Medieval Science

A 3D model of Johannes Kepler's diagram of the inner planets, first published in his 1596 book Mysterium Cosmographicum.  At that time six planets were known, and the hypothesis that their orbits were spherical shells nested between the five Platonic solids seemed as reasonable as string theory does now.

Drawn in a 3 1/4" cube, this model shows the inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.  Next outwards would be the tetrahedron, then Jupiter, then a cube, and lastly Saturn, the outermost planet of the time.

Kepler was one of the great mathematicians of his day.  Best known as the founder of celestial mechanics – after making this model he discovered that the planets move in ellipses – he did fundamental work in optics and integral calculus, as well as discovering and classifying many new polyhedra.

The Inner Planets Crystal comes with clear rubber feet to prevent scratches on your desk or mantel.  Without the stand, it will work best against a dark background.

Abiding Harmony

Kepler's model reminds us that we have always expected the principles of nature to point towards elegance and simplicity.  Although his orbital hypotheses were soon disproved, that expectation remains one of the guiding lights of scientific progress.