And Tycho Brahe,
another great astronomer, who did not believe at all in the new ideas
of Copernicus, made a number of observations on our near neighbor
Mars, to show that Copernicus was wrong. He gave these to Kepler,
another great astronomer, enjoining him to explain them in such a way
as to overthrow the Copernican ideas. But Kepler behaved like Balaam
the son of Beor; for, called on to curse (or at least to denounce) the
views of Copernicus, he altogether blessed them three times. First,
he found from the motions of Mars that the planets do not travel in
circles, but in ovals, very nearly circular in shape, but not having
the sun exactly at the center. Secondly, he discovered the law
according to which they move, now faster now slower, in their oval
paths; and thirdly, he found a law according to which the nearer
planets travel more quickly and the farther planets more slowly,
every distance having its own proper rate. These three laws of Kepler
constitute the Magna Charta of the solar system.
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