Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 - 1543)

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 - 1543) - photo 1

Nicolaus Copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus (Polish: Mikołaj Kopernik) was a Polish and German scientist, astronomer, mathematician, mechanic, economist, and Renaissance canonist. He was the author of the heliocentric system of the world, which initiated the first scientific revolution.

Copernicus studied the humanities, including astronomy and astrology, at the University of Krakow and at the University of Bologna in Italy. Together with other astronomers, including Domenico Maria de Novara (1454-1504), he was engaged in observing the stars and planets, recording their movements and eclipses. At the time, medicine was closely related to astrology, as the stars were believed to influence the human body, and Copernicus also studied medicine at the University of Padua between 1501 and 1503.

Nicolaus Copernicus, based on his knowledge and observations, was the first to suggest that the Earth is a planet that not only revolves around the sun every year, but also rotates once a day on its axis. This was in the early 16th century when people believed the Earth to be the center of the universe. The scientist also suggested that the Earth's rotation explained the rising and setting of the Sun, the movement of the stars, and that the cycle of the seasons was caused by the Earth's rotation around itself. Finally, he correctly concluded that the Earth's motion in space causes the planets to move backwards across the night sky, the so-called retrograde direction.

Although Copernicus' model was not completely correct, it laid a solid foundation for future scientists, such as Galileo, who developed and improved mankind's understanding of the motion of celestial bodies. Copernicus completed the first manuscript of his book De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Rotation of the Celestial Spheres) in 1532. In it, the astronomer outlined his model of the solar system and the paths of the planets. However, he published the book only in 1543, just two months before his death, and dedicated it to Pope Paul III. Perhaps for this reason, and also because the subject matter was too difficult to understand, but the church did not finally ban the book until 1616.

Date and place of birt:19 february 1473, Toruń, Poland
Date and place of death:24 may 1543, Frombork, Poland
Nationality:Germany, Poland
Period of activity: XV, XVI century
Specialization:Astronomer, Diplomat, Doctor, Economist, Interpreter, Mathematician, Scientist

Creators Germany

Franz Paul Glass (1886 - 1964)
Franz Paul Glass
1886 - 1964
Thomas Herbst (1848 - 1915)
Thomas Herbst
1848 - 1915
Elisabeth Büchsel (1867 - 1957)
Elisabeth Büchsel
1867 - 1957
Willi Langbein (1895 - 1967)
Willi Langbein
1895 - 1967
Wolfgang von Wersin (1882 - 1976)
Wolfgang von Wersin
1882 - 1976
Ludwig von Siegen (1609 - 1680)
Ludwig von Siegen
1609 - 1680
Jacob Gauermann (1773 - 1843)
Jacob Gauermann
1773 - 1843
Karl Zerbe (1903 - 1972)
Karl Zerbe
1903 - 1972
Peter Reinicke (1711 - 1768)
Peter Reinicke
1711 - 1768
Jakob Götzenberger (1802 - 1866)
Jakob Götzenberger
1802 - 1866
Walter Firle (1859 - 1929)
Walter Firle
1859 - 1929
Friedrich Mißfeldt (1874 - 1969)
Friedrich Mißfeldt
1874 - 1969
Otto Flath (1906 - 1987)
Otto Flath
1906 - 1987
Wolf Huber (1485 - 1553)
Wolf Huber
1485 - 1553
Fritz Hickmann (1820 - 1900)
Fritz Hickmann
1820 - 1900
Clara Tzetkin (Zetkin) (1857 - 1933)
Clara Tzetkin (Zetkin)
1857 - 1933
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