--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The heaven is spherical in shape, and…" description: "\"The heaven is spherical in shape, and moves as a sphere; the earth too is sensibly spherical in shape, when taken as a whole; in position it lies in th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/ptolemy-32493_astronomy_the-heaven-is-spherical-in-shape-and-mov_1092817.png" --- # The heaven is spherical in shape, and moves as a sphere… ![“The heaven is spherical in shape, and moves as a sphere; the earth too is sensibly spherical in shape, when taken as a whole; in position it lies in the middle of the heavens very much like its center; in size and distance it has the ratio of a point to the sphere of the fixed stars; and it has no…” quote by Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/ptolemy-32493_astronomy_the-heaven-is-spherical-in-shape-and-mov_1092817.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/ptolemy-32493_astronomy_the-heaven-is-spherical-in-shape-and-mov_1092817.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/ptolemy-32493_astronomy_the-heaven-is-spherical-in-shape-and-mov_1092817.png) > “The heaven is spherical in shape, and moves as a sphere; the earth too is sensibly spherical in shape, when taken as a whole; in position it lies in the middle of the heavens very much like its center; in size and distance it has the ratio of a point to the sphere of the fixed stars; and it has no motion from place to place.” [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes the ancient belief that both heavens and earth are spherical and stationary, with Earth at the center of the cosmos. **In simple terms:** Ancient view of a stationary spherical Earth at the universe's center. Key Takeaway Recognize how scientific models evolve over time. Themes cosmology astronomy history of science Mood reflective inquisitive Type historical educational When to use this quote - educational lectures - museum exhibits - science curricula - public debates on science Key Concepts geocentrism celestial mechanics philosophy of science Questions to Reflect On - How does this ancient model compare to current understanding? - What does this tell us about the progress of scientific knowledge? A Different Perspective Modern astronomy disproves geocentrism, showing Earth orbits the Sun. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Cosmology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmology/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heavens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavens/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) ## Related quotes > [Those who know that the consensus of many centuries has sanctioned the conception that the earth remains at rest in the middle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolaus-copernicus/those-who-know-that-the-consensus-of-many-centuries-has-sanctioned/) [Nicolaus Copernicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolaus-copernicus/) > [Amid this vast and overwhelming space and in these boundless solar archipelagoes, how small is our own sphere, and the earth, what a grain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/amid-this-vast-and-overwhelming-space-and-in-these-boundless-solar/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [Hard to find anything lovelier than a tree. They grow at right angles to a tangent of the nominal sphere of the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/hard-to-find-anything-lovelier-than-a-tree-they-grow-at-right-angles/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [Since man, fragment of the universe, is governed by the same laws that preside over the heavens, it is by no means absurd to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-yourcenar/since-man-fragment-of-the-universe-is-governed-by-the-same-laws-that/) [Marguerite Yourcenar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-yourcenar/) > [My history of moving away from drugs is not the kind you hear from most people. 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If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) Richard Doll ## More by Ptolemy > [Everything that is hard to attain is easily assailed by the generality of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ptolemy/everything-that-is-hard-to-attain-is-easily-assailed-by-the/) [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) > [There’s an inherent message in my work relating to recycling and the nature of value, but my artistic inspiration is fired by the qualities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ptolemy/there-s-an-inherent-message-in-my-work-relating-to-recycling-and-the/) [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) > [It is clearly evident that most events of a widespread nature draw their causes from the enveloping heavens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ptolemy/it-is-clearly-evident-that-most-events-of-a-widespread-nature-draw/) [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) > [“I know that I am mortal by nature, and ephemeral; but when I trace at my pleasure the windings to and fro of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ptolemy/i-know-that-i-am-mortal-by-nature-and-ephemeral-but-when-i-trace-at/) [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) > [The length of life takes the leading place among inquiries about events following birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ptolemy/the-length-of-life-takes-the-leading-place-among-inquiries-about/) [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) > [Therefore the solid body of the earth is reasonably considered as being the largest relative to those moving against it and as remaining unmoved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ptolemy/therefore-the-solid-body-of-the-earth-is-reasonably-considered-as/) [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) > [As material fortune is associated with the properties of the body, so honor belongs to those of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ptolemy/as-material-fortune-is-associated-with-the-properties-of-the-body-so/) [Ptolemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ptolemy/) > [If the earth were flat from east to west, the stars would rise as soon for westerners as for orientals, which is false. 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