Astro2110 – The Solar System

Sir Isaac Newton lived from January 4, 1643 to March 31, 1727. He is commonly hailed as the father of classical mechanics and one of the most influential scientists and mathematicians of all time. Beyond developing calculus, which serves as the infrastructure for modern astronomy, he discovered the fundamental laws that govern bodies of terrestrial and astronomical scales. This include the law of universal gravitation, the laws of motion, and the behavior of light. In the mid 17^th century there was an outbreak of the plague in Europe. This contributed to Newton’s reclusive and antisocial nature. Newton’s behavior made him notoriously difficult to work with, leading to many notable feuds with fellow scientists and mathematicians, including physicist Robert Hooke. In 1703, Hooke died. As Newton’s long time rival, Hooke had discovered many principals, such as the inverse square law, that laid the foundation for future astronomers. During this time period, King Charles II rose to power following the beheading of Charles II, restoring the English monarchy.

Through studying the historical context of Newton’s life, I have discovered an insight into the nature of science. Regardless of the politics or misfortunes of the world, science will always progress. Even when suppressed by religious groups, progress is always made, and our understanding of the universe around us will always grow.

Sir Isaac Newton lived from January 4, 1643 to March 31, 1727. He is commonly hailed as the father of classical mechanics and one of the most influential scientists and mathematicians of all time. Beyond developing calculus, which serves as the infrastructure for modern astronomy, he discovered the fundamental laws that govern bodies of terrestrial and astronomical scales. This include the law of universal gravitation, the laws of motion, and the behavior of light. In the mid 17^th century there was an outbreak of the plague in Europe. This contributed to Newton’s reclusive and antisocial nature. Newton’s behavior made him notoriously difficult to work with, leading to many notable feuds with fellow scientists and mathematicians, including physicist Robert Hooke. In 1703, Hooke died. As Newton’s long time rival, Hooke had discovered many principals, such as the inverse square law, that laid the foundation for future astronomers. During this time period, King Charles II rose to power following the beheading of Charles II, restoring the English monarchy.

Through studying the historical context of Newton’s life, I have discovered an insight into the nature of science. Regardless of the politics or misfortunes of the world, science will always progress. Even when suppressed by religious groups, progress is always made, and our understanding of the universe around us will always grow.

Isaac Newton was born on January 4, 1643 and died on March 31, 1727.

Isaac Newton is best known for his work on gravity. More specifically, he founded Newton’s Law of Gravitation. This formula states that the force of gravity between two objects is dependent on the massiveness of the two objects and the distance between them squared. In addition, he stated the three laws of motion. The Law of Inertia can be applied to space because there are no external forces in a near perfect vacuum, so things always launched at a certain speed will stay at that speed forever unless acted upon by an external force. But in terms of astronomy, his most important discovery (in my opinion) was the Law of Gravitation.

On January 30, 1649, King Charles I of England is beheaded for treason. This was hugely important, as the monarchy went down, and a new English Commonwealth was established. There were many reasons for his beheading. First off, he married a Catholic French Princess, which did not sit well with his Protestant subjects. Additionally, throughout his reign, he never had a solid relationship with Parliament and during his 24 year rule, he dissolved Parliament many times. Eventually this led to the First English Civil War.

From 1701 to 1714, The War of the Spanish Succession raged on. This was caused by Charles II having no children to pass on his massive empire to. Charles II had died in 1685, long before the war started. Charles II had left in his will to leave his entire kingdom behind to Louis’ grandson, Philip of Anjou. This led to a breakout and a 13 year war. After the war, Austria firmly planted itself as a serious power.

Johann Sebastian Bach lived from March 31, 1685 to July 28, 1750. Bach was the greatest musician and composer of all time, many would say. Bach changed forever the style of music, as he mastered the Baroque style of music. “Furthermore, this was the time of the Age of Science; the culture therefore was a conflicted combination of both extravagance and calculation. The style of music reflected both of these dualisms” (link to quote)

There was a lot of political turmoil in Europe at the time, and this was a time when many new discoveries were being made. Nothing was stable in the monarchy or other countries’ monarchies. There were multiple wars that spanned this time period of these famous astronomers, yet they were able to complete their work, which I find amazing. I also really enjoyed reading some of Bach’s history. The quote above stated his work incorporated the Age of Science. I don’t quite understand music to really know what that means, but the fact he was able to comply with the times makes me wonder if he ever had any connection with the famous astronomers of the 1600s when he lived.