Copernicus, Nicolas
Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) was a Polish astronomer who first proposed the “heliocentric” model of the solar system, i.e., that the planets have the Sun as the fixed point to which their motions are referred. His Polish name was Mikolaj Kopernik; however he chose to use the Latin version later in life. The idea that the Sun was the center of the solar system was not new, but Copernicus described the mathematical details. In De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (1543), Copernicus was the first to create a complete and general model of the solar system, combining mathematics, physics, and cosmology. Moreover, Copernicus’s work revived interest in astronomy, a field that had advanced little in nearly three centuries. The heliocentric solar system model was objected to by both Protestant and Catholic church leaders of that day, and was outright rejected by the Catholic Church. The official acceptance of his model by the church took many years.
Further Reading
- Nicolaus Copernicus Museum in Frombork. Nicolaus Copernicus.
- The University of Arizona. Development of the Heliocentric Solar System.
- University of Zagreb, Department of Physics. Nicolaus Copernicus.