Kepler’s Revolution

Society had begun to change at breakneck speed. A monk in Germany nailed ninety-nine questions on a church bulletin board, a new star was discovered in the Casseiopeia constellation, four hundred witches died at the stake, and a monk suggested audaciously that the earth was not the center of the universe, upsetting the church authorities of the time. Three revolutions characterized these times: A revolution in the study of the stars; a revolution in the rule of law; and a revolution in the church. This is the story of how Johannes Kepler came to be known as the father of astronomy. He is known for Kepler’s Laws, which are the three laws of planetary motion. Carl Sagan described him as the first astrophysicist and the last scientific astrologer.