What caused people to accept the geocentric model of the universe?

Question

1. Measurements and mathematical models demonstrated that the planets orbit around the sun.
2. Objects seem to move across the sky, and Earth did not feel like it was moving.
3. Telescopes allowed for a much more detailed view of the circular orbits of the planets.
4. Noticing that gravity will eventually pull all the planets and the universe back together.

Answer 1

The primary reason people accepted the geocentric model of the universe is best captured by option:

2. Objects seem to move across the sky, and Earth did not feel like it was moving.

In ancient and medieval times, observations of the heavens leading to the belief that the Earth was at rest and the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets moved around it were very persuasive. The lack of observable motion of the Earth, combined with the everyday experience of life, contributed to the acceptance of the geocentric model.

The other options (1, 3, and 4) do not accurately reflect the reasoning for the acceptance of geocentrism:

1. Measurements and mathematical models demonstrating that planets orbit around the sun correspond more to the heliocentric model, which only gained acceptance later with the work of Copernicus and Galileo.

2. Telescopes actually provided evidence that supported a heliocentric model, rather than the circular orbits of a geocentric model.

3. The concept of gravity as we understand it today was not fully developed until the work of Newton in the 17th century and is not relevant to the original acceptance of geocentrism.

Thus, the acceptance of the geocentric model was largely based on observable phenomena and everyday experience, confirming option 2 as the most relevant answer.