Kepler's Anniversary Available to Purchase

The year 1971 marked the quadricentennial of Kepler's birth. Born in the medieval town of Weil der Stadt near Stuttgart, neither his parentage nor early education augured any future greatness as a natural philosopher or astronomer. Though he studied theology at the renowned University of Tuebingen, it was only after he was assigned to teach mathematics and astronomy in the remote Styrian town of Graz that he started on his way to fame as an astronomer. At first his own inclinations were more toward the classical and even mysterious ideals, but his later association with Tycho Brahe, the keen Danish astronomical observer, in Prague caused him to consider also the more mathematical-mechanical views. Though we owe to him the basic operational laws of planetary motion among many important contributions, he nevertheless mystifies us with his dream of a lunar voyage and his astrological views. In spite of the fact that his private life was racked with many personal problems and tragedies, he never lost his appreciation for the beauty and harmony of the universe.