During the Scientific Revolution, astronomers made several important discoveries that changed perceptions about the solar system. Nicholas Copernicus developed the Copernican system in 1543 which placed the sun at the center with planets revolving around it, contradicting the prevailing geocentric view. Johannes Kepler discovered that planets orbit the sun in ellipses rather than perfect circles. Galileo Galilei made major contributions by mapping the moon's surface and discovering sunspots and Jupiter's moons with his telescope. Isaac Newton later published his laws of gravity and motion, which helped explain the motions of celestial bodies.

1. Scientific Revolution Top
10
astronomy edition

2. 10: Copernican System
The Copernican System is centered
around the sun, and the other planets
revolve around it.
It was created by astronomer Nicholas
Copernicus in 1543
It was a scientific breakthrough as
others thought the planets revolved
around the earth

3. 9: Star Chart
Andraeus Cellarius invented the star
chart in 1660 AD in order to map the
path of the stars in the night sky
His works were controversial at the time
since people still believed the sun
revolved around the earth
The Star Chart is used as a reference
point when studying orbits

4. 8: The Elliptical Orbit
Johannes Keplar was the first to
discover that the planets do not revolve
in a circular path
Their orbits are “elliptical” meaning they
spin on their axis in a sort of oval-shape
The elliptical orbit of the planets is part
of what classifies where they are located
at different times of the year

5. 7: The Moon’s Surface
Galileo Galilee was the first to discover
mountains on the moon’s surface in 1603
This was a major breakthrough for
astronomy as it was previously thought
that the moon and other planets were
made of pure light energy
Galileo and other astronomers spent a
lot of time mapping the moon’s surface

6. 6: Sun Spots
Galileo Galili was the first to observe
spots on the face of the sun, although
Keplar also witnessed some
unknowingly in 1607
Sunspots were a further testament to
the long-ignored imperfections of the
universe

7. 5. The Outer Planets
In 1610, Galileo discovered several new
planets with his telescope that were
previously thought to be stars
The planets he discovered were Jupiter,
Saturn and Neptune (and Venus,
although it is not an outer planet
This gave scientists a broader look at
the celestial bodies

8. 4. The Telescope
Hans Lipperhey, a German lensmaker,
created the telescope in Sep. 1608
Galileo was the first to use the telescope
to observe planets
Without telescopes, it would be nearly
impossible to get a closer look at the
stars and planets

9. 3. The Globe
Martin Behaim was a german mapmaker
and the inventor of the first globe in
1492
It was the first map ever to depict the
earth in its spherical shape
The first globe was rife with
geographical inaccuracies, but globes
improved over time

10. 2. Telescope Lenses
In 1654, Christian Huygens, Dutch
physicist, found a new method for
creating powerful telescope lenses out
of glass
This made it much easier to see further
into the night sky and gain a more
crystal image of the planets and stars

11. 1. The Laws of Physics
Sir Isaac Newton is credited with being
one of the greatest geniuses of all time
for writing down the principals of motion
and gravity
Newton’s laws of physics and gravity
would explain in high detail how the
planets and moons rotate in space

12. Citations
http://naasbeginners.co.uk/AbsoluteBeginners/Star_Charts.htm
http://kepler.nasa.gov/Mission/JohannesKepler/
http://galileoandeinstein.physics.virginia.edu/lectures/galtel.htm
http://galileo.rice.edu/sci/observations/sunspots.html
http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/HistTopics/Neptune_and_Pluto.html
http://www.universetoday.com/41889/who-invented-the-telescope/
http://www.universetoday.com/41889/who-invented-the-telescope/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/58647/Martin-Behaim
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/t/telescope.shtml
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/newton3laws.html

13. Done. Thank you.
Here’s a space bunny cartoon