History of Astronomy - Part 2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: That it was an ovate, crystal sphere

One of the great geniuses of the 5th century, Empedocles speculated in a number of scientific areas with an arrogant flair (it is said that Empedocles only dressed in royal purple). According to Empedocles, all matter was comprised of four key components: water, earth, air and fire, with attractions and/or repulsions between these elements dictated by two other elements, 'philia' (love) and 'neikos' (strife).

His cosmological views were even more interesting. Empedocles imagined the universe to be crystalline in nature, divided between light and dark regions and rotating to bring us the 24-hour daily cycle.

The sun and stars were mere reflections on the sphere, according to Mr. Empedocles.

Answer: Clazomenae

Anaxagoras arrived from Clazomenae (a Greek colony in Ionia) to Athens in the late 460s B.C.E. He brought with him the almost spiritual scientific fervor that was developing in the colonies from the days of Thales. A friend to Pericles and philosophic rival to Socrates, Anaxagoras challenged existing cosmologies with his own very complex notions of the nature of the universe. Among his more important ideas were those revolving around the nature of eclipses (which he correctly suggested occurred by the casting of shadows), and he correctly guessed that the 'light' given off by the moon was reflected from the sun. Like Socrates, his ideas were threatening to the conservative Athenians and he was put on trial for heresy. Thanks to his friendship with Pericles, he escaped punishment.

Answer: Philolaus

Philolaus was a disciple of Pythagoras, and lived from c. 480 to c. 405 B.C.E. He provides a link between Pythagoras, his probable teacher, and Democritus, his probable pupil. Philolaus posited that the sun and planets were all spherical, and that each of these bodies rotated around a central fire (or 'estia', named after the goddess Hestia), thus departing from the Earth-centured universal scheme. Along with the six known planets at the time (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), the sun, moon and stars (which were emblazoned upon a sphere) all rotated around the central fire, and were joined by a 'counter-earth' (or 'antichthon'), which helped bring the total number of rotating objects to the magical Pythagorean number of ten. Like Anaxagoras, Philolaus posited correctly the nature of eclipses and the phases of the moon (derived from the sun's light).

Answer: 59 years

Another traveller from the colonial outskirts (Chios) to Athens, Oenopides is a nebulous figure in the annals of history. Two major scientific breakthroughs are attributed to his hand however, and his presence in any intelligent discussion of the history of ancient Greek astronomy is required. Oenopides is said to have calculated the obliquity (or slanting) of the Earth rather accurately to 24 degrees (the actual value is closer to 23.5 degrees), and he developed the notion of a 'Great Year', wherein the various bodies of the solar system repeat their cycles of motion. Lunar calendars are referenced to the cycle of a Great Year.

Answer: That the Milky Way is a collection of stars

Democritus was known as the 'Laughing Philosopher', and it seems he did get the last laugh in regards to some of his key theoretical positions. Not only did he posit that the Milky Way was a great collection of stars (and that other planets might revolve around these stars), but he, along with his teacher Leucippus, also asserted that all matter is made up of tiny particles called 'atoms'. Of course, Democritus had no way of proving either of these grand theoretical notions, and the evidential proof backing these wonderful postulations was not revealed until centuries after his death.

Answer: Lycabettus Hill

Towering above ancient Athens was Lycabettus Hill, which measures 277 meters (910 feet) at its peak. Upon this ancient hill worked some of the most meticulous ancient Greek observers of the heavens, including Meton, who first developed the calendar that bears his name (Metonic calendar) in around 432 B.C.E.

The Metonic calendar was perhaps the most precise of the ancient calendars (more so than the Julian calendar, for example) and mirrored rather closely the calendars used by the ancient Chinese, and more recently, the Jewish people (whose calendar still abides by the Metonic cycle).

Answer: Yes

Indeed he did, and many would argue that his influence was largely negative. Plato was interested in scientific uniformity and the notion of an ordered universe, and he set out to 'prove' the widely-held assumptions that the universe was Earth-centered. By dint of his influence, the geocentric view of the universe carried the day (via his pupil Aristotle and the future work of Ptolemy) over the heliocentric notions espoused by Aristarchus just a half-century later. For more on 'Plato the scientist', please see my quiz of that title here:

http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=26213

Answer: Eudoxus

Eudoxus (c. 408 - c. 355 BC) was a key adherent to the geocentric cosmological view, and first began the development of the system of concentric spheres upon which the later work of Aristotle and Ptolemy was based. Eudoxus was born on the Ionian peninsula of Cnidus, and studied Heliopolitan (Egyptian) astronomy for a number of years before settling down to teach at Cyzicus. Along with his system of spheres upon which the heavenly bodies rotated, Eudoxus was most notable for his incredibly accurate estimate of the solar year as 365 days and 6 hours.

Despite his important work it can be argued, much as in the case of Plato, that Eudoxus' efforts helped set back astronomy for centuries.

Answer: China

In approximately 365 B.C.E., it is suggested that Chinese astromers discerned the existence of Jupiter's moons without the aid of any optical equipment. Though this claim is intellectually stimulating and rather romantic, it is highly unlikely to be true since Jupiter's moons cause only a tiny fluctuation in the planet's relative luminosity.

More likely, the first actual observation of Jupiter's moons came in 1610, when Galileo first peered through his self-constructed telescope at the largest planet in our solar system.

Answer: Shin Shen

Shin Shen's 4th century B.C.E. star catalogue consisted of approximately 800 listings, including all of the brightest stars of the northern night sky. This catalogue was assembled 200 years before the most famous Greek star catalogue was created by Hipparchus.

Thank you for having played this quiz, I hope you enjoyed it and learned a thing or two. Please feel free to play the other quizzes in this series (along with some of my quizzes on other topics as well).