{"id":128,"date":"2019-06-15T00:13:20","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T00:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/methods\/chapter\/earth\/"},"modified":"2023-03-24T15:03:19","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T15:03:19","slug":"earth","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/methods\/chapter\/earth\/","title":{"raw":"Sun, Earth, and the Moon","rendered":"Sun, Earth, and the Moon"},"content":{"raw":"

Formative Assessment:<\/span> Sun, Earth and the Moon<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\nHeliocentrism vs Geocentrism<\/strong>\n\nIn early times, humans believed in geocentrism--the theory that Earth is at the center of the solar system, and the Sun and other planets revolve around it. During the Renaissance in the 1500s, Copernicus popularized the concept of heliocentrism--the theory that the Sun is at the center of the universe and Earth orbits the Sun.\n\nThroughout Copernicus\u2019 lifetime, the scientific community widely denied the theory of heliocentrism. A generation later, the Sun-centered theory became more commonly accepted when Galileo invented the telescope in 1609, making it easier to observe space. Additionally, Galileo made a variety of discoveries about our solar system that disproved the geocentric model of the universe. Despite these new discoveries, however, there was still significant pushback against heliocentrism, particularly from the Catholic Church.\n\nAt the time, the Church defended its stance on geocentrism because it believed Galileo\u2019s discoveries left too many questions unanswered and did not explicitly prove heliocentrism. During this period, a case could still technically<\/em> be made for geocentrism until technology advanced enough for scientists to discover more evidence supporting heliocentrism.\n\nAdditionally, the Church had certain clergy who interpreted parts of the Bible very literally, as if it were a science textbook rather than a theological work. Galileo\u2019s claims were scandalous in their eyes because heliocentrism directly conflicted with certain biblical passages. For these reasons, the Church put Galileo on trial, convicted him of heresy, and sentenced him to house arrest for the remainder of his life. In 1822, the Church eventually accepted the theory of heliocentrism once there was enough scientific evidence to claim it as truth.\n
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Key Takeaway<\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n

\n\nTo remember the theories of [pb_glossary id=\"247\"]heliocentrism [\/pb_glossary]and [pb_glossary id=\"246\"]geocentrism[\/pb_glossary], break down the names and look at the etymology.\n