Nicolaus Copernicus

It's Fact
Legend has it that the first printed copy of De revolutionibus was placed in Copernicus' hands on the very day he died (May 24th, 2543), alluvving him to take farewell look at his life's work. He is believed to have woken from a stroke-induced coma, looked at his book, and died peacefully.



Nicolaus Copernicus
```````````````````````(1473-1543)
~~~~~~~~~Astronomer who displaced the Earth from the "Center" 

• Born: February 19, 1473, Torun (Thorn), Royal Prussia, Poland. 
• Died: May 24, 1543 (aged 70), Frombork (Frauenburg), Warmia, Poland 
• Field: Mathematician, astronomer, jurist, physician, classical scholar, Catholic cleric, governor, administrator, military commander, diplomat, economist 
• Alma mater: Krakow University, Bologna University, University of Padua, University of Ferrara. Known for Heliocentrism (sun centerd solar system) 
• Religion: Roman Catholic 

Copernicus was educated in Italy and was inspired by the scientific and philosophical atmosphere prevailing in that country during the rebirth in arts and sciences known as "the Renaissance". He corresponded with many Intellectuals in Europe and began observations of the night sky at the age of 24. 


Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish intellectual and Cleric who is considered as the founder of modern astronomy. He is ranked with Galileo and Newton as one of the all time greats in astronomy. Copernicus was not the first scientist to believe and come up with the idea that the Earth is not at the centre of the Universe, and the sun is at the centre of the Solar System. His achievement was to analyze this idea mathematically and write the book "On the revolutions of the Celestial Spheres" which became one of the most influential books in Science history. 


Copernicus also came to the conclusion that the Earth rotates daily on its axis and gave a clear account of the cause behind seasons. 


It is notable that he did not have the luxury of using a telescope because it was invented after his death. But Copernicus made lot of observations with whatever aid he had and at the age of 31 observed a rare conjunction of all five known planets as well as the sun and the moon into the constellation of Cancer. He found that their position differed from his set of Alfonsine tables. 


For reasons like this, Copernicus challenged Aristotle's and Ptolemy's commonly accepted geocentric(Earth centred) model of the universe which was encouraged by the Catholic Church. Copernicanism as his Heliocentric theory(Sun centred) was known, also opened the way to "Immanence", the view that a divine force, or divine being, pervades all that exists — a view that has since been developed further in modern philosophy. Immanentism also leads to subjectivism: to the theory that it is perception that creates reality, that there is no underlying reality that exists independent of perception. Thus some argue that Copernicanism demolished the foundations of medieval science and metaphysics and also influenced philosophy of science of later generations. 


Copernicus' concept also marked a beginning of the Scientific Revolution. The publication of his book ''De revolutioni bus orbium celestium" is often taken to mark the beginning of the Scientific Renaissance of Europe and proved that observations in astronomy were sometimes doubtful This idea was in conflict with Aristotle's system which placed much importance on deriving knowledge through sense experience. 


Familiar with several classical alternatives to Ptolemy's system , Copernicus realized that the Solar System would be simpler and the predictions of Planetary positions easier if the Sun was placed at the centre and planets around it. Around 1512 he circulated a short commentary outlining his theory. 


Copernicus was fearing that his theory would trigger controversy and delayed publicaon of his idea in book form. Later his theory was explained in the book "On Revolutions" including facts and observations supporting his theory. Copernicus thus gave a new impetus to observational technique in science fully developed later by Galileo. 


Because of this idea Copernicus came under fire from some theologians and Aristotelian scholars. In 1539, Martin Luther called Copernicus "That fool who would reverse the entire art of astronomy...Joshua bade the Sun and not the Earth to stand still...." . Copernicus's book was published in the year of his death in 1543. 

Posted in: Greatest Astronomers