Astronomical Images : Theory of the sphere of Venus
Johannes Kepler
Astronomical Images
<p style='text-align: justify;'>This figure is one of six used to illustrate 'On the Dimensions of the Heavenly Orbs and Spheres, according to the <i>Prutenic Tables</i>, Following the Opinion of Copernicus', appended by Michael Maestlin to Kepler's <i>Mysterium cosmographicum</i>. In this appendix Maestlin provides an exposition of Copernican models for the paths of the Earth, Moon and planets. These models, together with data from Reinhold (in fact, largely from his unpublished <i>Commentary</i> on Copernicus, rather than from his <i>Prutenic Tables</i>), provided the basis for his calculations of the dimensions of the circumsolar spheres. This figure presents the theory of the sphere of Venus.</p>