Lecture 6 – History of Astronomy, Part 1/2
Summary / Checklist of the Main Concepts to Understand and Remember

Astronomy in the Classical Period – 4th Century BC to 2nd Century AD  
red bullet What is the difference between a geocentric and a heliocentric model of the universe (or the solar system)?  
red bullet What is planet retrograde motion? (How do planets move on the Celestial Sphere, normally and during retrograde motion?)  
red bullet What is parallax in general, and what is stellar parallax?  
red bullet What does stellar parallax have to do with understanding the Solar System?  
• What were the main points of Aristotle's theory about how objects move?  
• What were some of Aristotle's arguments in support of the idea that the Earth did not move through space?  
• Why is Ptolemy important in the history of astronomy? Around what time (what century) did he live?  
• How did Ptolemy explain the retrograde motion of planets?  
• What is an epicycle?  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Topics from the lecture page and textbook not listed above [or between square brackets] were not covered in class;
Underlined words indicate that I will expect students to remember a number or a name related to that topic.

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