When Johannes Kepler was born in the late 16th century, people thought that planets in the solar system traveled in circular orbits around Earth. An occasional ... [See also our overview of Famous Astronomers and other scientists who have contributed to the rich history of discoveries in astronomy. read more
Instead, he gave Kepler the job of solving the mystery of Mars, which was among the most perplexing issues in the field of astronomy at the time. As luck would have it, the in depth records of the planet were the things Kepler needed to know how the solar system worked. read more