ENSCI 1100 Science, Technology and Society

8.3. Learning Task 3.2: Copernicus and Galileo

You learned from the previous lesson that the geocentric model was the accepted idea about the
arrangement of heavenly bodies for more than a thousand of years. All observations about the motion of
planets and stars were explained based on this model.
By the 1500s, Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a new model of the solar system where the sun,
rather than the earth, is at the center. He started a scientific revolution. Other individuals, including
Galileo Galilei, contributed to this revolution. Find out about the works of Nicolaus Copernicus and
Galileo Galilei from this material: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/astronomy/chapter/the-birth-of-
modern-astronomy/. Here are some guide questions:
1. Why did Copernicus propose a new model?
2. How did Copernicus defend his model against the Ptolemaic system that was widely accepted at the
time?
3. Why did Copernicus fail to prove that the earth revolves around the sun?
4. What were the contributions of Galileo in proving the validity of the heliocentric model?
After reading the material, explain (250-300 words) the similarities and differences between the
geocentric and the heliocentric model and discuss how new observation (e.g. those made by Galileo) can
lead to changes in the way we view natural phenomena.

The similarities between geocentric and heliocentric model is that they were both created
by a Greek astronomer, these are the two ways to display the Universe and also, these models
contains the three main objects: the Earth, Sun, and the other planets. In addition, the difference
between them is that in geocentric model, the earth is said to be the center of the universe and
every other celestial bodies such as planets, moon, sun and stars rotates around the earth. While
on the other hand, in heliocentric model, the sun is considered as at the center of the universe and
not the earth because this model widely explained that the earth is just a planet and all the planets
is circle around the Sun.

Moreover, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) made crucial discoveries with the newly invented
telescope. His invention leads to many observations that is unexpectedly changed the way we
view natural phenomena. It includes (1) the observation of craters and mountains on the Moon
which showed that it had terrain like the earth. (2) The observation of sunspots which showed
that the sun was imperfect and rotating slowly. (3) The discovery of four moons of Jupiter which
showed that the earth was not the only center of motion. And of course, (4) the phases of Venus
which demonstrated decisively that the Venus is orbiting in the sun. All of those new
observations have made it possible for us to understand the natural phenomena explained by
science. Thanks to Galileo Galilei!