Music of the Heavens - Kepler''s Harmonic Astronomy

Valued today for its development of the third law of planetary motion, Harmonice mundi (1619) was intended by Kepler to expand on ancient efforts to discern a Creator's plan for the planetary system--an arrangement thought to be based on harmonic relationships. Challenging critics who characterize Kepler's theories of harmonic astronomy as "mystical," Bruce Stephenson offers the first thorough technical analysis of the music the astronomer thought the heavens made, and the logic that led him to find musical patterns in his data. In so doing, Stephenson illuminates crucial aspects of Kepler's intellectual development, particularly his ways of classifying and drawing inferences.

Beginning with a survey of similar theories associating music with the cyclic motions of planets, from Plato to Boethius, the author highlights Ptolemy's Harmonics, a source of inspiration for Kepler's later work. Turning to Kepler himself, Stephenson gives an account of his polyhedral theory, which explains the number and sizes of the planetary orbits in terms of the five regular poly-hedral. He then examines in detail an early theory that relates the planets' vel-ocities to a musical chord, and analyzes Kepler's unpublished commentary on Ptolemy's Harmonics. Devoting most of his attention to Book Five of Harmonice mundi, in which Kepler elaborated on the musical structure of the planetary system, Stephenson lays important groundwork for any further evaluation of Kepler's scientific thought.

Originally published in 1994.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

List of contents

Preface and Acknowledgments Ch. IIEarlier Theories of Astronomical Harmony Ch. IIIJofrancus Offusius: Scientific Astrology Based on Harmony Ch. IVDistances to the Planets Ch. VThe Polyhedral Theory of the Mysterium cosmographicum Ch. VIKepler's First Harmonic Planetary Theory Ch. VIIThe Reconstruction of Ptolemy's Harmonics Ch. VIIIThe Harmonice mundi Ch. IXBook 5 of the Harmonice mundi Ch. 1Regular Polyhedra Ch. 2Harmonic Proportions Ch. 3Astronomical Theory Ch. 4The Proper and Extreme Harmonies Ch. 5The Music of the Planetary Motions Ch. 6Heavenly Modes Ch. 7Universal Harmonies Ch. 8The Four Voices of Celestial Harmony Ch. 9The Causes of the Eccentricities Ch. 10Inhabitants of the Sun Ch. XConclusions Bibliography Index

About the author

Bruce Stephenson

Summary

Valued today for its development of the third law of planetary motion, Harmonice mundi (1619) was intended by Kepler to expand on ancient efforts to discern a Creator's plan for the planetary system--an arrangement thought to be based on harmonic relationships. Challenging critics who characterize Kepler's theories of harmonic astronomy as "mystical," Bruce Stephenson offers the first thorough technical analysis of the music the astronomer thought the heavens made, and the logic that led him to find musical patterns in his data. In so doing, Stephenson illuminates crucial aspects of Kepler's intellectual development, particularly his ways of classifying and drawing inferences.

Beginning with a survey of similar theories associating music with the cyclic motions of planets, from Plato to Boethius, the author highlights Ptolemy's Harmonics, a source of inspiration for Kepler's later work. Turning to Kepler himself, Stephenson gives an account of his polyhedral theory, which explains the number and sizes of the planetary orbits in terms of the five regular poly-hedral. He then examines in detail an early theory that relates the planets' vel-ocities to a musical chord, and analyzes Kepler's unpublished commentary on Ptolemy's Harmonics. Devoting most of his attention to Book Five of Harmonice mundi, in which Kepler elaborated on the musical structure of the planetary system, Stephenson lays important groundwork for any further evaluation of Kepler's scientific thought.

Originally published in 1994.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Additional text

"By 1618, Kepler had discovered his harmonic (or third) law of planetary motions. . . . Bruce Stephenson writes with great clarity and precision and leads the reader confidently through this rather complex byway of astronomical history. . . . Kepler's polyhedral theory of planetary distances is then studied in detail, followed by the core of the book: a thorough investigation of Kepler's musical harmonies of the heavens."

Product details

• Authors: Bruce Stephenson
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.07.2014
• EAN: 9780691605968
• ISBN: 978-0-691-60596-8
• No. of pages: 274
• Series: Princeton Legacy Library; Princeton Legacy Library
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Natural sciences (general); Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; SCIENCE / History, Astrophysics, History of Science, Astronomy, space & time