1571 – 1630
Johannes Kepler was an astronomer and mathematician and and a key contributor to the scientific revolution. Kepler worked for the best astronomical observer at the time, Tycho Brahe. Brahe’s detailed observations on the movement and positions of the planets would lead Kepler to new discoveries about the cosmos.
- He discovered that the orbits of the planets were elliptical not perfect circles as previously believed.
- Discovered that the planets travel faster when they are closest to the sun and slowest when they are furthest away.
- The amount of time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun is related to its distance from the sun.
- Kepler’s three laws are used today to calculate the orbits of newly discovered asteroids and comets along with the paths of our space crafts.
