Of Mites and Men: Johannes Kepler on Stars and Size
Christopher M. Graney
TL;DR
This paper examines Johannes Kepler's 1606 discussion on the size of stars in relation to the Sun, addressing Tycho Brahe's objections to heliocentrism through historical translation and analysis.
Contribution
It provides an English translation and analysis of Kepler's response to star size objections, highlighting his reasoning and references from De Stella Nova.
Findings
Kepler's argument refutes Brahe's star size objections
Historical translation clarifies Kepler's reasoning
Insights into early heliocentric debates
Abstract
In his 1606 De Stella Nova, Johannes Kepler attempted to answer Tycho Brahe's argument that the Copernican heliocentric hypothesis required all the fixed stars to dwarf the Sun, something Brahe found to be a great drawback of that hypothesis. This paper includes a translation into English of Chapter 16 of De Stella Nova, in which Kepler discusses this argument, along with brief outlines of both Tycho's argument and Kepler's answer (which references snakes, mites, men, and divine power, among other things).
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Taxonomy
TopicsEvolution and Science Education · Historical and Architectural Studies · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies