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The gradual acceptance of the Copernican theory of the universe By: Dorothy Stimson (1890-1988) |
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The Gradual Acceptance OF THE Copernican Theory of the Universe
DOROTHY STIMSON, Ph.D.
NEW YORK
1917 COPYRIGHT 1917 BY DOROTHY STIMSON Trade Selling Agents
The Baker & Taylor Co.,
354 Fourth Ave.,
New York
TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER
[Illustration: THE SYSTEMS OF THE WORLD IN 1651 ACCORDING TO FATHER
RICCIOLI (Reduced facsimile of the frontispiece in Riccioli: Almagestum
Novum . Bologna, 1651.)]
EXPLANATION "Astrea, goddess of the heaven, wearing angel's wings and gleaming
everywhere with stars, stands at the right; on the left is Argus of
the hundred eyes, not tense, but indicating by the position of the
telescope at his knee rather than at the eyes in his head, that while
observing the work of God's hand, he appears at the same time to be
worshipping as in genuflexion." (Riccioli: Alm. Nov. , Præfatio ,
xvii). He points to the cherubs in the heavens who hold the planets,
each with its zodiacal sign: above him at the top is Mars, then
Mercury in its crescent form, the Sun, and Venus also in the crescent
phase; on the opposite side are Saturn in its "tripartite" form (the
ring explanation was yet to be given), the sphere of Jupiter encircled
by its four satellites, the crescent Moon, its imperfections clearly
shown, and a comet. Thus Father Riccioli summarized the astronomical
knowledge of his day. The scrolls quote Psalms 19:2, "Day unto day
uttereth speech and night unto night showeth knowledge." Astrea holds in her right hand a balance in which Riccioli's theory of
the universe (an adaptation of the Tychonic, see p. 68) far outweighs
the Copernican or heliocentric one. At her feet is the Ptolemaic
sphere, while Ptolemy himself half lies, half sits, between her and
Argus, with the comment issuing from his mouth: "I will arise if only
I am corrected." His left hand rests upon the coat of arms of the
Prince of Monaco to whom the Almagestum Novum is dedicated. At the top is the Hebrew Yah Veh , and the hand of God is stretched
forth in reference to the verse in the Book of Wisdom (10:20): "But
thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number and weight."
CONTENTS
ILLUSTRATIONS 7 PREFACE 8
PART I. AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE HELIOCENTRIC
THEORY OF THE UNIVERSE. Chapter I. The Development of Astronomical Thought to 1400:
Preliminary Review 9 Chapter II. Copernicus and his Times 20 Chapter III. Later Development and Scientific Defense
of the Copernican Theory 33
PART II. THE RECEPTION OF THE COPERNICAN THEORY. Chapter I. Opinions and Arguments in the Sixteenth Century 39 Chapter II. Bruno and Galileo 49 Chapter III. The Opposition and their Arguments 71 Chapter IV. The Gradual Acceptance of the Copernican Theory 85 Chapter V. The Church and the New Astronomy: Conclusion 95
APPENDICES: TRANSLATIONS BY THE WRITER. A. Ptolemy: Almagest . Bk. I, chap. 7: That the earth has no
movement of rotation 107 B. Copernicus: De Revolutionibus , Dedication to the Pope 109 C. Bodin: Universæ Naturæ Theatrum , Bk. V, sections 1 and 2
in part, and section 10 entire 115 D. Fienus: Epistolica Quæstio : Is it true that the heavens
are moved and the earth is at rest? 124
BIBLIOGRAPHY 130 INDEX 145
ILLUSTRATIONS
Facsimile of the frontispiece "The Systems of the
World" in Riccioli: Almagestum Novum ,
1651 Frontispiece Photographic facsimile (reduced) of a page from a
copy of Copernicus: De Revolutionibus , as
"corrected" in the 17th century according to
the directions of the Congregations of the
Index in 1620 p... Continue reading book >>
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