Nicolaus Copernicus :: essays research papers

Nicolaus CopernicusHis LifeThroughout history people have always looked up at the sky and wondered more or less the universe. Some simply wonder while others attempt to solve this mystery.One of the people who had endeavored to solve it was Nicolaus Copernicus.Copernicus was born in the present day town of Torun, Poland inFebruary of 1473. While compose a young boy, Copernicus was put in custody of hisuncle when his father died. His uncle made sure that his nephew got the besteducation they could obtain. This is how Copernicus was able to enter theUniversity of Krakow, which was well known for its mathematics, and uranologyprograms. After finishing in Krakow, he was inspired to further his education bygoing to the University of Bologna in Italy. While there, he roomed withDomenico Maria de Novara, the mathematics professor. In 1500, Copernicuslectured in Rome and in the next year, obtained permission to study medicine atPadua. Before returning to Poland, he received a doctorate in canon law from theUniversity of Ferrara.Copernicus lived with his uncle in his bishopric palace. While he stayedthere he published his first book which was a translation of garner written bythe 7th century writer, Theophylactus of Simocatta. After that he wrote anastronomical discourse that laid the foundation of his heliocentric possibleness thetheory that the sun is the bone marrow of our solar system. However, it was 400 yearsbefore it was published.After leaving his uncle, he wrote a treatise on money, and began thework for which he is most famous, On the Revolution of the airy Spheres,which took him almost 15 years to write. It is ironic that what he devoted agood part of his life would not be published until he was on his deathbed.His TheoryTo understand the contri only ifion Copernicus made to the astrologicalcommunity, you first need to understand the theory that had been accepted at thetime of Copernicus.The question of the arrangement of the planets arose about 4000 BC. Atthis time the Mesopotamians believed that the earth was at the center of theuniverse and that other heavenly bodies moved around the earth. This belief wassynonymously know as geocentric. They believed this, but they had no scientificproof to support it.It was not until the 2nd century that the famous astronomer, Ptolemy,gave an explanation for the movement of the stars across the sky, that thegeocentric theory began to become creditable.That was the theory that existed at the time of Copernicus. Copernicuswas not the first one to come up with the idea of a sun-centered (heliocentric)