Please Define the Following Key Terms

Question

Examlex · Accepted Answer

The Answer is The term "geocentric conception" refers to an ancient and historical model of the universe in which Earth is at the center of all celestial bodies. This geocentric view posits that the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets all orbit around the Earth. The word "geocentric" comes from the Greek words "geo" meaning Earth and "kentron" meaning center.

This conception was widely accepted in the Western world from antiquity until the 16th century, largely influenced by the work of philosophers and astronomers such as Aristotle and Ptolemy. Ptolemy's model, in particular, known as the Ptolemaic system, was a sophisticated version of the geocentric conception that explained the apparent retrograde motion of the planets through a system of epicycles, where planets moved in small circles that in turn moved along larger circles around the Earth.

The geocentric model was eventually superseded by the heliocentric model, which places the Sun at the center of the solar system. This shift was initiated by the work of Nicolaus Copernicus, and further supported by astronomers such as Johannes Kepler, who refined the model with elliptical orbits, and Galileo Galilei, who provided empirical evidence through his telescopic observations.

The transition from the geocentric to the heliocentric model marked a major paradigm shift in astronomy and is considered one of the key episodes in the history of science, often referred to as the Copernican Revolution. It fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe and our place within it.

Please Define the Following Key Terms

Definitions: