Throughout human history, astronomers have helped people comprehend what they see in the night sky. These famous astronomers– much of them terrific scientists who mastered many fields– described area phenomena with differing degrees of accuracy. Over the centuries, a geocentric view of the universe– with Earth at the center of everything– paved the way to the correct understanding we have today of an expanding universe in which our galaxy is but one of billions. On this list are some of the most well-known scientists from the early days of astronomy through the modern period, and a summary of a few of their achievements.Eratosthenes of CyreneWhen the majority of people thought the world was flat, the significant Greek mathematician, astronomer and geographer Eratosthenes (276– 195 B.C.) utilized the sun to determine the size of the round Earth, according to NASA. His measurement of 24,660 miles (39,690 kilometers) was just 211 miles (340 km) off the true measurement.Claudius PtolemyIn ancient Greece, astronomer and mathematician Claudius Ptolemy (A.D. 90– 168) set up a design of the planetary system in which the sun, stars, and other planets revolved around Earth. Known as the Ptolemaic system, it remained in place for centuries, though it turned out to be flat incorrect. According to NASA, “Ptolemy represents the epitome of understanding of Grecian astronomy.” The Ptolemaic geocentric model of deep space, created by the Greek researcher Claudius Ptolemy, had everything focusing on Earth. (Image credit: Bartolomeu Velho) Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903– 986), referred to as Azophi to Westerners, made the very first recognized observation of a group of stars beyond the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy.Nicolaus CopernicusIn 16th century Poland, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473– 1543) proposed a design of the solar system that involved the Earth revolving around the sun, according to NASA. The model wasnt entirely right, as astronomers of the time had problem with the in reverse path Mars in some cases took, however it eventually changed the method many researchers viewed the solar system.Johannes KeplerUsing in-depth measurements of the path of worlds kept by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler (1571– 1630) identified that worlds circumnavigated the sun not in circles however in ellipses. In so doing, he computed 3 laws involving the movements of planets that astronomers still utilize in computations today. Nevertheless, closed minds put Keplers work at threat.” The period in which Kepler lived was among significant turmoil and change,” said Dan Lewis, manager of the history of science and technology at the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif. “Religious leaders were hesitant to relinquish their concepts about the heavens. Talk by astronomers of a sky filled with things moving in non-circular orbits and other phenomena that went versus an Earth-centric model threatened their beliefs. As a result, Kepler and his very first wife, Barbara, created a code with which to write letters to each other so that their correspondence would not put them at risk of persecution.” Galileo GalileiEngraving of Galileo Galilei from 1842. (Image credit: Getty images) Born in Italy, Galileo Galilei (1564– 1642) is typically credited with the development of the optical telescope, though in reality he enhanced on existing models. According to the Rice Universitys Galileo Project, “Galileo made his first telescope in 1609, designed after telescopes produced in other parts of Europe that might amplify items 3 times. He produced a telescope later that exact same year that might magnify things twenty times.” The astronomer (also mathematician, theorist and physicist) turned the brand-new observational tool towards the heavens, where he found the four primary moons of Jupiter (now understood as the Galilean moons), as well as the rings of Saturn. A design of the Earth circling the sun was very first proposed by Copernicus, it took some time before it became widely accepted. Galileo is most extensively understood for safeguarding the concept a number of years after Kepler had currently calculated the path of planets, and Galileo wound up under house arrest at the end of his life time due to the fact that of it.Giovanni CassiniItalian astronomer Giovanni Cassini (1625– 1712) measured the length of time it took the planets Jupiter and Mars to rotate. He likewise found 4 moons of Saturn and the gap in the planets rings. It was fittingly called Cassini.Christiaan HuygensChristiaan Huygens initially observed Saturns rings when NASA introduced a satellite to orbit Saturn and its moons in 1997. (Image credit: Getty Images) Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629– 1695) proposed the earliest theory about the nature of light, a phenomenon that puzzled researchers for centuries. His improvements on the telescope allowed him to make the very first observations of Saturns rings and to discover its moon, Titan.Isaac NewtonEnglish astronomer Sir Isaac Newton (1643– 1727) is most famous for his deal with forces, specifically gravity. Structure on the work of those who had gone prior to him– he is quoted as saying, “If I have actually seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants”– he computed three laws describing the motion of forces in between items, understood today as Newtons laws.Edmond HalleyEdmond Halley (1656– 1742) was the British researcher who evaluated historical comet sightings and proposed that the comet that had actually appeared in 1456, 1531, 1607, and 1682 were all the exact same, and would return in 1758. He died prior to its return, he was shown correct, and the comet was named in his honor.Charles Messier Charles Messier, aged 40. (Image credit: Ansiaux) French astronomer Charles Messier (1730– 1817) composed a database of items understood at the time as “nebulae,” that included 103 items at its last publication, though extra things were included based upon his personal notes. A number of these objects are often listed with their brochure name, such as the Andromeda Galaxy, referred to as M31. Messier likewise discovered 13 comets throughout his lifetime.William and Caroline HerschelBritish astronomer William Herschel (1738– 1822) cataloged over 2,500 deep sky things. He also discovered Uranus and its two brightest moons, two of Saturns moons, and the Martian ice caps. William trained his sister, Caroline Herschel (1750– 1848), in astronomy, and she became the very first lady to find a comet, identifying several throughout her lifetime.Henrietta Swann LeavittHenrietta Swann Leavitt (1868– 1921) was among a number of ladies working as a human “computer” at Harvard College, determining images of variable stars on photographic plates. She found that the brightness of an unique flashing star understood as a Cepheid variable was associated with how typically it pulsed. This relationship permitted astronomers to calculate the distances of galaxies and stars, the size of the Milky Way, and the expansion of the universe.Annie Jump CannonAnnie Jump Cannon operated at the Harvard Observatory. (Image credit: Library of Congress) Annie Jump Cannon (1863– 1941), who became understood as the “census taker of the sky”, was an American astronomer who categorized around 350,000 stars manually. She established the Harvard spectral system, which is used to categorize stars today.Before Cannon, stars were classified alphabetically, from A to Q, based on their temperatures. Cannon realized that a stars elements develop different wavelength and identify its color. In 1901, she had enhanced the category system with 10 classifications that also showed a stars color and brightness.Cannon inspired lots of females to work in astronomy, at a time when gender biases greatly favored guys in the space industry.Albert EinsteinIn the early 20th century, German physicist Albert Einstein (1879– 1955) turned into one of the most well-known scientists ever after proposing a brand-new method of looking at the universe that went beyond present understanding. Einstein suggested that the laws of physics are the very same throughout the universe, that the speed of light in a vacuum is consistent, which space and time are linked in an entity referred to as space-time, which is misshaped by gravity.In a lecture given up 1966, fellow researcher Robert Oppenheimer said, “Einstein was a physicist, a natural thinker, the biggest of our time.” Edwin HubbleEdwin Hubble created the Hubble sequence category plan. (Image credit: Johan Hagemeyer) At the exact same time Einstein was broadening males view of the universe, American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1899– 1953) calculated that a small blob in the sky existed beyond the Milky Way. Prior to his observations, the conversation over the size of deep space was divided regarding whether or not only a single galaxy existed. Hubble went on to determine that deep space itself was expanding, a computation which later became understood as Hubbles law. Hubbles observations of the different galaxies allowed him to develop a standard system of classification still utilized today.Harlow ShapleyAmerican astronomer Harlow Shapley (1885– 1972) determined the size of the Milky Way galaxy and general location of its. He argued that the items referred to as “nebulae” lay within the galaxy, rather than exterior of it, and improperly disagreed with Hubbles observations that deep space boasted galaxies aside from the Milky Way.Frank Drake Frank Drake (born 1930) is one of the leaders in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. He was one of the founders of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and devised the Drake equation, a mathematical equation utilized to estimate the variety of extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy able to be detected.Carl SaganCarl Sagan was an American astronomer and science author. (Image credit: Getty Images) American astronomer Carl Sagan (1934– 1996) might not have actually been a terrific researcher in contrast to some on this list, however he is one of the most famous astronomers. Sagan not just made crucial clinical studies in the fields of planetary science, he likewise handled to promote astronomy, according to NASA Science. His charismatic mentor and boundless energy influenced people around the globe as he broke down complex topics in a method that interested television viewers even as he educated them. Sagan established the Planetary Society, a nonprofit company dedicated to advancing area science and exploration.William K. HartmannAmerican astronomer William K. Hartmann (born 1939) put forth the most widely accepted theory on the development of the moon in 1975. He proposed that, after a collision with a big body scooped, debris from the Earth coalesced into the moon.Stephen HawkingStephen Hawking (1942– 2018) made numerous considerable insights into the field of cosmology. He proposed that, as deep space has a beginning, it will likely also end. He also suggested that it has no boundary or border. Despite being deemed among the most brilliant minds given that Einstein, a number of Hawkings books and lectures are steered toward the public as he looks for to inform people about deep space they live in.Additional resourcesYou can find out more about the history of modern-day astronomy in this TED Talk by astrophysicist Emily Levesque. To discover scientists who made innovative discoveries in other areas, read the Live Science article 7 scientists who assisted change the world. Bibliography” Derivation of Newtons law of motion from Keplers laws of planetary motion”. Archive of Applied Mechanics volume (2018 ). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00419-017-1245-x” Galileo Galilei: Research and development of the telescope”. Patterns in Optics (1996 ). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780121860301500254″ Women astronomers through history”. Publications de lObservatoire Astronomique de Beograd (2008 ). https://adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/2008POBeo..85..207D” A Measure of the Heavens”. The Dawn of Science (2019 ). https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-17509-2_19
(Image credit: Bartolomeu Velho) Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903– 986), understood as Azophi to Westerners, made the very first known observation of a group of stars outside of the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy.Nicolaus CopernicusIn 16th century Poland, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473– 1543) proposed a model of the solar system that involved the Earth revolving around the sun, according to NASA. The design wasnt completely right, as astronomers of the time had a hard time with the backwards path Mars in some cases took, however it eventually changed the method lots of researchers saw the solar system.Johannes KeplerUsing in-depth measurements of the course of planets kept by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler (1571– 1630) identified that planets traveled around the sun not in circles but in ellipses. (Image credit: Ansiaux) French astronomer Charles Messier (1730– 1817) composed a database of items understood at the time as “nebulae,” which included 103 things at its last publication, though additional things were included based on his individual notes. (Image credit: Library of Congress) Annie Jump Cannon (1863– 1941), who ended up being known as the “census taker of the sky”, was an American astronomer who classified around 350,000 stars manually. (Image credit: Getty Images) American astronomer Carl Sagan (1934– 1996) may not have been a terrific researcher in contrast to some on this list, but he is one of the most popular astronomers.
