I’ll begin with Kepler’s first two laws, and work backwards to Ptolemy’s system. Seeing Keplerian astronomy recast this way will expose the bones of the Ptolemaic system.
Deferents and Epicycles
Category Archives: Astronomy
From Kepler to Ptolemy 1
Quite some time ago I started writing up notes, for my own amusement, on the history of astronomy. I’ve worked on it on-an-off over the years, but there always seems to be a bit more I should add. Eventually the pdf version will be ready for prime time. Meanwhile I’ve decided to convert what I have into a series of posts. Enjoy!
Selections from the History of Astronomy
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Armillary Sphere, Facade of Santa Maria Novella (Wikimedia Commons)
Another post from the History Book Club, this time based on three books:
- To Explain the World: The Discovery of Modern Science, by Steven Weinberg.
- The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as Solar Observatories, by J.L. Heilbron.
- The Composition of Kepler’s Astronomia Nova, by James Voelkel.
Filed under Astronomy, History Book Club
Diagonal Argument 