Johannes Kepler

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Recommended: Contributions of Johannes Kepler to scientific method

Johannes Kepler was on December 27, 1571 in Weil der Stadt, Baden-Wurttemberg. Johannes’s grandfather was actually mayor of the city, but once Johannes was born all the wealth was gone. Kepler’s father was a mercenary and left Johannes when he was five, and his mother was a ‘healer’ or ‘herbalist’. Johannes was born premature which caused him to be sickly throughout childhood. He contracted smallpox at a very age and it caused him to become visually impaired, but he soon outgrew his sickly stage and then dived into his studies.
Johannes was captivated by astronomy when he was very young. At six years old he saw the Great Comet of 1577 and at age nine observed a lunar eclipse. Growing up Kepler was not the brightest student, but after switching schools his intellect shone bright. He was offered a scholarship to attend the University of Tubingen where he studied under Vitus Muller and Jacob Heerbrand, both famous in their fields.
While there he studied theology, philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy. After his intellectual abilities became well known he was offered a professorship in Graz, Styria. One of his responsibilities was to make astrological predictions, and after his predictions of a cold winter and the Turks invading came true he was promoted. One day, while teaching a class, he observed that his drawing of circles and triangles could explain the solar system. He strongly believed in the Copernican system and with much examining he found that the solar system was three dimensional, not two dimensional.

Kepler strongly believed that God created the solar system like a puzzle. If he could somehow unlock the mathematics behind the solar system than everything else would come into place as well. Of course we know t...

... middle of paper ...

...ay, so he married again for a babysitter. While he worked with Tycho his mother was put on trial for witchcraft, which caused him to put his work on hold until she was later released and freed of all charges. Kepler's life was certainly a successful one despite the fallbacks and devastation. Without Kepler's devotion to planetary motion we would not be as far advanced as we are today. Because of his dedication, along with others, we know a lot more about the planets motion today.

Works Cited

"Johannes Kepler Biography." Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"Johannes Kepler." Kepler Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
“Johannes Kepler." Johannes Kepler. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"Kepler: Johannes Kepler." Kepler: Johannes Kepler. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"Kepler's Three Laws." Kepler's Three Laws. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

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