Change and Continuity in Early Modern Cosmology

Download or read book Change and Continuity in Early Modern Cosmology written by Patrick Bonner and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-02-01 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Viewed as a flashpoint of the Scientific Revolution, early modern astronomy witnessed a virtual explosion of ideas about the nature and structure of the world. This study explores these theories in a variety of intellectual settings, challenging our view of modern science as a straightforward successor to Aristotelian natural philosophy. It shows how astronomers dealt with celestial novelties by deploying old ideas in new ways and identifying more subtle notions of cosmic rationality. Beginning with the celestial spheres of Peurbach and ending with the evolutionary implications of the new star Mira Ceti, it surveys a pivotal phase in our understanding of the universe as a place of constant change that confirmed deeper patterns of cosmic order and stability.