Nicolaus Copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus

Why Is He So Important? Copernicus is responsible for spreading the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, not the other way around. Heliocentric model – the Sun is the center of the Universe Helped to start modern astronomy and the Copernican Revolution

Early Life of Copernicus • Born February 19, 1473 in Royal Prussia, Kingdom of Poland • Father – copper merchant • Mother – daughter of wealthy merchant • Youngest of 4 children • Mother died when he was a young boy • Father died between 1483 and 1485 • Uncle Lucas Watzenrode raised and saw to education of Nicolaus

Education • Sent to St. John’s as a boy • Cathedral School to prep for admission to University of Krakow • University of Krakow • Astronomical-mathematical school • Arithmetic, geometry, geometric optics, cosmography, computational astronomy • Built foundation for later success • Left before he attained his degree

College Degree Copernicus jumped around different universities in Italy Padua University – studied medicine, Greek, and mathematical science Received degree in Canon Law at University of Ferrara

Languages Latin, Polish, German, Greek, Italian Latin was the language of academia and the Roman Catholic Church

Employment Copernicus practiced medicine, though that was not his main job He was a religious canon (personal secretary and physician) and later administer of economic affairs in a cathedral run by his uncle – now the Bishop of Olsztyn Helped his uncle in political matters

Hobbies? • Economics • Studied value of money, who had right to print • Wrote Monetaecudendae ratio • He never worked as a professional astronomer • Astronomy was his hobby for spare time • Before 1514, Copernicus wrote initial ideas of heliocentric theory, Commetarioulus • General theory with no math to support it • Did not publish, just sent to few colleagues • Poetry • Printed 85 poems called the Epistles • Letters between characters of a story • Three types: moral, pastoral, and amourous

Astronomy Though never his job, he intensely pursued astronomy Intensive observations of Mars, Saturn and the Sun 1532, he completed his work De revolutionibusorbiumcoelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres)

Heliocentric Cosmology Displaced Earth from center of Universe Sun is center and Earth revolves around it Solved issue of planetary retrograde motion (only perceived, not real)

Problem with Theory Believed in “celestial spheres” No direct observational evidence to lead to replacement of Ptolomy’s theory

Death of Copernicus • Died in Frauenburg (Frombork) May 24, 1543 • Legend – first printed copy of De revolutionibus put in his hands the day he died • Awoken from a coma induced by stroke • Looked at his book • Died in peace • Grave located in Frombork cathedral

Skepticism After his death, lectures were given about his theory and Pope Clement VII and catholic cardinals were interested His persecution came from Protestant Church and Martin Luther Theory found implausible by majority of his contemporaries and most astronomers and natural philospophers until the mid 17th century

Copernican Revolution Major shift from Ptolmaic model to heliocentric model Took about 200 years for this to take place Starting point of Scientific Revolution of 16th Century

Supporters Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) Sir Isaac Newton’s Theory of Universala Gravitation (1687)

Nicolaus Copernicus