SOLAR SYSTEM

UNIVERSE

CELESTIAL MECHANICS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which orbital mechanics historical figure was known for gathering a lot of accurate planetary motion measurements AND for lecturing at the University of Copenhagen?
A
Nicolaus Copernicus
B
Tycho Brahe
C
Johannes Kepler
D
Robert Hooke
E
Isaac Newton
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -While Copernicus rightly observed that the planets revolve around the Sun, it was Kepler who correctly defined their orbits.

Detailed explanation-2: -Predating the invention of the telescope, Brahe and his staff used a range of instruments to make the most accurate set of observations that had ever been collected. This data was later used by Kepler to build his theories.

Detailed explanation-3: -In particular, Brahe compiled extensive data on the planet Mars, which would later prove crucial to Kepler in his formulation of the laws of planetary motion because it would be sufficiently precise to demonstrate that the orbit of Mars was not a circle but an ellipse.

Detailed explanation-4: -His bushy mustache and slightly deformed nose with its prosthesis are visible. Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe made the most accurate celestial observations of his time and challenged the prevailing belief in how the universe was organized.

Detailed explanation-5: -From his observatory, called Uraniborg, on the island of Hven, Brahe recorded the most accurate observations of stars ever made in the pre-telescope era. He challenged the ancient astronomical theories with his observations related to the parallax seen with the supernova of 1572 and the Great Comet of 1577.

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