The geocentric model, in all of its complexity, survived scientific scrutiny for almost 1,400 years. However, in modern astronomy, scientists seek to explain the natural and physical world we live in as simply as possible. The complexity of Ptolemy's model was an indicator that his theory was inherently flawed. Why, then, was the geocentric model the leading theory for such a long time, even though the heliocentric model more simply explained the observed motions and brightness of the planets?
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The geocentric model conformed to both the philosophical and religious doctrines of the time.
From Earth, all heavenly bodies appeared to circle around a stationary Earth.
The heliocentric model did not make noticeably better predictions than the geocentric model.
The complexity of the geocentric model was appealing to most ancient astronomers.
Ancient astronomers did not observe stellar parallax, which would have provided evidence in favor of the heliocentric model.

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∻Solution∻ ‖ a ⋮ The geocentric model conformed to both the philosophical and religious doctrines of the time, which made it widely accepted despite its complexity. ‖ ‖ b ⋮ From Earth, all heavenly bodies appeared to circle around a stationary Earth, providing a simple observational basis for the geocentric model. ‖ ‖ c ⋮ The heliocentric model did not make noticeably better predictions than the geocentric model for many centuries, which contributed to the geocentric model's longevity. ‖ ‖ d ⋮ Ancient astronomers did not observe stellar parallax, which would have provided evidence in favor of the heliocentric model, thus allowing the geocentric model to persist. ‖ ***A*** ∻Answer∻ ⚹ A ⚹ ∻Key Concept∻ ⚹ Historical context of astronomical models, including the geocentric and heliocentric theories, and the influence of philosophical and religious beliefs on scientific acceptance. ⚹ ∻Explanation∻ ⚹ The geocentric model's alignment with prevailing beliefs and its observational simplicity contributed to its dominance, despite the heliocentric model's more accurate explanations of celestial motions. ⚹

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