A Brief History
The studies of stars have consumed human minds for most of our history. The thirst for understanding of our universe drove people like Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Edwin Hubble to devote their lives to the study of astronomy. While it wasn’t until the early 1500s that humans began to have a deeper understanding of the stars, we wouldn’t be where we are as a human race without the study of the universe we live in. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines astronomy as “the study of objects and matter outside the earth’s atmosphere and of their physical and chemical properties.” Until the 18th-century astronomy was still merely scribbles and thought fragments of mathematicians trying to make something of the stars, however after Sir Isaac Newton verified that the sun was the catalyst for planetary motion the world began to see the validity and implications of the science of astronomy could have on the world. According to Dr. Stephen Case (find out more about him in sec. Meet The Staff) astronomy is often referred to as one of man’s earliest forms of science. Case states that “The stars were used by our ancestors to know when to plant and harvest food in some of the earliest records of astronomy.”
Timeline of Significant Astronomical Discoveries
1543 Copernicus publishes his theory that planets orbit around the Sun. (The Heliocentric Theory)
1609 Galileo discovers the moons of Jupiter, craters on Earth’s Moon, the turning of the Sun, and the presence of innumerable stars in the Milky Way with a telescope that he built.
1666 Isaac Newton begins his work on the theory of universal gravitation.
1923 Edwin Hubble proves that other galaxies lie beyond the Milky Way.
2003–2004 The Hubble Space Telescope makes repeated images of a region of the sky that, combined together, make up the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field, the deepest picture of the universe ever made
Timeline information courtesy of dummies.com
Meet The Staff
Dr. Stephen Case is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Geosciences at Olivet Nazarene University. Dr. Case first got his B.S. in Physical Science from Olivet Nazarene University. Directly following he obtained his M.A. in Physics from the University of Mississippi. Dr. Case then finished his schooling with a Ph.D. in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Case first started his career with Olivet in 2008 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Science. When asked about how he got to where he is today Dr. Case answered “I grew up just outside of Flint, Michigan, and remember going to the planetarium shows when I was younger and just loving it.” Case went on to explain how that initial interest in astronomy gradually grew into the career path he chose to pursue throughout his life.
Olivet’s Astronomy Opportunites
At Olivet Nazarene University there is the opportunity for students to learn about the science of astronomy. Olivet offers a select few classes in the STEM program such as Planetary Astronomy and Stellar and Galactic Astronomy. Dr. Case teaches both of these classes at Olivet. When asked what students can expect to benefit from in these classes he answered “Of course I find the material interesting, but I also believe it is important to find our sense of belonging in the universe, and students have the chance to find that in my classes. Students will also come out with better astronomical literacy which I think is also important to have to some extent.” As described by Olivet’s course catalog, students in a class such as Planetary Astronomy will learn to answer questions such as “What is humanity’s place in the universe?” “How did we learn that Earth revolves around the Sun as opposed to the Sun revolving around Earth?” Students learn about astronomy using telescopes to analyze the night sky and its star patterns as well as through the utilization of Strickler Planetarium.
The Strickler Planetarium is a state-of-the-art digital planetarium used not only for students’ education on campus but also for the education of the public. Strickler puts on shows for students and the public alike where the audience is immersed into an accurate 3D model of the known universe. Using a newly updated system, Digistar 6, Stickler Planetarium provides an experience only available in two other planetaria in the entire state of Illinois. (If you’re interested in learning more about computer technology and science click here)
