Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation provided the underlying physics that explained the mechanics of which prior astronomical finding?
Answer
Kepler's elliptical orbits
Newton's theory of universal gravitation, combined with his laws of motion, provided the causal explanation for why planets followed the elliptical paths described mathematically by Kepler.
#Videos
The 6 Most Famous Astronomers and Their Impact | History | ClickView
Related Questions
Which foundational concept did Hipparchus discover by comparing his star positions to those recorded a century earlier?What mathematical tool, essential for quantitative modeling, did Hipparchus develop and create the first known tables for?What complex geometric feature did Claudius Ptolemy use in his geocentric model to account for the retrograde motion of planets?What was the key assumption Nicolaus Copernicus retained in his heliocentric model that Johannes Kepler later proved incorrect?What crucial pre-telescopic observation did Tycho Brahe make that demonstrated the heavens were not unchangeable?What groundbreaking calculation did Johannes Kepler derive from Tycho Brahe's precise positional data?What key set of telescopic discoveries made by Galileo Galilei provided overwhelming observational evidence for the heliocentric view?Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation provided the underlying physics that explained the mechanics of which prior astronomical finding?What essential cosmological tool did Henrietta Swan Leavitt develop by discovering the period-luminosity relationship for Cepheid variable stars?What critical confirmation did Edwin Hubble provide regarding the 'spiral nebulae'?What specific observational data provided Vera Rubin with hard evidence confirming the existence of invisible matter in the universe?