Van Leeuwenhoek's Earth rotation experiment, described in a letter of 1696. A lead ball placed in a water-filled glass globe represented the Earth and
Van Leeuwenhoek's Earth rotation experiment, described in a letter of 1696. A lead ball placed in a water-filled glass globe represented the Earth and its atmosphere. Wax fragments in the water represented clouds. Van Leeuwenhoek's letter compared the rotation of his apparatus to the rotation of the Earth, seeking to demonstrate that the Earth rotated on its axis rather than the universe revolving around the Earth. As well as experiments such as this, Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) built his own microscopes. His earliest observations were published in 1673, and over the next 50 years he self-published and wrote hundreds of letters detailing his discoveries. This page is from Letter 101 to Nicolaas Witsen (written 10 July 1696) and later published in 'Sesde Vervolg' (1697).
Size: 3007px × 4122px
Photo credit: © LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, RARE BOOK AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DIVISION/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, 1600s, 1696, 17th, aan, antonie, artwork, atmosphere, ball, book, brieven, century, comparing, comparison, correspondence, cosmogony, cosmological, cosmology, de, demonstrating, demonstration, der, dutch, european, experiment, experimenting, geocentric, geschreven, glass, globe, illustration, koninglijke, lab, laboratory, lead, leeuwenhoek, letters, londen, page, physical, physics, planet, planetary, publication, research, rotating, rotation, scientist, sesde, societeit, sphere, spherical, universe, van, vervolg, view, world, wytvermaarde
