observations of the night sky, after his death
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Discovered from this data mars orbited in an ellipse
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Finished the “Rudolphine Tables” which told of planetary positions at any time
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Published his first two laws in his book “Astronomía Nova” in 1609
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Published his last law in his book “Harmonices Mundi” 1619 ( The Harmony of the World)
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In “Epitome Astronomiae” he put all concepts together to explain the heliocentric universe mathematically
The Rudolphine Tables
Did he inspire other scientists?
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Isaac Newton
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Used Kepler’s work to add to his theory of universal gravitation
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Isaac Newton
What struggles did they face?
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Forced to either convert to Catholicism or be expelled from Austria
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Brahe had his own plans for his data, with very little interest in assisting Kepler's ideas
The sign of Christianity