Johannes Kepler's work

Definition

Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to our understanding of the laws of planetary motion. He developed three laws known as Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, which described how planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun.

Related terms

Elliptical orbit: An orbit that is shaped like an ellipse rather than a perfect circle.

Kepler's First Law: Also known as the law of ellipses, states that each planet orbits the sun in a path shaped like an ellipse with the sun at one focus.

Kepler's Second Law: Also known as the law of equal areas, states that a line connecting a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals as it moves along its elliptical orbit.