THE EARTH-CENTRED VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE

Once widely accepted, the geocentric model is now the debunked theory that the Earth is the centre of the universe, with the Sun and planets revolving around it – though nevertheless, some people still believe the universe revolves around them. In a 2012 survey conducted by the National Science Foundation of 2,200 people in the United States, when asked “does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around Earth?”, a quarter answered incorrectly.

This antiquated view was once our only perspective of the cosmos. The ancient Greeks were the first to suggest a geocentric view of the universe. Eudoxus was the first to create a model of the geocentric universe in around, released in the 2nd century CE. NASA states that “Ptolemy represents the epitome of knowledge of Grecian astronomy”. This is reflected in the fact that the geocentric model stood the test of time and was accepted for nearly 1,500 years.