Johannes Kepler

Biography & Life

Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws of planetary motion, and his books Astronomia nova, Harmonice Mundi, and Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae, which influenced Isaac Newton and provided foundations for his theory of universal gravitation. The variety and impact of his work made Kepler one of the founders of modern astronomy, the scientific method, and modern science. He was a mathematics teacher at a seminary school in Graz, later became an assistant to astronomer Tycho Brahe in Prague, and eventually imperial mathematician to Emperor Rudolf II and his successors. He also did fundamental work in optics, being named the father of modern optics, and invented an improved version of the refracting telescope, the Keplerian telescope. Kepler lived when there was no clear distinction between astronomy and astrology, and incorporated religious arguments into his work, motivated by the conviction that God had created the world according to an intelligible plan accessible through reason.

Historical Significance

Discovered the laws of planetary motion and founded modern astronomy, influencing Newton's theory of universal gravitation

Key Facts

• Profession: Astronomer, Mathematician, Natural Philosopher
• Lifespan: 1571 – 1630
• Nationality: German