Why did Galileo s observations of moons orbiting Jupiter disagree with geocentric model of the universe of his time?
A) The moons moved in non-circular orbits about Jupiter.
B) The moons did not appear to orbit the Sun.
C) The moons did not appear to orbit the Earth.
D) The moons appeared to be too small, and therefore too far away, to be considered part of the solar system.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Galileo observed the moons of Jupiter moving in orbits around Jupiter, not the Earth. This was incompatible with the geocentric model of the universe, which held that all celestial bodies, including the moons, orbited the Earth. The geocentric model of the universe placed the Earth at the center of the universe, with all celestial bodies orbiting around it. However, Galileo's observations of moons orbiting Jupiter showed that not all celestial bodies orbited around the Earth. The moons orbiting Jupiter did not appear to orbit the Earth, which contradicted the basic premise of the geocentric model.

Why Did Galileo S Observations of Moons Orbiting Jupiter Disagree