In the period between Galileo and Newton, the debate over the correct world system was essentially between heliocentric and geo-heliocentric models. Comparisons were made between tables that recorded more and more celestial observations in many printed astronomical works. Giovanni Battista Riccioli’s Almagestum novum (1651) provides an excellent example of how tables were used. Riccioli wanted to find the correct hypothesis (hypothesis absoluta) with the help of a rigorous database from which he could proceed to make mathematical deductions. Tables in early modern astronomical books were important to show the results of observations. They were presented in a clear way and might be called visual arguments.
Seeing at a Glance The World-System Debate and the Role of the Comparative Tables in Giovanni Battista Riccioli's Almagestum novum
MARCACCI F
2021
Abstract
In the period between Galileo and Newton, the debate over the correct world system was essentially between heliocentric and geo-heliocentric models. Comparisons were made between tables that recorded more and more celestial observations in many printed astronomical works. Giovanni Battista Riccioli’s Almagestum novum (1651) provides an excellent example of how tables were used. Riccioli wanted to find the correct hypothesis (hypothesis absoluta) with the help of a rigorous database from which he could proceed to make mathematical deductions. Tables in early modern astronomical books were important to show the results of observations. They were presented in a clear way and might be called visual arguments.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.