Pythagoras, the son of Mnesarchus and Pythais, was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor (what is now mostly Turkey), about 569 BC. Besides his contributions to mathematics, Pythagoras was essential to the early field of astronomy. As Plato later would believe, Pythagoras felt the sphere was the perfect shape. This may have lead to his assertion that the Earth was a sphere. He realized the orbit of the Moon was inclined to the equator of the Earth. He also figured out that the evening star (Venus) was the same as the morning star. Unfortunately, the actual date or place of Pythagoras's death has been lost to history. However, his impact on that history still resonates today.
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