Hobbies And Interests
Heliocentric Origins
Europeans believed in a geocentric, or Earth-centered model of the solar system until the 16th century. The Greek philosopher Heraclides was the first person to propose the geocentric model; he made that proposal in 330 B.C. Soon after, in 270 B.C., another Greek philosopher, Aristarchus of Samos, proposed a conflicting, heliocentric model, but his theory was discounted for almost 2,000 years. Finally, in 1530, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus published a mathematical explanation in the book "De Revolutionibus" that demonstrated the exact workings of the heliocentric model. In the early 1600s, Galileo Galilei discovered the first tangible support for heliocentrism using a telescope.
Geocentrism Endured
Three main reasons explain why European thinkers held onto geocentrism for so long before accepting heliocentrism. The reasons are Earth's stability, parallax and an egocentric viewpoint.
Stable Earth
First, scientists and philosophers wondered why, if Earth is in motion, we cannot feel it moving. The answer, we now know, is that Earth moves very smoothly and at a constant speed. Similarly, you do not feel the motion of a car while driving on a smooth road and at a constant pace.
Parallax
Second, pre-heliocentric thinkers wondered why, if Earth moves, stars do not appear to move relative to one another. This phenomenon, known as parallax, is observable when looking at a building from two different sides of a city and seeing a different background from each angle. In other words, as Earth travels across the solar system, why, at different points in our orbit, does the background of the stars not change? The answer, astronomers now know, is that the stars are too far away. Without a powerful telescope, the change in perspective gained by traveling from one side of Earth's orbit to another is too small to notice a difference in the stars' relative position to each other.
Egocentric Viewpoint
Third, the Greeks, as well as later thinkers, had trouble imagining that Earth, home to human life, was not at the center of everything. As some scientists have put it, the geocentric model seemed more natural because it was also egocentric. Christian authorities, in particular, held onto the idea of geocentrism, for which they found biblical support. In Chronicles 16:30, the King James Bible states that "the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved." With the emergence of Enlightenment, scientific rationalism and reliance on empiricism, faith-based views of the universe began to lose popularity. The Catholic Church ended its banning of books promoting heliocentrism in 1794.