Aristarchus of Samos

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Now pay attention, kids. This will blow your minds!

Aristarchus was a third century BCE Greek philosopher. He first proposed that the planets of the Solar system orbit the sun. [1]

Aristarchus tried to measure the sizes of the moon and the sun using geometric calculations. Though his measuring instruments were unable to provide accurate results, he still figured out that the sun is very much larger and further from Earth than the moon, and hypothesized that the smaller Earth orbits the larger sun. Ancient authors unanimously state that Aristarchus first developed heliocentrism.

[edit] Reactions

Aristarchus's findings challenged the dominant geocentric model, causing resistance to his ideas. Cleanthes indicted Aristarchus for "putting in motion the hearth of the universe." [2]

Aristarchus had a small following including Seleucus of Babylon but the theory of Aristarchus remained unpopular. Instead, Aristotelian and Ptolemaic geocentric ideas dominated science for a very long time.

In 1514, nearly two millennia later, Copernicus took up heliocrentrism originally citing Aristarchus. [3] Galileo, Kepler and Newton developed heliocentrism further.

Today some recognise Aristarchus as a pioneer in astronomy though later heliocentrists are much better known. Greece named an astronomical telescope after Aristarchus. [4]

[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

  1. The Latinized version, "Aristarchus" is more common among English speakers than the original Greek name, "Aristarchos."
  2. Aristarchus of Samos, the Ancient Copernicus
  3. Aristarchus of Samos
  4. Aristarchos Telescope
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