Copernicus Essay - 1578 Words

Copernicus has been named one of the most influential people this millennia by Time Magazine; in part for his movements in though during the scientific revolution; creating a basis for modern astronomy and challenging the Church (of the 15th century) to lead the way to a reform in thinking. He did so by disproving (mathematically) a theory of the heavens that had existed for almost 14 centuries, established by a man named Charles Ptolemy in 250 AD. Copernicus revolutionized astronomy by creating a solid basis for it to stand on, discovering that quot;The Earth was not the centre of the cosmos, but rather one celestial body among many, as it became subject to mathematical description.quot; He compiled a manuscript of his theories,†¦show more content†¦Any students who had heard his lectures or read his theories were immediately fascinated and learned to follow his research. Copernicus wrote De revoltionibus in six sections, as a mathematical reinterpretation of the Ptolemaic System. In the first section, he gave some basic mathematical rules, countering old arguments about the fixity of the Earth, and discussed the order of the planets from the sun. He could no longer accept the old arrangement - Earth, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn - since this had been a consequence of a geocentric system. He found it necessary to adapt it to his heliocentric system and adopted the following order from the stationary Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth with the Moon orbiting around it, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.Not only was Copernicus correct in his theories, but many of his observations and notions about the functions of our heavens still hold true today. The Copernican theory demanded two important changes in outlook. The first had to with the apparent size of the universe. The stars always appeared fixed in precisely the same position, but if the Earth orbited around the Sun, they should display a small periodic change. Copernicus explained that the star was far too distant for the change to be detected. His theory thus led to the belief in a much larger universe than previously conceived and, in England, where the theory was openly accepted with enthusiasm, to the idea of anShow MoreRelatedThe Contributions Of Nicholas Copernicus1684 Words   |  7 PagesToday Nicholas Copernicus is commonly known as the Father of Modern Astronomy. Over his lifetime he made many amazing contributions to the world of science. His love for astronomy first began when he was attending a university and from there it only grew. In his time some of his ideas were considered absurd, some were even frowned upon by the church. Though some of his theories were proven untrue, they have led to further study and new ideas of the astronomical world and have highly impacted theRead More Copernicus Essay597 Words   |  3 Pages Nicolas Copernicus Nicolas Copernicus 1473-1543 Physics February 8, 2000 Nicolas Copernicus Nicolas Copernicus 1473-1543 Copernicus was born in Poland in 1473, he started his education at Cracow University. There he studied mathematics and optics. From here he went to Italy, where he was appointed as a canon in the cathedral of Frauenburg, where he spent a comfortable academic life studding. Copernicus had some small hobbies while at the cathedral, he painted, and frequently translated Greek poetryRead MoreEssay on Nicolai Copernicus1208 Words   |  5 PagesNicolaus Copernicus Have you ever wondered who discovered that the sun is the center of our universe? If so, the answer is Nicolai Copernicus. This man was a well-respected as well as well educated man. He explored many different subjects including mathematics, medicine, canon law, and his favorite astronomy. The Earth-centered universe of Aristotle and Ptolemy were Western thinking for almost 2000 years until the 16th century when Copernicus proposed his theory. Copernicus was born on FebruaryRead MoreThe Astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus1026 Words   |  4 Pagespeople who thought differently. One of those people, was Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolaus Copernicus came into the world on February 19th, 1473 in Torun, Poland. He was the fourth and youngest child born to Nicolaus Copernicus Sr. and Barbara Watzenrode, an affluent copper merchant family. When Copernicus was 10 years of age, his father died. His mother’s brother, Bishop of Varmia Lucas Watzenrode, took the place as a father figure. Copernicus attended the University of Cracow in 1491. He studied many subjectsRead More The Scientific Revolution: Copernicus and Galileo Essay1067 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scientific Revolution: Copernicus and Galileo The scientific revolution brought on new and important change. People began to see things extremely differently. Up to this point religion had been an issue of pure faith. A person could not use any empirically based data or reason to justify or develop ideas on religion. People who contradicted the church were considered heretics and were punished. At this time, people believed in the universe that Ptolemy had theorized: that the earth wasRead MoreCopernicus : A Renaissance Mathematician And Astronomer942 Words   |  4 PagesCopernicus Nicolaus Copernicus was a renaissance mathematician and astronomer. Born on February 19th 1473 in Torun, Poland. The youngest child born to Nicolaus Copernicus Sr. and Barbara Watzenrode. When Copernicus was 10 years of age, his father passed away. His uncle Lucas Watzenrode took up the parental role to ensure that Copernicus would get the best education possible for him. ` In 1491, Copernicus entered the University of Cracow, where he studied painting and mathematics. Although CopernicusRead MoreCopernicus And Galileo : The Heavenly Bodies1087 Words   |  5 PagesDanielle Amar Brooklyn College History 3005 Prof. Tunney 10/24/17 Copernicus and Galileo The chosen sources are considerably based on Copernicus and Galileo which further reflects the comparison and contrast between both the well-known personalities. However, the first selected source is Dedication of the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies to Pope Paul III†, analyzed and constructed by Nicolaus Copernicus, 1543. Whereas, the second source is â€Å"Science and Scripture† by Galileo, 1957. The firstRead More The Scientific Revolutions and Copernicus Book Essay721 Words   |  3 PagesThe Scientific Revolutions and Copernicus Book In the sixteenth and seventeenth century a Scientific Revolution swept over Europe. The start of this Scientific Revolution has been atributed to Nicolaus Copernicus and his Heliocentric Model of the Universe. Copernicus was born in Torun Poland on February 19, 1473. His parents both died when he was very young so he was sent to live with his uncle who was a high ranking official in the Church. Copernicus studied canon law, medicine, astronomyRead MoreNicholas Copernicus : Heroes And Villains933 Words   |  4 Pagesof Stephen Mizwa, Nicholas Copernicus â€Å"stopped the sun and set the earth in motion. Nicholas Copernicus was the astronomer who formed the heliocentric theory, which states that the Sun is the center of the universe and that all planets orbit the Sun. This drastic idea would fundamentally change astronomy and led to the Scientific Revolution, a period when scientific research skyrocketed, even though there was resistance from the religious leaders of the time. Copernicus was a hero because his developmentRead MoreEssay on The Life of Nicolaus Copernicus566 Words   |  3 PagesNicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer. He is famous for his formul ation of a heliocentric theory of our galaxy. This theory suggested that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun, which is in the center of our solar system. This heliocentric model was the opposite of what people had believed before, which was that the sun and other planets revolved around Earth. Copernicus was a genius of his time and had a breakthrough in astronomy. He is known as the initiator