Aristarchus was the first to discover that the planets revolve around the Sun.
Before that, people believed that the Sun rotates around the Earth and that the latter was the center of the universe.
He identified the ‘central fire’, put the planets in the correct order and distance from the Sun and that the apparent movement of the planets is cyclical.
He also understood that the Moon casts no light but shines by reflection of the Sun’s light.
He invented the skafion, a type of sundial with which he determined the exact time of the correct midday in a certain place.
He defined the sequence of the seasons as a result of the inclination of Earth’s axis of rotation.
He calculated the diameter of the Sun and Moon.
His work was recognized centuries later.
[Source: www.greekreporter.com]
