Ptolemy Coloring Contest

Maxwell Hall, room 101

You are probably familiar with how Copernicus reimagined the heavens, and placed the Earth in motion around the sun, but did you know that Copernicus relied on the observational data of the Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy? Ptolemy’s system of the heavens placed the Earth in the center, and explained the paths of celestial objects with respect to this stationary Earth, offering the “deferent and epicycle” model with planets spiraling in smaller loops while tracing their major paths. Come learn how Ptolemy’s system explains the heavens, and how his system laid the groundwork for Copernicus. Bring out your creativity by coloring an image of Ptolemy, and drawing his model of the heavens, using a complimentary spirograph! The top coloring contest participants will receive a gift certificate the Chocolate Moose ice cream parlor here in Bloomington!