Glossary term: Scientific Model
Description: Scientific models can be physical, mathematical, conceptual, or analogic, and they aim to represent and/or explain some aspect(s) of a process, system, or phenomena. Scientific models can also be used to make predictions, although that does not mean models that do not make predictions are not scientific. Scientific models are not always meant to be "factual" representations of the world, but rather they are tools for allowing us to explore concepts that would otherwise be abstract, intangible, and challenging to understand. One example is the geocentric model: although it does not represent the reality of the Solar System, it is used when discussing ideas related to the celestial sphere. Sometimes multiple models may be required to fully explain a concept.
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Term and definition status: This term and its definition have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher
The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".
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In Other Languages
- Arabic: النموذج العلمي
- German: Wissenschaftliches Modell
- Spanish: Modelo científico
- French: Modèle scientifique
- Italian: Modello scientifico
- Korean: 과학적 모델
- Marathi: वैज्ञानिक नमुना किंवा मॉडेल
- Brazilian Portuguese: Modelo científico
- Simplified Chinese: 科学模型
- Traditional Chinese: 科學模型
Related Media
Copernicus's heliocentric system
Caption: Sketch of Copernicus's heliocentric model of the Solar System, from his book "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the revolution of the heavenly spheres) published in 1543. Shown are the Sun as well as the orbits of Mercury, Venus, the Earth (itself orbited by the Moon), Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The outermost circle represents the sphere of the stars.
In this model, the Earth is not special – it is merely one planet, among several, orbiting the Sun. This was the first example for what is now known as the Copernican Principle: that our positions as observers in the universe is not special or privileged in any way. The shift from the geocentric to the heliocentric model of our universe is known as the Copernican revolution.
Credit: Nicolaus Copernicus
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License: PD Public Domain icons
A Geocentric chart from 1568
Caption: This map, created in 1568 by the Portuguese cartographer Bartolomeu Velho, depicts the worldview of the time, when many scholars believed in a geocentric model of the cosmos — the idea that Earth sits at the centre of the Universe with the Sun, Moon, the five planets known at the time, and stars moving around it. Although primarily a navigational chart, the design and layout of this map were influenced by astronomical understanding rooted in geocentric thinking.
The geocentric model was widely accepted for many centuries, especially in Europe, based on interpretations of celestial motions and philosophical traditions that placed Earth at the centre. It was only later, with observations by astronomers such as, Galileo Galilei, that this model was replaced by the heliocentric model, which places the Sun at the centre of the Solar System.
Credit: Bartolomeu Velho
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License: PD Public Domain icons
