Discussing who discovered earth may take the topic back to the Garden of Eden. This was where man was said to first discover his planet. However, discovering earth can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.
Who Discovered Earth was Not the Center of the Universe?
Discussing who discovered the planet may be in terms of who did so to prove that it was not the center of the universe. In ancient times, earth was thought to be located in the center of the universe. All other planets, including the sun and stars, revolved around it. It was among the central teachings of the church. To believe otherwise was considered heretic.
Nicolaus Copernicus was the man who discovered earth as merely among planets that revolved around the sun. He presented a model of the solar system that was heliocentric in nature. This later became among the few established facts about earth’s discovery. Galileo later confirmed Copernicus’ statement.
Ancient people also believed that the earth was flat. Among the proponents then was a Greek named Homer. They could not imagine earth being in any other shape. Hinting of a circular earth would have earned the cruel ridicule, if not the ire, of intellectuals then. The only problem was how to explain getting to the other flat side of the earth. Some said sailing to the extreme end of a flat earth would cause ships to fall into a deep abyss. Furthermore, where did sea water flow to upon reaching earth’s extreme ends?
Plato, a Greek philosopher, put one of the most important facts about earth’s discovery–his theory of a spherical earth. With this theory, the planet would have no extreme ends and would have a continuous circumference without beginning or end. Pythagoras, a mathematician, later confirmed the theory: the earth was round.
Who Discovered Earth Rotated as it Revolved Around the Sun?
Noted Greek researcher Eratosthenes postulated that the earth rotated on an axis and even was a certain degree tilted as it did so. He also estimated the diameter of the planet. All these were added vital facts about earth’s discovery during that time. However, all these “facts” were still considered hearsay by some people until a proof beyond doubt is established. One day, an ambitious expedition around the world put all doubts to rest. It established the above theories as facts.
Who Discovered Earth as Round and Proved It, Too?
In the 16th century, an ambitious sea expedition was made by Ferdinand Magellan. Born in Portugal, he later acquired Spanish citizenship and served the king of Spain. By circumnavigating the earth, he proved it to be round, once and for all.