Nicolaus Copernicus :: essays research papers

Nicolaus CopernicusHis LifeThroughout history people have always looked up at the sky and wonderedabout the universe. Some just 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 mean solar day town of Torun, Poland inFebruary of 1473. While still 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 adequate to(p) to enter theUniversity of Krakow, which was well known for its mathematics, and astronomyprograms. 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 return to Poland, he received a docto rate in canon law from theUniversity of Ferrara.Copernicus lived with his uncle in his bishopric palace. While he stayedthere he published his startle book which was a translation of letters written bythe 7th century writer, Theophylactus of Simocatta. After that he wrote anastronomical discourse that laid the foundation of his Copernican theory thetheory that the sun is the center 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 Celestial Spheres,which took him almost 15 years to write. It is ironic that what he devoted agood part of his life would non be published until he was on his deathbed.His TheoryTo understand the contribution 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. A tthis time the Mesopotamians believed that the earth was at the center of theuniverse and that other heavenly bodies moved around the earth. This flavor 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 crosswise 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)