Conclusions

Kepler’s contribution to the study of astronomy and planetary orbits reached well beyond the Renaissance period. His discoveries had an impact on other areas of science, including physics, optics and crystallography. Kepler’s interest in the deflection of light in different environments helped explain how lenses work and how the eye functions like a camera. Kepler also wrote a long essay called a treatise on the geometry of snowflakes. This was an early contribution to crystallography, the study of crystals. Kepler could be classified as an unsung hero. He was not as well known as Galileo or Newton, but his discoveries were equally important. Without Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, Isaac Newton may never have come to his conclusion about the Law of Gravity. As an author, his knowledge of the solar system allowed his imagination to run wild and he wrote one of the first works of science fiction, The Dream. Kepler would be proud to know that science fiction is a popular genre loved by people of all ages.

An artist rendering of space travel. (Britannica)

An artist's drawing of travelers in space in the future. (Britannica)

An artists prediction of what traveling to the moon would have looked like. (Britannica)