# Aristarchus of Samos

> He put the Sun at the center eighteen centuries before Copernicus did. The idea didn't take—Aristotle's Earth-centric cosmos won the argument for the next two thousand years—but Aristarchus had already worked it out: Earth orbiting, rotating, smaller than the star it circles.

*Greek astronomer and mathematician (c.310–c.230 BC)*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/aristarchus-of-samos

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Scientist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q39631))
- **Category:** Scientists
- **Born:** -310
- **Died:** -230
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

Born in Samos around 310 BC, Aristarchus likely studied in Alexandria under Strato of Lampsacus. He built sundials, observed the summer solstice of 280 BC, and attempted to measure the sizes and distances of the Sun and Moon. His calculation that the Sun was seven times larger than Earth (wildly low, but still enormous by ancient standards) led him to a radical conclusion: something that massive belonged at the center. He took Philolaus's old idea of a central fire and recast it as the Sun, arranging the planets in their correct order around it and suspecting the stars were distant suns. The model was rejected. Aristotle and Ptolemy's geocentric universe held the floor until Copernicus, who knew Aristarchus had proposed a moving Earth but likely never grasped that he'd already solved the whole puzzle.

## Fame
- **Popularity score:** 63.3 / 100
- **Momentum:** 15.0 / 100  (trend: RISING)
- **Historical depth:** 24.0 / 100
- **Now attention:** 14.3 / 100
- **Source confidence:** 60.0 / 100
- **Profile completeness:** 45.0 / 100
- **Category rank:** #216

## Topics
#Scientists, #Scientist, #Astronomy, #Ancient History

## Sources
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q140188)
- [Pantheon 2.0](https://pantheon.world/profile/person/Aristarchus%20of%20Samos)
- [ارسطرخس](https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%AE%D8%B3)
- [Aristarxus Samoslu](https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarxus_Samoslu)
- [Aristarkhos saking Samos](https://ban.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarkhos_saking_Samos)
- [Арыстарх Самоскі](https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%80%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85_%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%96)
- [Аристарх Самоски](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85_%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8)
- [সামোসের আরিসতারকুস](https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B8)
- [Aristarc de Samos](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarc_de_Samos)
- [ئاریستارخۆس](https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AE%DB%86%D8%B3)
- [Aristarchos ze Samu](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarchos_ze_Samu)
- [Aristarchos](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarchos)
- [Aristarchos von Samos](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarchos_von_Samos)
- [Αρίσταρχος ο Σάμιος](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CF%81%CE%AF%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%BF_%CE%A3%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%82)
- [Aristarko el Samoso](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarko_el_Samoso)
- [Aristarco de Samos](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarco_de_Samos)
- [Aristarko Samoskoa](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarko_Samoskoa)
- [آریستارخوس ساموسی](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A2%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%B3_%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C)
- [Aristarkhos Samoslainen](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarkhos_Samoslainen)
- [Aristarque de Samos](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarque_de_Samos)
- [Arastarchas as Samas](https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arastarchas_as_Samas)
- [Aristarco de Samos](https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarco_de_Samos)
- [אריסטרכוס מסאמוס](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%A1_%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1)
- [Aristarh sa Samosa](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarh_sa_Samosa)
- [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos)
- [Wikiquote](https://it.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aristarco_di_Samo)
- [Aristarchos van Samos](https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarchos_van_Samos)
- [أرسطرخس الساموسي](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%AE%D8%B3_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A)

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