Astronomy and Physical Sciences
There were many scientific beliefs that were different in the Renaissance. Some of those beliefs however are still believed to be correct today. Before the Renaissance many beliefs were not tested.The Renaissance brought many scientific achievements to the world. The Renaissance had really affected our life today.
Before the Renaissance, the Earth was thought to sit at the center of the universe and it was stable and immobile. Many thought all of the stars and planets actually orbited the Earth and that everything revolved around it. In the Renaissance many of these beliefs were either confirmed or proven incorrect by the astrolabe -- a device for finding the position of planets and stars. Many things were proven wrong like the theory that the Earth was at the center of the universe. The new theory was that the planets orbited the Sun. The old theories were being quickly replaced by new ones. Observing the planets helped make astrological predictions and for medical practices, as the planets and zodiac were believed to correspond to the organs of the human body. Astronomy was one of the liberal |
arts students studied in the Arts curriculum at universities during the Renaissance. Many new theories arose during this time in astronomy. Texts relayed basic theories about the universe and the math needed to calculate the movement of the planets and stars in a simpler version of Ptolemy’s theories.
The ideas of the Renaissance are still being used today and many were popular back then. Some texts from universities of the Renaissance were still used in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler all helped disprove Ptolemy’s theories.Galileo discovered many things about the planets that helped advance Europe’s knowledge of the universe. Galileo made observations that supported Copernicus’ theory that the sun sits at the center of the universe and the planets orbit around it. The telescope helped make many astronomical advances. It helped many astronomists make accurate theories in the Renaissance. More accurate maps of solar system made by astronomers with the help of the telescope. These advancements have really benefited the world at that time. |