>> Nicolaus Copernicus
Biography of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)
Short biography:
Education: University of Padua, University of Krakow, University of Ferrara, University of Bologna
Place of Birth: Toruń, Poland
A place of death: Frauenburg, Poland
– Polish astronomer, mathematician: biography with photos, main ideas and discoveries, contributions to science, heliocentric system of the world, the Sun in the center.
Accepted in modern times as the father of astronomy, he was born on February 19, 1473. starts in Toruń, Poland. He was the son of a successful merchant. After the death of his father, he was raised by his uncle, a wealthy Catholic bishop. It was his uncle who got Copernicus into the University of Krakow, which was famous at the time for its mathematical, philosophical and astronomical curricula. Copernicus later studied humanities in Bologna, medicine in Padua, and law at the University of Ferrarra. In 1500 he lectured on astronomy in Rome and in 1503 he graduated from Ferrara with the degree of Doctor of Canon Law. Soon after this, in 1507, Copernicus returned to Poland, where he was elected canonist of the church. He conscientiously fulfilled his ecclesiastical duties, but also practiced medicine, wrote a treatise on monetary reform, and eventually turned his attention to the topic of astronomy.
The interest in astronomy eventually developed into a major interest. During its biographies Nicolaus Copernicus he worked alone, without outside help or advice. All observations were made without the use of optical instruments, because the latter were invented only a hundred years later. Nicolaus Copernicus watched from a tower located on the protective wall surrounding the monastery. In 1530, Copernicus completed work on his first great work entitled “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium” (On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres). It was in this book that he argued that the Earth rotates on its axis once every day and travels around the Sun throughout the year. This was an unimaginably fantastic idea at the time. Before the time of Copernicus, thinkers Western world adhered to the Ptolemaic theory, according to which the universe was a closed space, limited by a spherical shell, beyond which there was nothing. They believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe and that the stars, planets and the Sun revolved around the stationary Earth. This was the famous geocentric (Earth-centered) theory. Copernicus was in no hurry to publish his book, as he was a perfectionist and believed that it was necessary to check and double-check his observations.
Thirteen years after it was written, in 1543, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium was finally published. Unfortunately, Copernicus died later that year and did not learn about the great controversy he had created. It is said that he apparently received the first copy of his book on his deathbed when he died on May 24, 1543 in Frombork, Poland. His great book went against the philosophical and religious beliefs that were propagated in the Middle Ages. The Church argued that man was created by God in his own image and therefore is the next creature after him. That is, man is superior to all other creatures and was not at all part of the natural world. The Church feared that because of the teachings of Nicolaus Copernicus, people would believe that they were just part of the world, but not above it, which went against the theories of politically powerful churchmen of the time. His work forever changed man's place in outer space. The revelation of the heliocentric (sun-centered) theory marked the beginning of a scientific revolution and a new look at the picture of the Universe.
Nicolaus Copernicus is a very versatile and talented person. He is a famous Polish astronomer, mathematician, as well as economist and canon. But Nikolai’s greatest fame came from his discovery of the heliocentric system of the world, which became the impetus for the first revolution in science.
Biography of Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicholas was born on February 19, in 1473 in a cute town called Torun. In the family of merchants, in addition to Nikolai, there were three more children, one boy and two girls, one named Katarzyna and the other Barbara. The father of the family was called Nikolai like his son, and the mother like her daughter was Barbara. At the age of ten, Nicholas had to endure the bitterness of loss; in 1483, his father passed away. The Copernicus family is left without the main breadwinner in the house. But Barbara Copernicus’s brother, that is, Nikolai’s uncle, his name was Lucas Wachenrode, takes them under his wing. As a person, Lucas was very strict and demanding, so the children missed their father all the time. But thanks to the good financial situation of Lucas Wachenrode, the children could receive a decent education. Their uncle was concerned about the future of his nephews, and he tried to give each of them a good push in life. One sister of Nicolaus Copernicus, Katarzyna, happily married a merchant whose name was Gertner, he was from Krakow. And Nicholas’s other sister, Barbara, made the difficult decision to enter a monastery of the Benedictine Order. Two brothers Andrzej and Nikolai studied arithmetic, Latin and music at school in Chelmno, in order to later receive higher education. When Nicholas was eighteen years old, his uncle Lukas Wachenrode became Bishop of Warmia. Lucas's financial situation has improved even more, and he now has great influence.
Education
Lucas Wachenrode's goal was to provide higher education to his beloved nephews. And he achieved it; already in 1491 he sent them to the city of Krakow. Nicolaus Copernicus liked to study, and he studied medicine, theology and mathematics with great desire, but most of all he liked the subject of astronomy. Then, four years later, Lucas tried to send his nephews to the Warmia land, he wanted them to take the post of canons in the Warmia Chapter. But Lucas’s plan cannot be realized. Therefore, he agrees that the two brothers Andrzej and Nikolai go to Bologna. There the brothers began to study further at the University of Bologna. Since Lukas still wanted to place at least one Nicholas in the Warmian Chapter, he advised him to study canon law. Nicholas diligently studied law, ancient languages and also theology. And in his spare time, from teaching basic subjects, Nikolai devoted his time to studying astronomy. Largely due to the efforts of Uncle Lucas, in Poland Nicolaus Copernicus was made a canon in absentia in the diocese of Warmia. Then, for an unknown reason, in 1500, Nikolai abandoned his studies, without receiving a diploma or any title, and simply left for Rome. Then he stayed in his homeland for a short time and went to study medicine at the University of Padua. And already in 1503, Nicolaus Copernicus completed his studies and received the long-awaited diploma, and he was also given the degree of Doctor of Canon Law. But even after graduation, Nikolai did not want to return and, having asked permission from his uncle Lucas, continued to study medicine in Padua for three years. Three years later, Nicolaus Copernicus finishes his studies, and he needed to stay in Rome for another year in order to complete his internship in medicine.
Life path of Nicolaus Copernicus
But when the time came for practice in 1506, Nicholas learned that his uncle Lucas was very ill. After this news, Nikolai immediately leaves Rome for his homeland. After his return, from 1506 to 1512, Nicholas stayed at the bishops' castle in Heilsberg. There he is actively involved in astronomy, and also teaches in the city of Krakow. But besides this, he is also a doctor and a secretary. His uncle Lucas also appoints Nikolai as his confidant. In the winter of 1512, Nicholas again went to Krakow; his uncle Lucas Wachenrode was invited to the royal wedding by Sigismund the Old himself, and he, in turn, took his nephew Nicholas with him. After this is over important event At the royal court, Lukas Wachenrode left Petrkov to attend a meeting of the Sejm. And Nicolaus Copernicus, in turn, returned to Varimia. Later, Lucas was supposed to go there, but unforeseen circumstances happened.
When he was traveling from Petrkov to Varimia, he became very ill right on the road. The patient's condition was so critical that they could only bring him to the city of Torun. Having learned about what had happened, Nikolai immediately went to his uncle. No matter how many doctors were brought to Lukas Wachenrode, it was not possible to save him, since it was already too late. When Uncle Lucas died, Nicolaus Copernicus was next to his bed. Having taken the body of his deceased uncle to Frombork, Nikolai buried him there as expected. After the death of Lukas Wachenrode, Fabian Luzyanski becomes the Bishop of Warmia. And Nicolaus Copernicus is simply removed from his position as doctor and canon.
The man makes a firm decision to move to Frombork in order to settle there forever. Copernicus liked this turn in life, because now he had the opportunity and time to practice his favorite astronomy. In this city, Nicolaus Copernicus bought a house for himself in 1510. He divides his house into two zones, a living area and a work area. He was also given a tower in which Nikolai set up a personal observatory. He spent a long time observing in this place. It cannot be denied that it was on this tower that Nicolaus Copernicus discovered the heliocentric theory. It is difficult to say exactly when he wrote the book about the rotation of the celestial circles. Nikolai hid the results of his labors from everyone; only those closest to him, as well as relatives, knew about them. Since the great astronomer knew that if the results of the work were published, it would cause a real revolution and completely change the usual perception of the world. Scientists around the world, as well as churches, claimed that the Earth was flat and that it was the center of the Universe. And Nicolaus Copernicus made a real scientific revolution, making the discovery that the Earth is round and it revolves around the sun, which in turn is the center of the universe. When this theory reached people, they did not believe and considered all these stories to be nonsense.
Nicolaus Copernicus shared with his close friends a handwritten note describing his theories about celestial motion. A clear statement about the heliocentric system was published by Nicolaus Copernicus's student Rheticus in 1539. But word of the new theory about the Earth had spread by 1520. But Nikolai did not stop developing his theory and continued to carry out new tables and calculations. A little time passed and Nicolaus Copernicus became known as an outstanding astronomer in Europe. In 1514, Pope Leo the Tenth invited Nicholas to participate in the development of calendar reform. But the astronomer answered Leo the Tenth with a refusal. Nikolai often spent his time on practical exercises. In Poland, he creates a project to introduce a new coinage system. And in the city of Frombork, he built a hydraulic machine, which for a long time supplied water to all houses. Nicolaus Copernicus applied his medical knowledge in 1519, when he fought a terrible plague epidemic. From 1519, for two years, when there was a Polish-Teutonic war in the country, Copernicus became the organizer of the strongest defense of the bishopric from the Teutons. In 1525, when the fighting ended, he took part in peace talks. These negotiations ended with the creation of the Protestant state of the Duchy of Prussia on the order's land. When Nicolaus Copernicus was fifty-eight years old, in 1531, he slightly pushed his affairs into the background and completely immersed himself in writing his book. But he never left one thing, this medical practice, he did it completely free of charge.
As mentioned earlier, Nicholas had a faithful student Rheticus, who helped in every possible way so that the results of Copernicus’s work were published as soon as possible, but even with his efforts this matter progressed very slowly. The astronomer already began to be afraid that he would not be able to pass all the obstacles of publication and began to distribute short summaries of his observations, which were called Commentariolus “Small Commentary,” to people who were close to them. Soon, or rather in 1542, a big trouble happened in Nicholas’s life: he became seriously ill, so much so that half of his body became paralyzed. And a year later, Nicolaus Copernicus finally decided to publish the results of his hard and long work. Even then he was very seriously ill. In 1543 he published De Rovolutionibus. On May 24, Nicolaus Copernicus passed away as a result of a stroke; the astronomer was 70 years old at that time. His book forever became a monument to human thoughts. It was then that the scientific revolution began in the world. The great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was buried near the Frombor Cathedral.
Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus is famous for being able to “stop the Sun and move the Earth.” His doctrine of the heliocentric system of the structure of the world was an epoch-making discovery that revolutionized natural science and challenged supporters of church dogma. We should also not forget that this revolutionary teaching was created in the Middle Ages, when everything advanced and progressive was perceived as a blow to religion and was persecuted by the Inquisition.
Childhood
In the Polish town of Torun, located on the picturesque bank of the Vistula River, on February 19, 1473, a son was born into the family of Nicholas Copernicus the Elder and Varvara Watzenrode, who was named Nicholas.
His father was from a wealthy merchant family, and he himself was a successful merchant, and his mother came from a famous and wealthy burgher family: her father was the chairman of the city court, and her brothers were famous diplomats and politicians.
Nikolai was the youngest child in the Copernican family, where besides him there was also an older brother Andrzej and two sisters - Catherine and Varvara. The future luminary of astronomy was only 10 years old when the plague claimed the life of his father, and six years later his mother died.
Under the care of his uncle
After the death of their parents, their uncle, Luka Watzenrode, who was quite an influential man - a bishop, diplomat and statesman. The uncle was an extraordinary person, although he had a cruel and domineering character, but he treated his nephews with warmth and love. Luka Watzenrode was famous for his education and erudition, so he tried to instill in his nephews a desire to learn.
IN primary school, who worked at the Church of St. John, Copernicus received elementary education. 15-year-old Nikolai had to continue his studies at the Włocławsk cathedral school.
On the way to an academic degree
In 1491, both Copernicus brothers, on the recommendation of their uncle, chose the University of Krakow for further studies, the level of teaching there was famous throughout Europe. The brothers enrolled in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, where they taught physics, mathematics, medicine, theology, astronomy and music theory. The learning process at the university was organized in such a way as to develop students' critical thinking, the ability to compare, compare, observe and draw conclusions, and the university had a good instrumental base. It was at this time that Copernicus became interested in the science of astronomy, which became his lifelong hobby.
After studying for three years in Krakow, the brothers did not manage to receive a university diploma. To ensure a comfortable existence for his nephews, his uncle in 1495 invites them to run for the position of canons in Frombork Cathedral, and for this he calls them home to Toruń. However, Copernicus failed to get this place, and the main reason was the lack of a university diploma.
In 1496, Nicolaus Copernicus and his older brother left for Italy to continue their studies at the University of Bologna. This time they chose the Faculty of Law. But the uncle did not give up his attempts to arrange the future of his nephews. When the next time vacancies became available again, he, using all his influence, ensured that the young men were chosen as canons. The brothers received not only well-paid positions, but also official leave for 3 years to complete their studies in Italy.
In Bologna, Nikolai studied law, but did not forget about his favorite astronomy. He conducts joint observations with the famous astronomer Domenico Mario di Novara. Later in his famous treatise, Copernicus would rely on 27 of his own observations, the first of which he made during his stay in Bologna. The three years allotted for training ended, and I had to return to my duty station in Frombork, but academic degree Copernicus never received it. Therefore, Nikolai and his brother were again given leave to complete their studies. This time the University of Padua, famous for its medical faculty, was chosen. It was there that Copernicus acquired fundamental knowledge that allowed him to become a qualified physician. In 1503, Nicholas at the University of Ferrara, having passed external exams, received the degree of Doctor of Law.
His studies lasted almost 10 years in Italy, and by the age of 33, Copernicus had become a highly educated specialist in the fields of mathematics, law, astronomy and medicine.
Priest, doctor, administrator, scientist
In 1506 he returned to his homeland. It was during this period that the comprehension and development of postulates regarding the heliocentric system of the structure of the world began.
For almost a year, Nikolai regularly performed the duties of a canon in Frombork Cathedral, then began working as an adviser to his uncle. Bishop Watzenrode really wanted to see his nephew as his successor, but he did not have the necessary activity and ambition for diplomatic and state activities.
In 1512, Bishop Watzenrode died, and Copernicus had to leave Heilsberg Castle and return to his duties as a canon at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Frombork. Despite his many spiritual responsibilities, Copernicus did not forget about his scientific research on the structure of the Universe.
From 1516 to 1519, Nicholas worked as manager of the chapter's estates in Pienieżno and Olsztyn. After his term of office expired, he returned to Frombork in the hope of devoting his time to astronomical observations. But the war with the crusaders forced the astronomer to change his plans: he had to lead the defense of the Olsztyn fortress, since all the members of the chapter and the bishop himself fled. In 1521, Nicholas was appointed commissar of Warmia, and in 1523 - general administrator of this region.
The scientist was a versatile person: he was successfully involved in the administrative, economic affairs of the diocese, conducted a medical practice, according to his project a new coinage system was introduced in Poland, he participated in the construction of hydraulic and water works. Copernicus, as a mathematician and astronomer, was invited to take part in the reform of the Julian calendar.
The scientist who stopped the sun and moved the earth
After 1531, Copernicus, who was about 60 years old, left all his administrative posts. He was engaged only in healing and astronomical research.
By this time, he was already absolutely convinced of the heliocentric structure of the world, which he outlined in the manuscript “Small Commentary on Hypotheses Relating to Celestial Movements.” His hypotheses refuted the theory of the ancient Greek scientist Ptolemy, which had existed for almost 1,500 years. According to this theory, the Earth rested motionless in the center of the Universe, and all the planets, including the Sun, revolved around it. Although the teachings of Ptolemy could not explain many astronomical phenomena, the church for many centuries maintained the inviolability of this theory, since it completely suited it. But Copernicus could not be content with hypotheses alone; he needed more compelling arguments, but it was very difficult to prove the correctness of his theory in practice in those days: there were no telescopes, and astronomical instruments were primitive. The scientist, observing the sky, drew conclusions about the incorrectness of Ptolemy’s theory, and with the help of mathematical calculations he convincingly proved that all planets, including the Earth, revolve around the Sun. The church could not accept the teachings of Copernicus, since it destroyed the theory of the divine origin of the Universe. Nicolaus Copernicus outlined the result of his 40 years of research in the work “On the Rotation of the Celestial Spheres,” which, thanks to the efforts of his student Joachim Rheticus and like-minded person Tiedemann Giese, was published in Nuremberg in May 1543. The scientist himself was already ill at that time: he suffered a stroke, as a result of which the right half of his body was paralyzed. On May 24, 1543, after another hemorrhage, the great Polish astronomer died. They say that already on his deathbed, Copernicus still managed to see his book printed.
The great scientist was not persecuted by the Inquisition during his lifetime, but his theory was declared by them to be heresy, and the book was banned.
Nicolaus Copernicus: biography and his discoveries. In the 16th century it became finally clear to most astronomers that the system leads to such large errors in calculations that it itself raises doubts.
Some people tried to “improve” it by adding “epicycles,” but the situation did not get better, and ideas about what the movement of the planets actually looks like became completely confused.
Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus(1473-1543) became the person who, for the first time in a year and a half, proposed a fundamentally different - much simpler and clearer system of the world.
This was a colossal breakthrough, and soon the heliocentric model became generally accepted.
The name of the man who “turned upside down” what was described by Claudius Ptolemy is known to the whole world today. Modern astronomy began with his model and optical ones.
The Polish scientist was the first to abandon the erroneous view that it is the center of the universe. He explained the movement celestial bodies the rotation of the Earth around its axis and the revolution of the planets around the Sun.
Brief biography of Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland, into the family of a merchant who moved to Polish lands from Germany.
He was orphaned early - his father died during a plague epidemic, and Lucas Watzenrode, a canon, and later a bishop, an educated and influential man, took care of his nephew.
In 1491, Copernicus went to Krakow and became a student at the Faculty of Liberal Arts at the University of Krakow, one of the oldest in the world.
Here he studied medicine and theology, but did not receive a diploma. The family decided that the young man would have a spiritual career.
However, this did not inspire Copernicus too much, and he went to Bologna to study church law at the famous University of Bologna, but in fact because only there could he seriously study astronomy, which interested him more than other sciences.
There he learned the basic skills of astronomical observations under the guidance of the famous astronomer Domenico Novara.
Copernicus then went to the University of Padua in Italy to study medicine, and in Ferrara he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Theology.
He returned to his homeland only in 1503, having received the most comprehensive education, and took the position of canon in Frombork, a fishing town at the mouth of the Vistula.
Here he was finally able to completely immerse himself in astronomical observations and the search for confirmation of his desperately bold hypothesis. Here he was to spend the rest of his life and create his main work, which he never saw published.
"On the revolution of the celestial spheres"
Even in his youth, Nicolaus Copernicus was struck by the complexity and intricacy of the world system created by Claudius Ptolemy.
Carrying out astronomical observations, the scientist came to the conclusion that not the Earth, but the Sun should be the center of the motionless Universe, and then it was possible to easily explain the apparent intricacy of the movement of the planets in their orbits.
In addition, he suggested the existence of universal gravity, anticipating. However, Copernicus treated his conclusions with caution - they contradicted the point of view adopted by the church.
He began to distribute a “summary” of his hypothesis in scientific circles, as if testing what the reaction to his “crazy” idea would be. Meanwhile, he continued his observations, compiled astronomical tables and carried out calculations that confirmed he was right.
Work on the manuscript “On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres” lasted almost 40 years - Copernicus made additions and clarifications to it until he was able to convincingly prove that the Earth is one of the planets revolving in its orbits around the Sun.
During these years, Nicolaus Copernicus did a lot not only as an astronomer, but also as a doctor, engineer and economist. According to his project, a new one was introduced in Poland; in Frombork, he built a hydraulic machine that supplied the entire city.
Copernicus was personally involved in the fight against the plague epidemic in 1519, and during the Polish-Teutonic War (1520-1522) he organized the defense of the bishopric from the Teutonic knights.
The first copy of the scientist's main work was printed in Nuremberg a few weeks before his death.
For some time, the book “On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres” was freely distributed among scientists. But in the 17th century. The teachings of Copernicus were declared heresy, the book was banned, and the followers of “Copernicanism” were persecuted.
What did Copernicus say about gravity?
Preserved documentary evidence Copernicus' thoughts on what gravity is. These guesses appeared long before the theories later developed by other European scientists.
In one of his letters to Nicolaus Copernicus wrote, ahead of the discoveries of Isaac Newton:
“I think that heaviness is nothing other than the desire with which the divine Builder has endowed the particles of matter so that they unite in the shape of a ball. This property is probably possessed by the Sun, Moon and planets; These luminaries owe their spherical shape to him.”
Name Nicolaus Copernicus Almost everyone who studied at school heard it one way or another. However, information about him, as a rule, is placed in one or two lines, along with a couple more names of outstanding scientists who strengthened the triumph of the heliocentric system of the world - and Galileo Galilei.
This triumvirate is so entrenched in the minds that it sometimes causes confusion in the minds of even high-ranking politicians. Former Speaker State Duma Boris Gryzlov, defending doubts scientific developments his longtime acquaintance and “scientific co-author” academician Petrika, threw out the phrase that immediately became famous: “The term pseudoscience goes back far to the Middle Ages. We can remember Copernicus, who was burned because he said, “But the Earth still turns!”
Thus, the politician mixed the fates of all three scientists into one pile. Although in fact, Nicolaus Copernicus, unlike his students, managed to happily escape the persecution of the Inquisition.
Canon "through connections"
The future creator of a new picture of the world was born on February 19, 1473 in the now Polish city of Torun, into a merchant family. Interestingly, there is no consensus even about his national origin. Despite the fact that Copernicus is considered a Pole, there is not a single document that the scientist wrote in Polish. It is known that Nikolai’s mother was German, and his father, a native of Krakow, may have been Pole, but it is not possible to establish this for sure.
Copernicus's parents died early, and Nicholas found himself in the care of his maternal uncle, a Catholic priest. Luke Watzenrode. It was thanks to his uncle that in 1491 Copernicus entered the University of Krakow, where, among other sciences, he became interested in astronomy.
Nicholas's uncle, meanwhile, became a bishop, and in every possible way contributed to his nephew's career. In 1497, Copernicus continued his studies at the University of Bologna in Italy. It is interesting that Nikolai did not receive any academic degree either in Krakow or Bologna.
Since 1500, Copernicus studied medicine at the University of Padua, after which he passed the exams and received the degree of Doctor of Canon Law.
After spending three years in Italy as a practicing physician, Nikolai returned to his uncle, the bishop, under whom he took the position of secretary and confidant, while simultaneously serving as a personal physician.
The career of Copernicus, who by that time held the ecclesiastical rank of canon, was completely successful. While remaining his uncle's secretary, Nikolai managed to engage in astronomical research in Krakow.
The Plumber and the Plague Winner
The comfortable life ended in 1512, along with the death of his uncle, the bishop. Copernicus moved to the town of Frombork, where he had been nominally listed as a canon for several years, and began his spiritual duties.
Copernicus also did not abandon his scientific activity, starting to develop his model of the world.
It must be said that Copernicus did not make a big secret of his ideas. His handwritten text “Small Commentary on Hypotheses Relating to Celestial Movements” even circulated among his friends. However, for full development new system it will take the scientist almost 40 years.
The astronomical works of Copernicus became known in Europe, but at first there was no persecution of the concept he proposed. Firstly, the astronomer himself rather carefully formulated his own ideas, and secondly, the church fathers for a long time could not decide whether to consider the heliocentric system of the world a heresy.
Heliocentric system of the world. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Copernicus himself, without forgetting about the main work of his life, managed to make his mark in other sciences: he developed a new coin system for Poland, as a physician he actively contributed to the elimination of the plague epidemic of 1519 and even designed a system for supplying water to houses Frombork.
Since 1531, Copernicus was only concerned with the development of his heliocentric system and medical practice. His health began to deteriorate, and in the last years of his life he was helped in his work by students and like-minded people.
IN Last year Copernicus's life was struck by paralysis, and a couple of months before his death he fell into a coma. The scientist died in his bed on May 24, 1543, without ever seeing the work of his whole life published - the book “On the Rotation of the Celestial Spheres.” It was first published in Nuremberg, in the same year 1543.
Life's work
It should be noted that in his criticism of the Ptolemaic picture of the world with the Earth at the center of the Universe, Copernicus was far from the first. Ancient authors such as Nikita Syracuse And Philolaus, believed that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and not vice versa. However, the authority of such luminaries of science as Ptolemy And Aristotle, turned out to be higher. The geocentric system finally won when the Christian Church made it the basis of its picture of the world.
Interestingly, the work of Copernicus himself was far from accurate. Affirming the heliocentric system of the world, the rotation of the Earth around its axis, the movement of planets in orbits, he, for example, assumed the orbits of the planets to be perfectly round, not elliptical. As a result, even enthusiasts of his theory were quite puzzled when, during astronomical observations, the planets turned out to be in a place other than that prescribed by Copernicus’ calculations. And for critics of his works it was a gift.
As already mentioned, Copernicus happily escaped persecution by the Inquisition. The Catholic Church had no time for him - it waged a desperate struggle against the Reformation. Some bishops, of course, even during the scientist’s lifetime accused him of heresy, but it did not lead to real persecution.
Only in 1616, with Pope Paul V, the Catholic Church officially prohibited the adherence to and defense of the Copernican theory as a heliocentric world system, since such an interpretation contradicts Scripture. It’s a paradox, but at the same time, according to the theologians, the heliocentric model could still be used to calculate the motion of the planets.
It is also interesting that Copernicus’ book “On the Rotation of the Celestial Bodies” was included in the famous Roman Index of Prohibited Books, a kind of medieval prototype of the “black list” of prohibited Runet sites, for only 4 years, from 1616 to 1620. After that, it returned to circulation, albeit with ideological changes - references to the heliocentric system of the world were cut out of it, while leaving the mathematical calculations that underlay it.
This attitude towards the work of Copernicus only spurred interest in it. Followers developed and refined the theory of the great scientist, ultimately establishing it as the correct picture of the world.
The burial place of Nicolaus Copernicus became known only in 2005. On May 22, 2010, the remains of the great scientist were solemnly reburied in Frombork Cathedral.
Reburial of the remains of Copernicus. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The Catholic Church admitted its guilt in denying the correct theory of Copernicus only in 1993, when the Pope was John Paul II- fellow countryman of Copernicus, Pole Karol Wojtyla.
Rebellious Bruno and humble Galileo
It is also necessary to mention the fate of two followers of Nicolaus Copernicus - Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei.
Giordano Bruno, who not only shared the teachings of Copernicus, but also went much further than him, proclaiming the plurality of worlds in the Universe, defining the stars as distant bodies similar to the Sun, was very active in promoting his ideas. Moreover, he encroached on many church postulates, including the immaculate nature of the conception of the Virgin Mary. Naturally, the Inquisition began to persecute him, and in 1592 Giordano Bruno was arrested.
Giordano Bruno. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
For more than six years, the inquisitors sought the renunciation of the scientist, who was also a monk, but they failed to break Bruno’s will. On February 17, 1600, the scientist was burned in the Square of Flowers in Rome.
Unlike the works of Copernicus, the books of Giordano Bruno remained in the Index of Prohibited Books until its most recent publication in 1948. 400 years after the execution of Giordano Bruno, the Catholic Church considers the execution of the scientist justified and refuses to rehabilitate him.
Galileo Galilei. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Galileo Galilei, whose works and discoveries in astronomy were unusually great, did not show the stamina of Giordano Bruno. Finding himself in the hands of the Inquisition at almost 70 years of age, after torture and under the threat of “sharing the fate of the heretic Bruno,” Galileo in 1633 chose to renounce the heliocentric system, of which he had been a defender throughout his life. And, of course, it never occurred to the unfortunate old man, who barely escaped the auto-da-fé, to throw the daring “But still she’s spinning!” in the face of his tormentors!
Galileo Galilei will be finally rehabilitated only in 1992, also by the decision of Pope John Paul II.