Ptolemaic optics

Ptolemaic optics refers to the ideas about light and vision developed by the ancient Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy. His work, particularly in "Almagest" and "Optics," established that light travels in straight lines and explored how the eye perceives objects. Ptolemy also examined reflection and refraction, explaining how light bends when passing through different mediums, like air to water. His theories laid the groundwork for future studies in optics, influencing how people understood vision and light behavior for centuries until the development of more advanced optical theories and experiments in later periods.