Regular readers of this blog will know that I am part of a group of historians of astronomy, who have, since 2014, been involved in restoring the reputation of the Franconian astronomer Simon Marius (1573-1624) .
Simon Marius Source: Wikimedia Commons
As part of our efforts we have created a Simon Marius web portal. This portal has recently acquired a new section.
There is now a short film, which in two minutes describes the career and the most important research results of the margravial court astronomer Simon Marius. The animated film visualises his discoveries with historical images and can be viewed on the Marius-Portal. This contribution was sponsored by the Nuremberger film production company 7streich.
The completion of the English language translation of the animated clip has been taken as an opportunity to install a new menu “Video – Films and Podcasts.” As well as the animated clip, there are 19 lectures, TV and Internet reports easily accessible. The majority of the films are in German but there are two English lectures, one from myself and one from Renaissance Mathematicus friend and occasional guest blogger, Professor Chris Graney. The Simon Marius Society maintains the Marius-Portal, which with 34 menu languages lists all documents by or about Simon Marius and–where possible–makes digitally available.
Marius discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter, independently of Galileo Galilei, also in January 1610. They prove that not all celestial bodies orbit the Earth. Marius propagated an interesting geo-heliocentric model, a historically important steppingstone on the route from a geo- to a heliocentric model of the cosmos.
Illustrations from the Marius short film and Marius-Portal
Montage of the first orbital presentation of the Jupiter system by Simon Marius from 1611 with a view of Ansbach from Matthäus Merian from 1648 (Town Archive Ansbach). Marius-Portal/7streich
Montage of historical illustrations of Galileo Galilei and Simon Marius Marius-Portal/7streich
The Renaissance Mathematicus 