skip to content

Astronomical Images : The dimensions and distances of planetary orbs

Johannes Kepler

Astronomical Images

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This heliocentric model of Plate [<i>Tabula</i>] 3 shows the six planetary orbs - of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - inscribing and circumscribing the five so-called Platonic solids - the regular octahedron, icosahedron, dodecahedron, tetrahedron and cube. The eccentricities of the planets' paths, and hence the thicknesses of their orbs, are indicated by the epicycles adjacent to the planetary signs within each orb. Kepler regarded the nested solids as a proof for the Copernican hypothesis, as he points out in the 'primary derivation' (summarised below). The model is dedicated to Friedrich, Duke of Wuerttemberg, who had commissioned a drink-dispenser based on it, with the planetary hemispheres serving appropriate beverages - a project that was, alas, abandoned.</p>


Want to know more?

Under the 'More' menu you can find , and information about sharing this image.

No Contents List Available
No Metadata Available

Share

If you want to share this page with others you can send them a link to this individual page:
Alternatively please share this page on social media

You can also embed the viewer into your own website or blog using the code below: