On Philolaus' astronomy

In Philolaus' cosmology, the earth revolves around a central fire along with the other heavenly bodies, including a planet called the counter-earth which orbits below the earth. His theory can account for most astronomical phenomena. A common criticism of his theory since ancient times is that...

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Veröffentlicht in:Archive for history of exact sciences 2015-03, Vol.69 (2), p.217-230
1. Verfasser: Graham, Daniel W.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:In Philolaus' cosmology, the earth revolves around a central fire along with the other heavenly bodies, including a planet called the counter-earth which orbits below the earth. His theory can account for most astronomical phenomena. A common criticism of his theory since ancient times is that his counter-earth does no work in the system. Yet ancient sources say the planet was supposed to account for some lunar eclipses. A reconstruction of Philolaus' cosmology shows how lunar eclipses occurring at certain times of day cannot be explained by earth blocking the sun's light. The counter-earth could explain these eclipses.
ISSN:0003-9519
1432-0657
DOI:10.1007/s00407-014-0147-3