Celestial spheres

The sphere [ sfɛ ː rə ] (Greek σφαίρα sfaira, shell, ball ') is a term that was used in ancient times for the heavens, which was intended as a spherical surface. The designation spheres (plural ) was the geocentric idea that underlies the firmament of concentric transparent crystal ball shells at different distances, which rotate different and are attached to the stars.

Pythagoras was the first to develop this theory and postulated that this movement would arise a heavenly music ( music of the spheres ). Hence the name originates ambient sounds for strange ethereal, ghostly music that receives Goethe at the beginning of Faust: "The sun sounds like the old way | in brother spheres betting vocals | and their as prescribed, travel | they perfected with thunder Gang".

Finally, Aristotle and Ptolemy especially built into the doctrine of Sphaerics this theory. With it, they tried to explain why certain planets and star clusters appear to have a common proper motion in the sky. Even Kepler tried to start to explain the harmony of the planet with the ratio of spheres.