Astronomer is a person interested in cosmic processes and phenomena. What does it mean to be an astronomer? Who was the first to ask questions about the mysteries of the sky? Learn about the first and great astronomers in our article.
Astronomer is…
People have always been interested in what is hidden high above the clouds and how everything works there, in interstellar space. An astronomer is a person who is called upon not only to ask these questions, but also to answer them. This is a specialist in astronomy - the science of the universe, all the processes and relationships that occur in it. And for this it is necessary to have patience, observation, and most importantly - significant knowledge in various fields of science. Therefore, an astronomer is first and foremost a scientist.
Professional astronomers must have knowledge of physics, mathematics, and sometimes chemistry. They work in research centers and observatories, analyzing information about cosmic bodies, their movements and other phenomena, which they receive from their own observations, satellite data, using various instruments. This profession includes narrower specializations, for example, planetologist, astrophysicist, astrochemist,cosmologist.
First astronomers
Watching the night sky, people noticed that the pattern on it changes depending on the seasons. Then they realized that earthly and heavenly processes are interconnected, and began to unravel their secret. The first known astronomers were the Sumerians and Babylonians. They learned how to predict lunar eclipses and measure the paths of the planets by recording observations on clay tablets.
Egyptians back in the 4th century BC. e. began to divide the sky into constellations and guess by the heavenly bodies. In ancient China, all the amazing phenomena such as comets, eclipses, meteors, new stars were diligently noted. The comet was first mentioned in 631 BC. There were few successes in ancient India, although in the 5th century an Indian astronomer established that the planets rotate around their axis.
The Incas, Maya, Celtic Druids, ancient Greeks were engaged in observing the stars and planets. The latter poured out both correct and ridiculous theories and assumptions. For example, the Pole of the Earth was far from the North Star, and morning and evening Venus were considered different stars. Although some were quite accurate, for example, Aristarchus of Samos believed that the Sun was larger than the Earth and believed in heliocentrism. Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the earth and the inclination of the ecliptic to the equator.
The Copernican Revolution
Nicholas Copernicus is an astronomer who is considered one of the pioneers of the scientific revolution. Before him, in the Middle Ages, astronomers basically adjusted their observations to the geocentric system of Ptolemy adopted by the church and society. Although individualpersonalities, like Nicholas of Cusa or Georg Purbach, nevertheless put forward worthy hypotheses and calculations, scientific reasoning was rather abstract.
In On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres, published in 1543, Copernicus proposes a heliocentric model. According to this, the Sun is the star around which the Earth and other planets move. This hypothesis was supported in ancient Greece, but all these were just assumptions.
Copernicus provided clear arguments and logical conclusions in his work. His idea was further developed by many great astronomers such as Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei, Kepler, Newton. Not all of his thoughts were correct. So, Copernicus believed that the orbits of the planets are circular, the Universe is limited by the solar system, but his work turned the previous scientific ideas of the world.
Galileo Galilei
An invaluable contribution to astronomical science was made by Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer, physicist, mathematician and philosopher. One of his most famous accomplishments is the invention of the telescope. A scientist has created the world's first optical device with lenses to observe the sky.
Thanks to the telescope, a physicist-astronomer has determined that the surface of the Moon is not smooth, as previously thought. Found that there are spots on the Sun, the clouds of the Milky Way are numerous dim stars, and several planets revolve around Jupiter.
Galileo was an ardent supporter of the theories of Copernicus. He was convinced that the Earth revolves not only aroundSun, but also around its axis, which causes the ebb and flow of the ocean. This was the cause of many years of struggle with the church.
The telescope was declared defective, and blasphemous ideas were wrong. Before the Inquisition, Galileo was forced to retract his arguments. It is he who is credited with the famous phrase that he allegedly uttered later: “And yet it spins!”
Johannes Kepler
Scientist-astronomer Johannes Kepler believed that astronomy is the answer to the mysteries of the secret connection between the cosmos and man. He used his knowledge to predict the weather and crops. He also supported the ideas of Copernicus, thanks to which he was able to advance even further in scientific achievements.
Kepler managed to explain the apparent unevenness of the motion of the planets, based on the three laws he derived. He introduced the concept of orbits, the shape of which he defined as an ellipse. The scientist also derived an equation that allows you to calculate the position of celestial bodies.
All scientific views of Kepler were combined with mysticism. Like the Pythagoreans, he was of the opinion that there was a special harmony in the movement of cosmic bodies and tried to find its numerical value. Fascinated by the secret meaning, he somewhat compromised his scientific achievements, which were ultimately quite accurate.
