Hello, I am the Sun and the World Revolves Around Me"

http://reasonableanswers.blogspot.com/2009/01/galileo-against-scientists-dispelling.html
1. What is geocentrism and what is heliocentism? What was the name for the primary geocentric model in use for over a thousand years? Who proposed the heliocentric system (ie who is it named after)?

What is geocentrism you ask? It is the idea that the sun moves around the earth, therefore the earth is the center of the universe; whereas heliocentrism is the idea that the earth moves around the sun, therefore making the sun the center of the universe. Now, according to our knowledge which one would make more sense? The primary geocentric model that was used in the second century was created by a man named Ptolemy. His famous model was known as the Ptolemic system, an extremely original name don't you think? Around the same time Nicolas Copernicus presented his established heliocentric system.

2. According to the article, who were the chief opponents to Galileo and the heliocentric model of the solar system?


The first time reading it through and thouroughly I thought that the Christian Church of the time was the chief opponent of the heliocentric model, but then once I read it over again I realized that it was originally other scientists (more specifically the Aristotelean scientists) who were against Galileo's model. It is true that the Church opposed the idea, but that does not speak for all of the people. Scientists who strongly believed in the geocentric system were the strongest of the opponents (ie "the fact that heliocentrism was first opposed by the scientists of Galileo’s time, and that Galileo’s fight was with other scientists, not the Church").

3. What were the two astronomical observations that Galileo made that supported heliocentrism? Why were these observations not considered conclusive proofs that the heliocentric system was correct? What did most scientists of the time consider to be conclusive evidence that the geocentric model was correct?

There were two astronomical observations that Galileo made to support heliocentrism that included the telescopic observation and the phases of planet Venus. This showed that planet Jupiter had it's own series of moons which provided valuable information to Galileo's studies that not all significant bodies or water were required to orbit directly around the earth. The Tychonian theory proved that the other theories were not conclusive. This theory centered in both primary ideas: geocentric and heliocentric. Interestingly this theory concluded that the sun revolved around the earth, but proposed that all other planets orbited around the sun which would create an almost impossible explaination.

4. Was the debate between geocentrism and heliocentrism primarily a theological, Scriptural, or scientific argument? What does the author state is the primary reason that the Church continued to hold to a geocentric system?


The majority of the debate was carried out by Galileo and the Aristotelean scientists. Both sides argued for what they believed was the correct observations. The Church did not continue to stay put with their original position about the earth being immovable therefore making the planets orbit around the earth. The church lacked the evidence that was needed for believing in the heliocentric idea, it was not so much that they knew everything about it and opposed it.


5. According to Augustine's hermeneutic, what is needed before we can conclude that a re-interpretation of Scripture may be required?

According to Augustine's hermenuetic, we must somehow declare the need for a conclusive demonstration before anyone comes to the final conclusion that a re-interpretation of scripture must be required in order to finally determine what is fact and what is fiction.

6. What was the "killer proof" that Galileo proposed demonstrated the motion of the Earth, and what did other scientists think of this "proof"? When did true observational proof for the motion of the Earth come about, and what were these two observations?

Galileo first presented the "killer proof" in his book, Testise on the Tides. He proposed that it is the earth that moves around the sun (heliocentrism). The two observations didn't make sense to the scientists: stellar abberation and late on the stellar parallax.
Stellar parallax-observation that stars in the sky shift positions with the movement of the earth as it orbits around the sun.
Scientists later proved his killer proof wrong because Galileo stated that there was only one tide per day, but in reality there is one every 12 hours or so.