Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 - 15 November 1630), an important figure in the scientific revolution, was a German astronomer, mathematician and astrologer. He is best known through the laws of planetary motion. He was sometimes referred to as "the first theoretical astrophysicist", although Carl Sagan also called him the last scientific astrologer. At the age of 29, Johannes Kepler became an imperial mathematician for the Holy Roman Emperor, along with the royal astrologer General Wallenstein, a position he held to the end of his life. Kepler is also a professor of mathematics at the University of Graz. Kepler's career also coincided with the career of Galileo Galilei. Early in his career, Kepler was Tycho Brahe's assistant.
Kepler is highly valued not only in mathematics. He became very well known in the fields of optics and astronomy. Kepler, though small in stature, has astonishing intelligence and a persistent personality. He was discriminated against when he refused to convert to Roman Catholicism, even though he was under intense pressure.
Kepler is highly valued not only in mathematics. He became very well known in the fields of optics and astronomy. Kepler, though small in stature, has astonishing intelligence and a persistent personality. He was discriminated against when he refused to convert to Roman Catholicism, even though he was under intense pressure.
Johannes Kepler was born in 1571 in Weil der Stadt, a small town on the outskirts of the German Black Forest. Even though his family was poor, scholarships from local nobles allowed Johannes to get a good education. He studied theology at the University of Tüũbingen, according to his intention to become a Lutheran minister. However, his genius in the field of mathematics received recognition. In 1594, when a mathematics teacher at the Lutheran High School in Graz, Austria, died, Kepler succeeded him. While there, he published his first major work, Cosmographic Mystery.
Brahe astronomers have spent years recording their observations about the planet carefully and thoroughly. When he read Cosmographic Mystery, Brahe was impressed with Kepler's understanding of mathematics and astronomy, and he invited Kepler to join him on Benátky, near Prague, now in the Czech Republic. Kepler accepted the invitation when religious intolerance forced him to leave Graz. As mentioned above, when Brahe died, Kepler succeeded him. Instead of a very careful observer, now the imperial advisory board has a genius in the field of mathematics.
To benefit fully from the collection of Brahe observations about the planet, Kepler needed to understand more about light refraction. How is the reflection of light from a planet refracted when entering the Earth's atmosphere? Kepler's explanation is contained in the Supplement to Witelo book, Expounding the Optical Part of Astronomy, which provides more details about the work of Witelo, Medieval Scientists. Kepler's book is a milestone in the field of optics. He was the first person to explain how the eyes work.
However, the main field that Kepler wrestled was not optics, but astronomy. Early astronomers believed that the sky was an empty sphere with stars attached to it like sparkling diamonds. Ptolemy assumed the earth was the center of the universe, while Kopernicus believed that the planets all circled around the immovable sun. Brahe estimates that other planets revolve around the sun, which then orbit the earth. Because it is different from the earth, all the other planets are celestial bodies, these objects are considered perfect. The only form of movement that is considered suitable for the planets is a perfect circle, each planet moves at a constant speed. It was in this climate that Kepler began his task as an imperial mathematician.
Equipped with planetary motion observation tables compiled by Brahe, Kepler studied cosmic movements and drew conclusions based on what he saw. Besides being a genius in terms of numbers, he also has a strong determination and inexhaustible curiosity. His extraordinary ability to work was evidenced by the 7200 complicated calculations he completed when studying observation tables about Mars.
And, it was Mars who first caught the attention of Kepler. After carefully studying the tables, it was revealed that Mars orbited the sun but not in a perfect circle. The only orbital form that matches that observation is the ellipse with the sun as one of its focal points. However, Kepler realized that the key to uncovering the secret of the sky was not Mars, but planet Earth. According to Professor Max Caspar, "Kepler's findings motivated him to try a genius approach".
