What concept rooted in Aristotelian cosmology held the Moon to be a perfect, smooth orb?
Answer
The conviction that celestial objects must be perfect geometric shapes
For centuries, prevailing philosophical conviction, heavily influenced by Aristotelian cosmology, dictated that the heavens must be fundamentally different from the Earth. This implied that celestial bodies, including the Moon, were composed of a divine, unblemished substance and existed as perfect geometric shapes. Variations on the Moon’s surface were consequently rejected, dismissed as optical illusions, or attributed to atmospheric effects because they contradicted this established doctrine concerning the perfection and immutability of the cosmos.
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