Final answer:
Aristotle's geocentric model persisted for more than a thousand years due to cultural and societal influences, religious beliefs, and the lack of experimental evidence for the heliocentric model proposed by Aristarchus.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Copernicus' time, most people believed in the geocentric model proposed by Aristotle, where Earth was considered the center of the universe and everything revolved around it. This belief was influenced by a long-standing philosophical tradition and religious beliefs that emphasized divine revelation over experimental evidence. Aristotle's reasoning, though incorrect, was more convincing at the time due to the lack of experimental methods to validate scientific theories.
On the other hand, Aristarchus proposed the heliocentric model, which stated that the sun was the center of the universe and the planets, including Earth, revolved around it. This model, with a simpler explanation and more accurately predicting the motions of celestial bodies, became accepted as the scientific truth many centuries later.
The persistence of Aristotle's geocentric model for more than a thousand years can be attributed to the cultural and societal influences of the time, including the dominance of religious institutions, the lack of experimental evidence to support the heliocentric model, and the general resistance to change.