What was the major contribution that Hypatia gave to the science of astronomy?

Answer 1

Hypatia helped to construct an improved version of the astrolabe, an instrument used to measure the position of the Sun and stars. According to Damascius, who lived a century after Hypatia, she also wrote a work called The Astronomical Canon. Perhaps her greatest contribution, however, was her role in helping to preserve Euclid's Elements and several other great Greek works of antiquity.

Answer 2

Galileo made one of the first telescopes.

He also supported the idea that all of the planets in our solar system orbit the sun, and opposed the theory of made by the Vatican that the Earth is the center of the universe. Galileo paid the price of supporting his theory; he was sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life by the Vatican.

Galileo also discovered the four biggest moons of Jupiter. Io, Callisto, Europa and Gannymede - together named the Galilean Moons.
This discovery showed that there were objects revolving around other planets and everything did not revolve around Earth.

Answer 3

Hypatia helped the bishop Synesius of Cyrene to construct an improved version of the astrolabe. The astrolabe is an instrument used to measure the position of the Sun and stars. Follow the link below to read a letter about the astrolabe, written by Synesius.

Answer 4

Galileo discovered that Jupiter has moons and that Venus has phases like our Moon.

He was one of the first people to observe sunspots. He realised they were on the Sun and not caused by things passing in front of the Sun.

His discoveries helped the model of the solar system with the Sun at the center.

Answer 5

Wrote a book regarding astronomy ("On the Heavens")

His views on the universe were accepted for at least 2 millennia

He believed:

The Earth was spherical because of the circular shadow present during eclipses.

The Earth is the center of the universe.

The periphery of earth was 73.000 km.

The universe was spherical (because spheres are the perfect shape) and finite (because it has a center (so he believed, though it has yet to be proven or disproven)).

The Earth wasn't that much smaller than stars.

The Earth was in motion and everything around it was fixed (because the stars seemed to move).

Stars were spherical because of the sphere's perfection, thus allowing stars to keep their position.

The universe was compiled of four elements (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water) but also believed that the other planets were made of a fifth element, which he dubbed "aether" (aka "ether")

Answer 6

Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations, and support for Copernicanism. Galileo has been called the "father of modern observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics", the "father of science",and "the Father of Modern Science." The motion of uniformly accelerated objects, taught in nearly all high school and introductory college physics courses, was studied by Galileo as the subject of kinematics. His contributions to observational astronomy include the telescopic confirmation of the phases of Venus, the discovery of the four largest satellites of Jupiter, named the Galilean moons in his honour, and the observation and analysis of sunspots. Galileo also worked in applied science and technology, improving compass design.

Answer 7

It was the use of the telescope for astronomical research. He discovered the four major moons of Jupiter, for example. He also thought he was the only astronomer allowed to do this type of research and hated it when others tried it.

Answer 8

Galileo's main contribution was his discoveries using a telescope. He discovered Jupiter's moons, which showed that not all objects in the solar system revolve round the Sun.

He publicised Copernicus's theory of the Solar System and promoted it as the absolute truth, which brough him into conflict with the Vatican which said that while Copernicus's theory could be used as a theoretical method, it had not been demonstrated to be true in all respects. He was put on trial and asked for proof of the theory, but science had no available proof at the time and he recanted.

However in the centuries after Galileo's death, and after further scientific discoveries about the laws of motion and gravity, it was found that the Sun is far more massive than all other objects in the Solar System and must therefore occupy the centre - so Copernicus had been right about the Sun being at the centre.

Answer 9

He created the idea that the eart is round and was in motion. He also knew the planets rotated around the sun. Most of his theories were incorrct but were still taught because he was well respected.

Answer 10

Aristotle made no contributions to astronomy or to any of the other sciences.

Aristotle may have held back the progress of science in virtually every area by nearly a thousand years. He was, very generally speaking, wrong in every statement; wrong even in areas in which he could have (but did not!) easily informed himself.

Aristotle was married, but incorrectly stated that women had fewer teeth than men did. Why didn't he ask his wife to open her mouth and count them? We will never know. He was ignorant of physics, wrong in the most fundamental areas concerning chemistry, and blind in the field of astronomy.