O geocentrism It is a theory that holds that the planet Earth is positioned at the center of the Universe. According to this model, the Moon, the Sun and the other celestial bodies revolved around the Earth in concentric circles. The theory of geocentrism was conceived in the Ancient Greece, but had Claudius Ptolemy as its main exponent. Geocentrism was the most accepted theory to explain the order of the Universe until, at least, the sixteenth century, when it gained strength the heliocentrism.
Read too: Big Bang — the theory describing the origin of the Universe
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary on geocentrism
- 2 - What did geocentrism say?
- 3 - Origin of geocentrism
- 4 - Differences between geocentrism and heliocentrism
- 5 - Geocentrism and the Catholic Church
- 6 - Who was Claudius Ptolemy?
- 7 - Solved exercises on geocentrism
Abstract about geocentrism
Geocentrism was a theory that said that the Earth was at the center of the Universe and that all stars and stars — including the Sun — orbited it.
It was debated by ancient Greek thinkers such as Aristotle and Eudoxus of Cnidus.
The astronomer, mathematician and geographer Claudius Ptomoleu perfected the geocentric model, which, for this reason, is also known as the Ptolemaic model.
It was a widely accepted model for approximately 1500 years, having even been incorporated by the Catholic Church.
What did geocentrism say?
Also called the Ptolemaic model, the theoretical model of geocentrism held that the planet Earth was positioned at the center of the Universe and that all the stars and stars, including the Sun, orbited it.
In addition to the positioning of the Earth, geocentrism established that the planet was stationary, that is, that it did not make any kind of movement: neither around its own axis, nor around the Sun. Another point addressed by the geocentric model was that the stars were distributed over nine concentric spheres and moved at uniform speed.
From the sphere closest to Earth to the most distant, the position of planets, satellites and stars would be the following, according to geocentrism:
Moon;
Mercury;
Venus;
Sun;
Mars;
Jupiter;
Saturn.
The sphere external to the planet Saturn would be the one in which the other stars of the Universe were located, moving at a much slower speed than Earth and other planets and bodies heavenly.
For about 1500 years this was the main accepted theory. to explain the ordering of the cosmos and the dynamics between celestial bodies. It was only in the 16th century that the so-called Copernican Revolution transformed the way of understanding the Universe with the advent of heliocentrism.
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Origin of geocentrism
The behavior of celestial bodies has always been the object of study by ancient thinkers, and their organization in the Universe was already discussed by the ancient Greeks, as Anaximander, Plato It is Aristotle.
One of the first astronomerss The systematize a geocentric cosmological model was Eudoxus of Cnidus (approx. 395 a. c.-355 a. C.), who believed that the stars, the Sun and the other planets were arranged in spheres around the Earth.
It was Claudius Ptolemy, Egyptian astronomer and geographer, who perfected the theory of geocentrism and became the main reference when we talk about this model of the Universe. His ideas about geocentrism were published in the work almagest, dating from the 2nd century CE.
The Ptolemaic Model was widely accepted until the Middle Ages, as we shall see, but it was questioned in the mid-16th century by Nicolaus Copernicus, who conceived the heliocentric model or theory of heliocentrism.
Differences between geocentrism and heliocentrism
Geocentrism and heliocentrism are two cosmological models that differ from each other in several respects. Understand what these differences are:
Geocentrism: postulates that the Earth is at the center of the Universe. The other celestial bodies, including the Sun, orbit the planet and are arranged in concentric spheres. We work with the notion of a finite Universe.
Heliocentrism: postulates that the Sun is at the center of the Universe. Later, it was agreed that the Sun is at the center of the Solar system. All planets and stars revolve around it, being part of an infinite Universe.
See too: Exoplanets — planets that exist outside our Solar System
Geocentrism and the Catholic Church
The geocentric theory was adopted by the Catholic Church, becoming the only one accepted during the Middle Ages and part of Modern age. The main reason for the incorporation of geocentric ideas by the religious was their similarity with the divine teachings and biblical texts: human beings are the main work of God, who also created the Universe. In this way, human beings, inhabitants of planet Earth, would be positioned at the center of the Universe.
The systematization of the theory of heliocentrism by Nicolaus Copernicus and its subsequent confirmation by Galileo Galilei were condemned by the Catholic Church through Inquisition between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The recognition of the order of the Universe as we know it today, with the Sun at the center of the Solar System, only happened in the 19th century, later consolidating with the pardon of the Vatican to Galileo Galilei in 1992.
Who was Claudius Ptolemy?
Claudius Ptolemy (approx. 90-168) was a scientist born in Ptolemais Hermia, in the Egypt, and who had a long period of performance in the city of Alexandria. He developed important studies in several areas of knowledge, of which astronomy, mathematics and geography stand out.
Drawing on the works of his predecessors, especially Aristotle, Ptolemy he became known for perfecting the theory of geocentrism and elaborating, through mathematical calculations, a model of the Universe, indicating the position and distance between the moon and the sun. These contributions are present in the work the great synthesis, also known as almagest, conceived in the second century of the Common Era. In the geographical field, his main work was Geography, in which he cataloged places using latitudes and longitudes.
Solved exercises on geocentrism
question 1
Since ancient times, the stars and stars present in the sky have intrigued thinkers and scientists, who were led to elaborate numerous theories that explained the way in which these celestial bodies were arranged in the Universe. For thousands of years, the most accepted theory was the one that said the Earth was at the center of the Universe, and around it orbited the Moon, the Sun and the other planets. This concept became known as:
A) heliocentrism
B) anthropocentrism
C) geocentrism
D) theocentrism
E) solar system
Resolution:
Alternative C
Geocentrism held that planet Earth was at the center of the Universe. This theory was the most accepted until approximately the 16th century, having the support of the Catholic Church.
question 2
The theory of geocentrism emerged in Ancient Greece and was worked on by countless astronomers, mathematicians and philosophers over time. One of them, however, became known for systematizing the geocentric model and became the main reference on the subject. Identify it below:
A) Galileo Galilei
B) John Kepler
C) Nicolaus Copernicus
D) Claudius Ptolemy
E) Pythagoras
Resolution:
Alternative D
Claudius Ptolemy was responsible for perfecting and systematizing the theory of geocentrism, which, due to his work, is also called the Ptolemaic model (or system).
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher
Learn a little more about the history of Astronomy. Check out who were the big names in this great area of knowledge and their discoveries.
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