Heaven on Earth: how Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo discovered the modern world

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"A vivid narrative that connects the lives of four great astronomers and the scientific discovery that ushered in the modern era. Before the invention of the telescope, people used nothing more than their naked eye to understand what took place in the visible sky. So how did four men in the sixteenth century--of different nationality, age, religion, and class--collaborate to discover that the earth revolved around the sun? With this radical discovery, they created our contemporary world and with it, the uneasy conditions of modern life. Heaven on Earth is an intimate examination of this scientific family--that of Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei. Author L.S. Fauber brilliantly situates these astronomers in their historic time while juxtaposing their scientific work with insight into their personal lives and political considerations. We often think of individuals who challenge the status quo as lone geniuses but, as Fauber reveals, collaboration was vital for these scientists. They formed a kind of family, related to each other via intellectual pursuit rather than blood. These men called each other "brothers," "fathers," and "sons," and laid the foundations of modern science through familial co-work. And though the sixteenth century was far from the an open society for women, Brahe's sister Sophie, Kepler's mother, Katharina, and Galileo's daughter, Maria Celeste were pioneers in this family in their own right. Filled with rich characters and sweeping historical scope, Heaven on Earth reveals how the strong intergenerational connections between these pillars of intellectual history moved science forward--and how their personalities interacted to give us the heliocentric model of the universe"--Dust jacket flap.;How did four men in the sixteenth century-- of different nationality, age, religion, and class-- collaborate to discover that the earth revolved around the sun? Fauber situates Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler and Galilei in their historic time while juxtaposing their scientific work with insight into their personal lives and political considerations. He shows how they formed a kind of family, related to each other via intellectual pursuit rather than blood, and laid the foundations of modern science through familial co-work. Fauber also highlights the women-- Brahe's sister Sophie, Kepler's mother, Katharina, and Galileo's daughter, Maria Celeste-- who were pioneers in this family in their own right. -- adapted from jacket. Introducing the stars -- NICOLAUS COPERNICUS. Nicolaus in the Old World The fall of the House of Watzenrode In opposition The first Copernican The first account The first dissent The second account Postmortem -- TYCHO BRAHE. New stars A burdensome privilege Hven Urania through the years Treasures on the broken road The parvenu Goodbye to all that The outside world A letter received -- JOHANNES KEPLER. Fathers, sons, ghosts The theological turn Judgment A letter sent The need for harmony The eyes of the bear Two families Lunacy Reversals of fortune The war on astronomy Ascension -- GALILEO GALILEI. Descent Upon leaving the top of the arc Pupils Horky's odyssey Their rekindled friendship The naming of things The new man Their dying friendship The renaming of things First signs of night The animals Wine and women Two winters and a spring The other side of the door A bad memory A dove A tongue of fire Death and the garden The changing tides Works of his golden years A family man The dialogue The teacher Lacunae Life inside a box The four last things in cruel disorder -- Appendix: Seven vignettes from the new astronomy.