Download Chapter 3

The Scientific Revolution (2011)
Chapter Three: The superlunar world (astronomy) [part one]
The following should guide your reading, note taking, & studying. Students who can
answer these questions in their own words without simply copying information from
notes will show their understanding of the chapter. Think about the big picture as you
read.
Big Picture Questions [39-52]:
1) How did scholars around 1500 view the structure of the universe (sub-lunar
versus super-lunar realms: Aristotle)?
2) What is the observational background [40-41] (motions, “fixed stars,” planets,
zodiac)? What is the historical background [41-47] (divine regularity,
mathematical model or physically real spheres)?
3) What are the main elements of Claudius Ptolemy’s astronomical model
(differences from Aristotle’s model)? What are the main parts of Copernicus’
heliocentric system & how was it published (role of the Church)?
4) Why was Copernicus afraid to publish & was it owing to fear he would be
charged with heresy? What factors convinced Copernicus of helio-centrism,
even without any observational evidence?
5) What was the reception of Copernicus’ On the Revolutions of the Heavenly
Orbs (accepted or rejected & why, moving earth)? How could one appreciate,
even use Copernicus’ system without believing it to be true (role of Osiander’s
preface)?
6) Why was there tension between mathematical models and physical systems of
astronomy (practical results linked with astrology over theory)?
Terms to Know (in alphabetical order) [39-52]:
 aither or ether
 Plato
 Andreas Osiander
 retrograde
 Cardinal Nicolaus Schönberg
 Rheticus
 epicycles
 Eudoxus
 Iba al-Haytham
 Nicolaus Copernicus
 stellar parallax
Big Picture Questions [52-58]:
1) What was the relationship between astronomy and astrology? How did ancient,
medieval, or early modern astrology differ from modern astrology?
2) What were the differing branches of astrology & what was the scholarly
consensus regarding astrology in the early modern period?
3) What significant observations did Tycho Brahe make of the heavens on the
island of Hven? What was Tycho’s new system?
4) What radical conclusions did Kepler reach using Tycho’s accumulated
observations? In what ways did Kepler’s astronomical thinking link to his
religious convictions?
5) How did theology provide the driving force for scientific inquiry in the early
modern period?
Terms to Know (in alphabetical order) [52-58]:
 anima motrix

 comets

 Cosmigraphic Mystery

 crystalline spheres

 Emperor Rudolf II

 equal area law

Holy Trinity
natal astrology
nova stella
Philip Melanchthon
Platonic solids
Uraniborg