Changing ideas about the solar system

Changing ideas about the solar system

1. Geocentric model

   • The belief that the sun, moon and stars orbited the earth in perfect circles
   • accepted model from the time of the ancient Greeks to the 1500's
     • In 1610, Galileo proved that this model was incorrect
       • Galileo observed that three 'stars' were in a line near Jupiter. He then saw a fourth 'star' and saw they seemed to be orbiting Jupiter. These were in fact moons and proved the geocentric model was wrong.

2. Heliocentric model

   • This model states that all planets including the earth orbit the sun
   • Copernicus challenged the geocentric model in a book published in 1543
     • He suggested that many astronomical observation could be explained without the geocentric model
     • Galileo's observations were the most convincing eveidence to support this theory
   • model wasn't very popular and was condemned by the church

3. The modern model of the solar system

   • The planets orbit the sun in elliptical orbits

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