Abstract
‘The superlunar world’ outlines the astronomical developments of the scientific revolution. Ancient thinkers such as Plato and Ptolemy originated the ideas of planetary orbital spheres and the Zodiac. These ideas formed the basis of medieval European astronomers' work on the stars. Copernicus devised the heliocentric system, which allowed people to use astrology to plan their lives. Galileo used telescopes to make discoveries about the universe that forced him into conflict with the Pope, and eventually into house arrest. Perhaps most importantly, Newton was able to pinpoint gravity as the force which keeps the solar system together.
