answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

There were two theories concerning the way the solar system was layed out. Back before Nickolas Copernicus presented his heliocentric system (the idea that the sun is in the center of the solar system and all the planets revolve around it) the accepted model was the geocentric system (the idea that the earth is in the center of the solar system and all the planets and the sun revolve around it). Galileo Galilee was a huge advocate of the heliocentric system but the church threatened to expel him if he continued to contradict the system that had existed and accepted for hundreds of years.

Obviously, the Copernican system eventually gained total acceptance from the scientific community and recent technologies have been invented that have allowed us to prove that Copernicus was right. So, the answer is because it has been proven and observed by science!

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why is Copernicus' theory still used today?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

How did Copernicus disprove ptolemys theory about the universe?

Shortly before Copernicus died he figured that the Earth was notthecenter of things, but the Sun was. This theory is still used today. He worked out this this theory from detailed observations of the orbit of Mars.


What is the similarity between the Ptolemy and Copernicus models of the solar system?

The similarity is that both theories used a system of circles and epicycles to explain how the planets move around. Copernicus's theory (1543) used a similar number of epicycles, but many of them were smaller so that the paths followed by the planets were geometrically simpler. The difference was that Copernicus placed the Sun at the centre rather than the Earth as the ancient theory had done. Another theory was later produced by Kepler (1609), which used Copernicus's idea of having the Sun at the centre, but Kepler used elliptical orbits for the planets. This new model fitted observational measurements better, but it was not until many years later after the discovery of the law of gravity and the laws of motion (1687) that it was possible to pick out Kepler's theory as the correct one that is still in use today.


What were the similarities between Ptolemy's model and Copernicus' model?

Both Copernicus heliocentric and the Ptolemaic models agreed on the need for epicycles. These were miniature orbits that the celestial bodies travelled on as well as their normal orbits.Copernicus still invigaed the bodies orbiting in perfect circles and had to put these in to explain some of the movements of the planets. This may have contributed to his ideas being largely dismissed as it was just as complicated as the already established model. It was not until Kepler proposed elliptical orbits was this problem resolved.


What invention used by Galileo helped prove Copernicus theory that the earth revolves around the sun?

The astronomical telescope.


Contary to ptolemy what did Copernicus argue concerning the construction of the universe?

Copernicus came up with a new theory of the planets' movements among the stars in 1543. It had the Sun at the centre instead of the Earth, which was in the centre in the ancient Ptolemaic theory. Both theories used circles and epicycles to describe the planet's orbits, which they modelled quite accurately. Copernicus's theory was promoted by Galileo. The modern theory retains Copernicus's idea of placing the Sun at the centre, but it uses elliptical orbits for the planets and was devised by Kepler (1609) working with the latest observations by Tycho Brahe.

Related questions

How Copernicus disprove Ptolemy's theory about the universe?

Shortly before Copernicus died he figured that the Earth was notthecenter of things, but the Sun was. This theory is still used today. He worked out this this theory from detailed observations of the orbit of Mars.


How did Copernicus disprove ptolemys theory about the universe?

Shortly before Copernicus died he figured that the Earth was notthecenter of things, but the Sun was. This theory is still used today. He worked out this this theory from detailed observations of the orbit of Mars.


How did Galileo's observations of Jupiter's moons support Copernicus theory?

The discovery did not support Copernicus's theory directly but it raised doubts about the ancient theory of Ptolemy that said that all objects in the sky are in orbit round the Earth. Galileo was an aggressive supporter of Copernicus's theory but eventually it was Kepler's theory that became accepted and is still used today. Both Copernicus and Kepler placed the Sun at the centre but Kepler's elliptical orbits are supported by the later theory of dynamics.


Where are roman numerals still used today?

Music theory


Is Karl Marx theory still used today where and why?

trade uions


What is the similarity between the Ptolemy and Copernicus models of the solar system?

The similarity is that both theories used a system of circles and epicycles to explain how the planets move around. Copernicus's theory (1543) used a similar number of epicycles, but many of them were smaller so that the paths followed by the planets were geometrically simpler. The difference was that Copernicus placed the Sun at the centre rather than the Earth as the ancient theory had done. Another theory was later produced by Kepler (1609), which used Copernicus's idea of having the Sun at the centre, but Kepler used elliptical orbits for the planets. This new model fitted observational measurements better, but it was not until many years later after the discovery of the law of gravity and the laws of motion (1687) that it was possible to pick out Kepler's theory as the correct one that is still in use today.


Is the Bid rent theory still used today?

Yes, the Bid rent theory is still used today as a framework to explain urban land-use patterns and the spatial distribution of different activities within cities. It provides insights into how land values and rents are influenced by proximity to the city center and transportation networks.


Which scientist made highly accurate measurements that disproved the theories of ptolemy and Copernicus?

Tycho Brahe designed new equipment to measure planets' positions with unprecedented accuracy. Tycho's observations of the planets' orbits led to his alternative model which still had the Earth at the centre with the Sun orbiting it, but with the five other known planets orbiting the Sun. But Tycho's measurements were used by his assistant Kepler to produce an entirely new theory in 1609 with the planets in elliptical orbits, all orbiting the Sun as in Copernicus's model of 1543. Kepler's theory is still used today. It's important to remember that the theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus are not 'wrong', it would be better to say they are not as accurate as Kepler's theory. As models, all three of them predict the planets' positions fairly accurately.


What were the similarities between Ptolemy's model and Copernicus' model?

Both Copernicus heliocentric and the Ptolemaic models agreed on the need for epicycles. These were miniature orbits that the celestial bodies travelled on as well as their normal orbits.Copernicus still invigaed the bodies orbiting in perfect circles and had to put these in to explain some of the movements of the planets. This may have contributed to his ideas being largely dismissed as it was just as complicated as the already established model. It was not until Kepler proposed elliptical orbits was this problem resolved.


What invention used by Galileo helped prove Copernicus theory that the earth revolves around the sun?

The astronomical telescope.


Contary to ptolemy what did Copernicus argue concerning the construction of the universe?

Copernicus came up with a new theory of the planets' movements among the stars in 1543. It had the Sun at the centre instead of the Earth, which was in the centre in the ancient Ptolemaic theory. Both theories used circles and epicycles to describe the planet's orbits, which they modelled quite accurately. Copernicus's theory was promoted by Galileo. The modern theory retains Copernicus's idea of placing the Sun at the centre, but it uses elliptical orbits for the planets and was devised by Kepler (1609) working with the latest observations by Tycho Brahe.


Was Copernicus right or did his idea need some tweaking and how?

Copernicus produced the first heliocentric theory of the planets' movements among the stars in1543. He used the idea that the Sun is at the centre, plus a whole lot more detail that has now been superseded. The modern theory is that of Kepler (1609), which resembles the Copernicus model only in so far as it is also heliocentric.