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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30 |
Today, the 27th December, marks the birthday of Johannes Kepler who was born on this date in 1571. He's best known for his laws of planetary motion, which also provided one of the foundations for Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation. In turn, Kepler relied on the excellent observations of his mentor Tycho Brahe to provide enough data to work out how the planets moved. You can learn more about Kepler's life in this article.
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
BellaOnline Editor Chipmunk
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BellaOnline Editor Chipmunk
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500 |
Nice to know Mona. Thanks!
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30 |
Did you know that one of NASA's most exciting discovery missions was named after Johannes Kepler? It's the space observatory launched in March 2009 to look for extrasolar planets, i.e., planets orbiting other stars. It's sensitive enough to detect even Earth-sized planets, and this was one of the goals of the mission. By now, Kepler the spacecraft has detected nearly a thousand confirmed planets and there is still a lot of data that hasn't yet been analyzed.
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
BellaOnline Editor Chipmunk
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BellaOnline Editor Chipmunk
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500 |
I didn't know that. Thanks! I need to get back into astronomy. It's been a long time. My dad and I used to look at the constellations and planets together. He'd bring home a telescope from school (he was a grade school teacher).
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30 |
Jana, great idea! There's something special about looking around the sky. And you don't need to invest in a telescope, as binoculars are fine unless you really know your way around the sky and know what you want to observe. This evening I happened to look out the window at sunset and saw Mars. I was quite excited - the weather's been so poor I hadn't even bothered to check what I might see.
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
BellaOnline Editor Chipmunk
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BellaOnline Editor Chipmunk
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500 |
Yeah. I wish I could afford a telescope. But just looking up into a clear, starry night...Just wonderful! The grandness of the universe comes into view. I've seen Mars through a telescope. What a sight. And the moon too. Been a long time. Right now, it's so cold here you just want to curl up in front of a fireplace. Wish I had one of those too. 
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,948 Likes: 30 |
Johannes Kepler was born on December 27, 1571. Happy 444th birthday! Kepler had a hard life and lived in a troubled time. But he was a superb mathematician whose work on planetary orbits was one of the keys to developing a modern understanding of astronomy. Johannes Kepler - His Life
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