Thinking Scientifically
There are some individuals who claim Galileo was wrong in his understanding of the solar system, where he postulated that the sun is the center of the universe as opposed to the earth. This approach was known as heliocentrism. Te main premise was that the earth and the rest of the planets were the ones that revolved around the sun as opposed to having the sun and the other planets revolving around the earth (Siegel, 2010). This belief that the earth was the center of the universe and that the rest of the heavenly bodies revolve around it was referred to as geocentrism. The majority of the claims that were made by Galileo have been proven scientifically (Hunter, 2010). However, there are some aspects in which he was not entirely accurate. One of them is the assumption that the path of revolution of the earth was circular as opposed to the elliptical path of revolution that is held in the present. Another assumption that Galileo had made was with regards to the size of the stars and their approximated distance from the earth and the solar system as a whole (Siegel, 2010). The stars are much further away than Galileo estimated and on that, he can be dismissed as having been wrong.
The claim that a geocentric view is the right one regarding the arrangement of the universe starts to have red flags when the supporters of that notion begin to twist the words of renowned scientists to fit their interpretation of the universe. They claim that the solar system, as it is understood in the present, is all a conspiracy to deny the existence of God by the scientists (Sungenis, 2015). They take the words of Hubble, the astronomer, out of context when he claimed that the earth is in a ‘favored position’ in the universe. They claim that this favored position means that the earth must be at the center of the universe, not just the solar system. Questions that the geocentrics claim have not been answered include why there has not been discovered any life forms in the other planets (Sungenis, 2015). Scientists have already answered that by stating that the position of the earth from the sun ensures that there is a favorable environment that is neither too hot nor too cold for the survival of living organisms. The claims of a conspiracy of scientists, governments, or any other agencies are raised, so a red flag indicated the claims of geocentric persons are not credible.
One of the prevailing arguments made by the supporters of geocentrism is that for the earth to have life, it must be at the centre of the universe (Williams, 2016). They claim that if man to be in the image of God, then God must have placed them in the centre of the universe in order to feel special and have a sense of purpose for them (Sungenis, 2015). The position of the earth in the universe matters so much to the supporters of geocentrism such that they believe it is the proof of the existence of God. But then, beliefs are known to closely resemble superstitions, and most superstitions have been proven wrong. As mentioned earlier, the existence of life on earth is not determined by its position in the universe. Rather, it is determined by the environment, and whether that environment supports the existence of water in liquid form and other elements that are needed to sustain a life form. Scientists have determined that the position of the earth from the sun has determined that the elements in the earth are just right for the existence and sustenance of life. Other planets such as Mercury and Venus happen to extreme temperatures and weather patterns that make it hard for living organisms to survive naturally. It is true that the position of the earth from the sun has ensured that live exists, but is has not been a necessity for it to be at the centre of the universe.
Supporters of geocentrism appear oblivious to the massive size of the universe, and their focus tends to be on earth (Williams, 2016). Advanced research has determined that in addition to the solar system, there are bigger systems such as galaxies and groups of galaxies that make up the universe (Plait, 2010). These are so massive that it is pointless to estimate their size and age. It is difficult to dismiss either the supporters of geocetrism or those of heliocentrism. This is because each group has valuable insights to stimulate one’s mind. Geocentric individuals tend to hold the view that there is an existence of a precise order in the universe that contradicts its existence having happened by chance. This order has baffled even the scientists. It is, therefore, difficult to deny the existence of an intelligent being that put it all together. There was an age, when the geocentric view was mainstream and that has been overtaken by science. Still, there is a need for heliocentrism supporters hold an open mind, as new discoveries might suffice in the future and replace the heliocentric view of the universe.
The understanding of the universe is very dynamic with new discoveries taking place. It has recently been discovered that Pluto, the ninth body from the sun, is not really a planet but a rocky mass. There is also evidence of other planets that revolve around the sun beyond Pluto. Inquiries into whether there are other planets in the universe that contain life have also been ongoing. With more knowledge being gathered regarding how the universe is constituted and how the different heavenly bodies behave in relation to each other, there is a possibility of the heliocentric view of the universe becoming discredited in the future, in favor of a more convincing paradigm regarding how the universe is organized. At the moment, however, it is best to assume that heliocentric view of the universe is the more accurate version of explaining how the universe is constituted. This is because the heliocentric view of the universe offers plausible explanations for the different phenomena that humans experience. These include the various phases of the moon, solar and lunar eclipses, the four seasons experienced on earth, and the tides of the seas and oceans. This makes the heliocentric view of the arrangement of the planets and stars more convincing. The laws of physics that have to do with gravitational force also support the heliocentric view of the universe.
References
Siegel, E. (2010). Geocentrism: Was Galileo wrong? Retrieved 21 February 2017, from http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2010/09/13/geocentrism-was-galileo-wrong/
Hunter, C. (2010). Why Galileo was wrong, even though he was right. Retrieved 21 February 2017, from http://darwins-god.blogspot.co.ke/2010/03/why-galileo-was-wrong-even-though-he.html
Plait, P. (2010). Geocentrism? seriously? Retrieved 21 February 2017, from http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/09/14/geocentrism-seriously/
Sungenis, R. (2015). I couldn’t have done better for geocentrism than Karl Keating did on Catholic answers live! Retrieved from http://galileowaswrong.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Karl_Keatings_Kosmology_website_version.pdf
Williams, M. (2016). What is the geocentric model of the universe? Retrieved 21 February 2017, from http://www.universetoday.com/32607/geocentric-model/