Lecture 13: Greek Astronomy
What are the origins of the Geocentric and Heliocentric models\nput foward to explain planetary motion? This lecture begins a new\nunit that will chart the rise of our modern view of the solar system by\nreviewing the highly influential work by Greek and Roman philosophers\nwho elaborated the first geocentric and heliocentric models of\nthe Solar System. We discuss the various geocentric systems from\nthe simple crystaline spheres of Anaximander, Eudoxus, and Aristotle\nthrough the Epicyclic systems of Hipparchus and Ptolemy. We will\nalso briefly discuss what is known of Aristarchus' mostly-lost heliocentric\nsystem, which was to so strongly influence the work of Copernicus. The\nultimate expression of an epicyclic Geocentric system was that \ndescribed by Claudius Ptolemy in the middle of the 2nd Century AD, and\nwas to prevail virtually unchallenged for nearly 14 centuries.\nRecorded 2006 Oct 9 in 100 Stillman Hall on the Columbus campus\nof The Ohio State University.