It was controversial because basic astronomical theory had been geocentric forever, and developed astronomical theory, in the form of Ptolemy’s Almagest, had been the standard astronomy text for a thousand years. Furthermore, the idea of a moving Earth went against physics as understood at the time. So you had a break with long tradition and with physical theory, and that seemed a very high price to pay for tidying up the map of the universe and getting rid of some epicycles.
Explanation:
The heliocentric, or Sun-centred, model of the solar system never gained wide support because its proponents could not explain why the relative positions of the stars seemed to remain the same despite the Earth's changing viewpoints as it moved around the Sun.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
It was controversial because basic astronomical theory had been geocentric forever, and developed astronomical theory, in the form of Ptolemy’s Almagest, had been the standard astronomy text for a thousand years. Furthermore, the idea of a moving Earth went against physics as understood at the time. So you had a break with long tradition and with physical theory, and that seemed a very high price to pay for tidying up the map of the universe and getting rid of some epicycles.
Explanation:
The heliocentric, or Sun-centred, model of the solar system never gained wide support because its proponents could not explain why the relative positions of the stars seemed to remain the same despite the Earth's changing viewpoints as it moved around the Sun.