WHO WAS PTOLEMY AND WHAT

DID HE DO
Ptolemy. Ptolemy, Latin in full Claudius
Ptolemaeus (fl. AD 127-145, Alexandria),
ancient astronomer, geographer, and
mathematician who considered the Earth the
center of the universe (the
"Ptolemaic system"). Virtually nothing is
known about his life.
Profession: Philosopher, Geographer
Works written: Almagest, Planisphaerium
 PTOLEMY
MATHEMATICIAN
DESCRIPTION
CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY WAS A GREEK MATHEMATICIAN, ASTRONOMER, GEOGRAPHER AND ASTROLOGER. HE LIVED IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN THE ROMAN PROVINCE OF EGYPT, UNDER THE RULE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, HAD A LATIN
BORN: 100 AD, ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
DIED: ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
FULL NAME: CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY
NATIONALITY: ROMAN
 WHAT WAS THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTION OF PTOLEMY?
IT GIVES IN DETAIL THE MATHEMATICAL THEORY OF THE MOTIONS OF THE SUN, MOON, AND
PLANETS.
PTOLEMY MADE HIS MOST ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION BY PRESENTING DETAILS FOR THE
MOTIONS OF EACH OF THE PLANETS. HIS THEORIES WERE NOT SUPERSEDED UNTIL A CENTURY
AFTER COPERNICUS PRESENTED HIS HELIOCENTRIC THEORY IN 1543.
 THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE OF THE
EARTH ON THE MOON IS A CENTRIPAL
FORCE THAT KEEPS THE MOON IN ITS
CIRCULAR ORBIT
He was not particularly interested in astronomy
until 1600 when Kepler met Tycho
He became assistant to Brahe
A Question
What instruments did Brahe use to make his astronomical
observations?

Tycho Brahe used only a compass and a sextant to observe the

stars.
 BINARY STAR.
TWO STARS THAT ARE GRAVITATIONALLY BOUND ARE SAID TO ORBIT
THEIR COMMON CENTER OF MASS. IN ASTRONOMY, A BINARY SYSTEM IS
ONE THAT CONSISTS OF TWO STARS THAT ARE GRAVITATIONALLY BOUND.
PTOLEMAIC, AND COPERNICAN SYSTEMS OF ASTRONOMY, THE
EPICYCLE WAS A GEOMETRIC MODEL USED TO EXPLAIN THE
VARIATIONS IN SPEED AND DIRECTION OF THE APPARENT
MOTION OF THE MOON, SUN, AND PLANETS.