Читать книгу Universe: The story of the Universe, from earliest times to our continuing discoveries - Peter Grego - Страница 63

Despite finding evidence to support the idea that the Earth was a planet in orbit around the Sun, Tycho Brahe remained highly skeptical of the idea. He clung to the old notion of an Earth-centred Universe whose motions would eventually be explained as soon as the right mathematical model was found. Tycho’s assistant, Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), had none of his teacher’s confidence in the geocentric theory, and used Tycho’s extensive observations to place the heliocentric theory on a firm scientific footing. Profoundly religious, Kepler was convinced that God had created the Universe in accordance with mathematical rules, and that a knowledge of these rules was within human comprehension.

Galileo’s telescopic observation of the Pleiades. Only a handful of stars in this cluster can be seen with the unaided eye.