Astronomy Practice Exam

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What did Tycho Brahe's detailed observations allow Johannes Kepler to do?

Propose a new telescope design
Discover the laws of planetary motion
Calculate the mass of planets
Create a map of the stars

The correct answer is: Discover the laws of planetary motion

Tycho Brahe's meticulous and comprehensive observations of the celestial bodies provided Johannes Kepler with the critical data necessary to formulate his three laws of planetary motion. Brahe's precise measurements of the positions of planets and stars were far superior to any previous efforts and laid the groundwork for Kepler's groundbreaking work. Using Brahe's data, Kepler was able to analyze the motion of Mars, which led him to deduce that the planets move in elliptical orbits rather than circular ones. This was a significant departure from the traditional Ptolemaic model, which held that planetary orbits were perfect circles. Kepler's ability to formulate these laws fundamentally changed our understanding of the solar system and the motion of celestial bodies, establishing the foundation for modern astronomy. Thus, Kepler's discoveries were directly enabled by Brahe's detailed observations.