Vortical model of Philolaus' cosmos
- Author:
- A. G. Gomez (agg29@ou.ac.uk)
A reconstruction of Philalus' cosmology
Summary
Philolaus' cosmos is pyrocentric.
A great year takes 59 solar years (of 364.5 earthly days each) or 729 lunar months (of 29.5 earthly days each).
The Sun is a glassy mirror of the central fire.
The Moon is inhabited by beautiful plants and animals that are 15 times bigger and stronger than those on Earth.
The Earth (and the Moon) always show the same face to the central fire.
We live on the far side of Earth, so we can never see the central fire nor the Antichthon.
(This illustration is based on the mathematics for a vortex, as modelled in fluid mechanics.)