Final answer:
We prefer Copernicus's heliocentric model because it aligned better with further scientific investigations and provided a simpler and more coherent explanation of celestial motions than Ptolemy's geocentric model.
Step-by-step explanation:
Even though the heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus did not initially offer more accurate predictions than the geocentric model of Ptolemy, we now prefer Copernicus’s model due to its consistency with observed facts and its ability to be corroborated by further scientific observation and experimentation.
While both models could predict planetary positions, Copernicus's heliocentric theory suggested that Venus should show a full range of phases, similar to the Moon — a prediction that could not be tested until the invention of the telescope. The acceptance of Copernicus’s model over Ptolemy's was further facilitated by the eventual understanding and application of Newton's laws of gravity, which provided a strong theoretical foundation for a sun-centered system.
In the Renaissance period, experiments had little influence on scientific thought, with philosophers often prioritizing reasoning and divine revelation. Aristotle's incorrect theory that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones was widely accepted until proven wrong by simple experimentation. Despite Copernicus's inability to prove his heliocentric model during his lifetime, it gained traction as it provided a simpler and more elegant explanation of celestial motions than the increasingly complex Ptolemaic system, eventually leading to its widespread acceptance and use in modern science.