Johannes Kepler

Johannes Kepler was a 17th-century astronomer whose laws of planetary motion transformed our understanding of the cosmos. He discovered that planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths, not perfect circles, and formulated three key laws describing their motion. His work laid the groundwork for classical mechanics and influenced future scientists, including Isaac Newton. Kepler also made significant contributions to optics, studying how light behaves through lenses and refining telescopes. By integrating mathematics with astronomy, he helped shift perspectives from a geocentric (Earth-centered) to a heliocentric (Sun-centered) model, greatly impacting astrophysics and our understanding of celestial mechanics.