"Kepler's laws" - this phrase is familiareveryone who enjoys astronomy. Who is this person? Relationship and interdependence of what objective reality did he describe? Astronomer, mathematician, theologian, philosopher, the cleverest man of his time, Johann Kepler (1571-1630) discovered the laws of motion of the planets of the solar system.
The beginning of the way
Johann Kepler, born in Weil der Stadt(Germany), came to this world in December 1571. Weak, with poor eyesight, the child overcame everything in order to win in this life. The study of the boy began in Leonberg, where the family moved. Later he moved to a higher school - a Latin school to learn the basics of the language that he intended to use in future publications.
In 1589 he graduated from the school at the monasteryMaulbronn in the town of Adelburg. In 1591 he entered the university in Tübingen. An effective educational system was created by the dukes in the wake of the introduction of Lutheranism. With the help of grants and scholarships for the poor, the authorities tried to provide universities with applicants from which it was possible to educate well-educated clergymen who could defend the new faith in times of raging religious disputes.
В период пребывания в учебном заведении Кеплер fell under the influence of astronomy professor Michael Mestlin. The latter secretly shared the views of Copernicus regarding the idea of a heliocentric (Sun in the center) of the Universe, although he taught students "according to Ptolemy" (Earth in the center). The profound knowledge of the ideas of the Polish scientist aroused Kepler’s great interest in astronomy. So the theory of Copernicus has another supporter who sought to personally comprehend the laws of the movement of the planets around the sun.
The solar system is a work of art
Ironically, the one who subsequently discoveredthe laws of the motion of the planets did not refer to astronomers by vocation. Throughout his life, Kepler believed that the Solar System - a work of art, filled with mystical phenomena, dreamed of becoming a priest. The astronomer explained his interest in the Copernican theory by the fact that before drawing conclusions from his own research, he must study different opinions.
Nevertheless, university professors spokeabout Kepler, as a student with an excellent mind. In 1591, having received a master's degree, the scientist continued his studies in the field of theology. When they were close to completion, it became known that a professor of mathematics had died in the Lutheran school in Graz. The University of Tübingen recommended recruiting a talented in all respects graduate. So, forgive the laws of planetary motion?
In the name of God
22-year-old Johann reluctantly abandoned histhe original vocation of being a priest, but nevertheless took up the duties of a mathematics teacher in Graz. While giving lectures in his class, the novice teacher depicted on the blackboard some geometric figures with the participation of concentric circles and triangles. And suddenly the thought flashed upon him that such figures represent a certain fixed relation between the dimensions of two circles, provided that the triangle is equilateral. And what is the ratio of the size of the area between the two circles? The thought process was gaining momentum.
A year later, an unusual theologian published his first work, The Mystery of the Universe (1596). In it, he outlined his creative views on the secrets of the universe, backed by religious beliefs.
Тот, кто открыл законы движения планет, сделал it is in the name of God. Opening the mathematical plan of the Universe, the researcher came to the conclusion: six planets are enclosed in spheres between which five regular polyhedra fit. Of course, the version was based on the “fact” that there are only 6 celestial bodies. Around the orbit of Earth, Kepler outlined the ideal dodecahedron and a sphere relating to the orbit of Mars.
Perfect polyhedra
Around the Mars region, the scientist depicted a tetrahedron andthe sphere adjacent to the orbit of Jupiter. The sphere of Venus perfectly fits into the icosahedron in the orbital sphere of the Earth. With the use of the remaining types of perfect polyhedra, this was done with the rest. Amazingly, the ratios of neighboring planetary orbits, represented in the cluster model of Kepler spheres, coincided with the calculations of Copernicus.
Discovering the laws of planetary motion, the priest withMathematical mind relied primarily on divine inspiration. He had no real basis for arguments. The meaning of the treatise "Secrets of the Universe" is that it was the first decisive step towards the recognition of the heliocentric system of the world, set out by Copernicus.
Assumptions versus high accuracy
In September 1598, the Protestants in Graz, includingincluding Kepler, were ousted from the city by Catholic rulers. Although Johann was allowed to return, the situation remained very tense. In search of support, he turned to Tycho Brahe, a mathematician and astronomer at the court of Emperor Rudolph II. The scientist was known for his impressive collection of planetary observations.
He knew about the work "The Mystery of the Universe".But when in 1600 his creator arrived at the Tycho Observatory, located outside of the city of Prague, Brahe, engaged in high-precision (at that time) research, welcomed him as the author of a particular work, but not as his colleague. The confrontation between them lasted until the death of the Danish astrologer, which occurred a year later. After the opponent left the world, Kepler was entrusted to guard the treasury of his observations. They greatly helped the researcher to become the one who discovered the laws of the movement of the planets around the sun.
Mars Path
Brahe's recent research on creating a tablethe motions of the planets were not completed. All hopes were pinned on the successor. He was appointed an imperial mathematician. Despite tensions with his late colleague, Kepler was free to pursue his own interests in astronomy. He decided to continue his observations of Mars and describe his own vision of the orbit of this planet.
Johann was sure:opening the difficult Martian path, you can open the paths of movement of all other "wanderers of the Universe". Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t just use Brahe’s observations to select a geometric shape that fits the description. Yesterday’s theologian focused on the discovery of the physical theory of motion of “sisters living in a vacuum of space” from which their orbits can be derived. After the titanic research work, three laws of planetary motion appeared.
First law
I. The orbits of the planets are ellipses with the Sun in one of the foci.
The law of motion of the planets in the solar systemfound that the planets move in an ellipse. It appeared after eight years of calculations using the base compiled by Tycho Brahe on the basis of observations of the planetary motion of the Star of Mars. Johann called his work “New Astronomy”.
So, according to Kepler’s First Law, anyAn ellipse has two geometric points, called focuses (focus in the singular). The total distance from the planet to each of the foci is always summed up equally, regardless of where the planet is in the path of its movement. The importance of the discovery is that the assumption that the orbits are not ideal circles (as in the geocentric theory) brought people closer to a more accurate and clear understanding of the picture of the world.
Second law
Ii. The line connecting the planet with the Sun (radius-vector) overcomes equal areas in equal intervals of time, while the planet moves around the ellipse.
That is, at any time, for example,after 30 days, the planet overcomes the same area, no matter which period you choose. It moves faster while approaching the Sun and slower when moving away, but goes at a constantly changing speed when it moves around its orbit. The most “quickest” movement is observed in perihelion (the point closest to the Sun) and the most “sedate” in aphelia (the most distant point from the Sun). So reasoned the one who discovered the laws of the movement of the planets.
Third law
Iii. The square of the total period of orbital revolution (T) is proportional to the cube of the average distance from the planet to the Sun (R).
This principle is sometimes called the law of harmony.It compares the orbital period of time and the radius of the orbits of the planets. The essence of Kepler’s discovery is as follows: the ratio of the squares of the periods of motion and the cubes of average distances from the Sun is the same for each planet.
We repeat, the laws of motion of the planets of Kepler werebased on long-term serious observations and mathematically processed. Displaying patterns, they did not reveal the causality of phenomena. Later, the famous discoverer of the law of the World Newton proved that the otgadka lay in the physical property of the body to attract each other.
The shadow of my body is here
Despite his success, Kepler constantly sufferedfrom financial troubles, lack of time for research, travel in search of places where his religious convictions are tolerated. Several times he tried to get a teaching position in Tübingen, but was perceived as a traitor, a Protestant, and was refused.
Johann Kepler died on November 15, 1630 froman attack of acute fever. Buried in a Protestant cemetery. In the epitaph, his legitimate son wrote: “I used to measure heaven. Now I have to measure the shadows of the earth. Despite the fact that my soul is in heaven, the shadow of my body lies here. ”
Yes, originally in the spirit of medieval conceptsthe scientist believed that the planets move because they have souls, it is living magic, and not just lumps of matter. Later, he realized that the scientific approach is more justified. Well, the priest and the astronomer, who discovered the laws of the movement of the planets, honestly walked the path of insight. But we admit to ourselves: sometimes it seems that there are so many mystics in the scientific universe!
