Who was Claudius Ptolemy?
Q: Who was Claudius Ptolemy?
A: Claudius Ptolemy was a Greek astronomer, mathematician, and geographer who probably lived and worked in Alexandria, Egypt.
Q: What is he famous for?
A: He is famous for his work on astronomy and geography.
Q: What did Ptolemy believe about the universe?
A: Ptolemy believed in the Greek geocentric view of the universe which stated that Earth was at the center of it with planets and sun moving around it.
Q: How did Ptolemy explain planetary motions?
A: To explain planetary motions, Ptolemy used epicycles and eccentric circles to form a system of nested spheres. This system became known as the Ptolemaic system.
Q: What book did he write about astronomical phenomena?
A: He wrote Mathematical Syntaxis (widely called the Almagest), a thirteen-book mathematical treatment of astronomical phenomena. It contained information ranging from earth conceptions to sun, moon, and star movement as well as eclipses and an explanation of the length of months.
Q: What else did Claudius Ptolemy do besides astronomy?
A: In addition to his work on astronomy, Claudius Ptolemy was important in the history of geography and cartography (making maps). His Geography remained the main work on these subjects until Christopher Columbus' time.
Q: How long were his ideas accepted before they were disproved by Nicolaus Copernicus?
A:Ptolemy's ideas were influential up to 16th century when they were disproved by Nicolaus Copernicus.
