heliocentricity
Sun at center
Heliocentricity is the quality of having the sun at the center—specifically, the astronomical model placing the sun rather than the earth at the center of the solar system.
The term appears in discussions of scientific history, particularly the shift from geocentric to heliocentric thinking associated with Copernicus and Galileo: The acceptance of heliocentricity revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.
Curved celestial path
- planetsStar-orbiting celestial bodies
- KeplerPlanetary motion law formulator
- GalileoRenaissance astronomer from Italy
- telescopeInstrument magnifying faraway objects
elliptical · parallax · celestial · ecliptic · gravity · astrophysics · cosmology · observatory
Treating our planet as center
- PtolemaicEarth-centered astronomical system
- CopernicusRenaissance astronomer, heliocentrism
- BraheRenaissance Danish astronomer
- epicyclesOrbits within orbits
deferent · sun-centered · celestial spheres · orbital mechanics · retrograde motion · scientific revolution
Profound spiritual awakening
- heresyBelief opposing official doctrine
- inquisitionSustained, probing investigation
- discoveryAct of finding something
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
rationalism · paradigm shift · scientific method · natural philosophy · Aristotelian · scholasticism · reformation · renaissance
orbit
Curved celestial path
- planetsStar-orbiting celestial bodies
- KeplerPlanetary motion law formulator
- GalileoRenaissance astronomer from Italy
telescope · elliptical · parallax · celestial · ecliptic · gravity · astrophysics · cosmology · observatory · solar system
geocentric
Treating our planet as center
- PtolemaicEarth-centered astronomical system
- CopernicusRenaissance astronomer, heliocentrism
- BraheRenaissance Danish astronomer
epicycles · deferent · sun-centered · celestial spheres · orbital mechanics · retrograde motion · scientific revolution
enlightenment
Profound spiritual awakening
- heresyBelief opposing official doctrine
- inquisitionSustained, probing investigation
- discoveryAct of finding something
empiricism · rationalism · paradigm shift · scientific method · natural philosophy · Aristotelian · scholasticism · reformation · renaissance · worldview