Johannes Kepler, born on December 27, 1571, in Weil der Stadt, Duchy of Württemberg, was a German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer. He is best known for his laws of planetary motion, which provided a foundation for Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation.
Kepler's early education was shaped by his family's financial difficulties and his own health issues. He attended the University of Tübingen, where he studied theology with the intent of becoming a minister. However, his interest in astronomy grew, influenced by his teachers, including Michael Mästlin, who was a supporter of the Copernican heliocentric theory.
Kepler's most significant contributions to astronomy include:
Kepler served as an assistant to Tycho Brahe, the Danish nobleman and astronomer, in Prague. After Brahe's death in 1601, Kepler succeeded him as Imperial Mathematician to Emperor Rudolf II. During his time in Prague, Kepler had access to Brahe's meticulous astronomical observations, which were crucial in deriving his laws of motion.
Kepler's work was not immediately accepted by his contemporaries due to its mathematical complexity and the radical shift from the geocentric model. His final years were marked by financial instability, the Thirty Years' War, and personal tragedies. He died on November 15, 1630, in Regensburg, Germany.
Kepler's contributions were foundational for the later development of celestial mechanics and have had a lasting impact on astronomy and physics: