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Nicolaus Copernicus, short biography which will be discussed in this article, is an outstanding scientist. He is not only a great astronomer who created heliocentric Copernicus was a good mechanic, mathematician, canonist, and also the man who laid the foundation for the first real earthly civilization in the entire history. The scientist had at his disposal only primitive instruments, made by him with his own hands. But this did not stop him from making a number of discoveries during his thirty years of observations of the celestial sphere.

Copernicus, whose brief biography demonstrates great power reason ordinary person, was born into a merchant family in 1473 in the city of Torun (Poland). His father died early, so the boy was raised by his uncle, Bishop Lukasz Wachenrode. The future scientist studied in Krakow and Padua and studied astronomy, medicine, and law. After training, he was elected a canon, worked as a doctor and secretary of his uncle at his residence (Lidzbark).

Copernicus, whose short biography is not only white stripes, had an inquisitive mind and knew how to observe. After the death of his tutor, he moved to Frombork, where he settled in a secluded tower, which still stands today. Nikolai set up an observatory in his house, so we can say that he made his discoveries exclusively in home environment. In addition, he served as a canon, treated the sick for free, developed a coin system, which was later introduced in Poland, and built a hydraulic machine. In this place the great astronomer spent his entire life later life. But this did not prevent him from actively participating in the life of his country: more than once he was entrusted with important tasks, which he coped with glory. For example, he negotiated between warring monarchs and corresponded with the best minds of the time.

Nicolaus Copernicus made revolutionary discoveries for his time. At first, he only wanted to improve the heliocentric system developed by Ptolemy, which he outlined in the Almagest. However, his work was significantly different: Nikolai more accurately determined the routes and also added his own comments to it. Thus, the Polish astronomer turned the Earth from, as previously thought, into one of the ordinary planets solar system. His tables were significantly more accurate than Ptolemy’s, which had a positive effect on the development of navigation. He outlined all his observations and calculations in the work “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres”, small in volume, but with very important content.

Copernicus, whose brief biography cannot but delight his contemporaries, published his work only in 1543, almost before his death. This saved him from the persecution to which his followers and disciples were later subjected. He quietly left this world and was buried in the Church of St. John in the city of Torne.

The Catholic Church for a long time considered Nicholas's work to be heresy and did not recognize it. However, the teachings with a revolutionary character were continued and further revealed by Galileo Galilei. Copernicus, whose brief biography is outlined above, was awarded a monument only in the nineteenth century. But now they are available not only in Krakow, Warsaw, Thorn, Regensburg, but all over the world.

Nicolaus Copernicus was able to freeze and set in motion in the minds of his contemporaries. The researcher revolutionized ideas about the structure of the Universe. Biography, main ideas and influence of the scientist’s discoveries on today’s science, Interesting Facts about Copernicus - for your information.

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short biography

Little Nikolai was born on February 19 in the city of Torne, which is now called Toruń and is located in Poland. The question of which country the scientist was born in, Prussia or Poland, causes controversy among researchers. The fact is that the borders of these states were constantly changing.

Childhood and youth

The future researcher was the fourth child in a wealthy merchant family. He was very friendly with his older brother Andrzej. Subsequently, while receiving an education, young people will visit half of the best universities in Europe, become colleagues and wonderful friends.

The fate of the future research scientist was influenced by a number of circumstances, the country where Nicolaus Copernicus was born, and the conditions in which he lived. In 1482, the father became a victim of a severe plague epidemic that devastated Europe, and by 1489 the child was left an orphan - his mother died. The family was left without property and means of food. The children were taken in by Lukasz Watzenrode, their maternal uncle.

The guardian was a rather stern man, a priest of the local diocese, but the uncle became very attached to the child and became closely involved in his education. Lukasz had a doctorate in canon law and later received the position of bishop. Brilliant for the time, it allowed him to provide additional training to his nephew in order to prepare him for further studies.

In 1491 Nicholas and his brother Andrzej began student life from the Jagiellonian University under the patronage of his uncle. The Faculty of Arts of the city of Krakow became the starting point on the path to becoming a researcher. After graduating from university, the young man planned further studies, but Lukasz Watzenrode did not have the money for it.

In 1487, in order to earn money for his education, the young specialist accepted the position of canon in his uncle’s diocese in absentia. He and his brother used the fee they received in advance to study church law. In Bolonia (Italy) in 1496, Nicholas first became acquainted with astronomy, a science that later became his life’s work, thanks to the teacher Domenico Maria Novara.

Attention! The University of Bologna became the site of Nicolaus Copernicus's first decisive step on the path of new discoveries, and 1497 was the year of the first astronomical observation.

The results of the seminal study were the first steps towards the creation of a new system based on the observation of complete and new moon. The young scientist realized that the distance between natural companion and the Earth was equal when passing these points, which indicated the movement of the night star in a circle.

Scientific activity Copernicus, hobbies, and research were very versatile. Nikolai was engaged in painting, studied Greek, and studied mathematics. After graduating from the University of Bologna, the young scientist taught exact sciences to people high society Rome, helped Pope Alexander VI himself to comprehend astronomy.

Social activity

The year 1506 marked the end of training. At the age of 33, Nikolai received medical, church and theological education and the position of clergyman of Frombork.

1512 turned out to be a year of losses. Brother Andrzej falls ill with leprosy and leaves the city, Lukasz Watzenrode dies, and the scientist becomes a canon of the cathedral of the city of Fraenburg. After 1516, Nicholas received the honorary position of chancellor of the city of Olsztyn. Here he shows himself to be a brilliant military strategist, taking command in the war against the crusaders. The fortress managed to withstand significant superiority enemy forces.

By 1521, the scientist returned to serve in the diocese of Frombork. The inventor's talent helped Nikolai build a hydraulic machine that provided water to all the houses in the city.

The scientist also did not abandon his passion for medicine. After retiring in 1531 to concentrate on writing the main book, he provided medical assistance free of charge, helped many people cope with their illnesses. In 1519, the scientist fought the plague epidemic.

Scientific developments

Nicolaus Copernicus was absorbed in his basic ideas and discoveries all his life. He spent 40 years writing the main work of his life, “On Rotation.” celestial bodies", invaluable for the development of astronomy. He scrupulously collected information, data from his observations, systematized the information, compiled tables, and made amendments. He completed work on the book 3 years before his death.

The position of canon allowed him to study in parallel scientific research. For astronomical observations, the scientist equipped the tower of the Frombork fortress.

The discoverer of the doctrine of the heliocentric system was lucky not to encounter persecution from adherents of dogmatism. Copernicus' theory became important step in the history of science, having made a real revolution in the best minds of that time. The scientist’s views were very radical for that time, but he lived a fairly calm life.

Important! The doctrine of the movement of celestial bodies was prohibited and declared a heresy only in 1616, long after the death of its author, by which time the theory had already spread widely throughout Europe.

The idea of ​​a heliocentric system was formed by a young scientist closer to 1500. The theory had a lot of supporters. Among like-minded people, the researcher distributed the manuscript Commentariolus, where he outlined brief summary your hypothesis.

The scientist died of a stroke in his native Frombork in 1543. Last months Copernicus's health was critical. He suffered paralysis of one half of his body and was in a coma before his death.

The last years of Copernicus' life

Let's list interesting facts about Copernicus

  1. The office of a canon church leader, assumed a vow of celibacy. Fascinated by science, Nikolai at first did not attach any importance to this. In 1528, being a mature, accomplished man, he unexpectedly fell in love with Anna, the daughter of his friend Matz Schilling from hometown Torun. The girl soon had to leave the scientist due to the discontent of the Church.
  2. The researcher’s grave was considered not found until the rise of genetics and the corresponding examination in 2005. Last refuge Frombork became a significant figure for the scientist.
  3. The year 1535 was marked by recognition of the researcher’s work by the church, which was facilitated by the Pope himself. The truths that Copernicus revealed to the world were initially favorably received by the ministers. Afterwards, conservative religious leaders saw the teaching as a threat to existing dogmas.
  4. The meteorite and the element are named after the researcher.
  5. There are museums dedicated to his memory in Torun and Frombork.
  6. Throughout his life, Nicholas was accompanied by a faithful student named Retik, who helped conduct research, published works, and was a good friend.
  7. The discoverer would hardly have seen the first edition of his life’s work, but his friends brought him a printed copy.

Description of the theory

The book “On the Rotation of Celestial Bodies” consists of 6 volumes, where the author described his ideas about the device:

  • the first is dedicated to proving the spherical shape of the Earth and the Universe;
  • the second talks about the rules for calculating the location of celestial bodies;
  • the third part describes the annual cycle of the Earth's movement;
  • the fourth talks about our planet’s satellite, the Moon;
  • the fifth tells about the properties of celestial bodies in general;
  • sixth - about the reasons for changes in latitudes.

Book “On the rotation of celestial bodies”

The main ideas of the heliocentric system can be briefly described by 7 theses:

  1. There is no common center of rotation for all celestial bodies.
  2. The earth is not the center of the world.
  3. The stars are motionless on the surface of the sphere that bounds the Cosmos.
  4. The Earth rotates around its own axis and around the Sun.
  5. The trajectory of movement of celestial bodies is a circle.
  6. The distance between the Sun and the stars is immeasurably greater than the distance of the luminary from the Earth.
  7. The movement of the Sun observed from Earth is a consequence of the rotation of the planet itself.

Later, the teachings of Copernicus were supplemented by Johannes Kepler, who calculated that the trajectory of the movements of celestial bodies is not a circle, but an ellipse. It was also found that stars are not at all devoid of movement.

Attention! Now the main ideas of Nicolaus Copernicus do not look so revolutionary, but for the 16th century they were an important step in the development of astronomy, they changed the ideas of people of that time about the greatness of the world, the mysteries of nature, and the place of man in the Universe. These were important discoveries, given the dominant geocentric theory of the era.

Polish university

Residents of Poland are proud of the achievements of their compatriot who lived 4 centuries ago. There is the Nicolaus Copernicus University in the city of Torun, which trains young scientists. The educational institution was created in 1945 and ranks fifth in prestige among other universities in Poland. University classrooms are equipped the latest technology. The university opened its doors to future doctors, chemists, biologists, physicists, astronomers, mathematicians and artists.

Copernicus Nicholas (1473-1543) - an outstanding Polish astronomer, physician, mechanic, theologian, mathematician and economist. He lived and made discoveries during the Renaissance. He is the author of the heliocentric system of the world; Nikolai refuted the geocentric system of the ancient Greeks and suggested that the central celestial body in the Universe is the Sun, and the Earth and other planets revolve around it. Thus, by changing the model of the universe, Copernicus marked the beginning of the first scientific revolution.

Childhood

Nicholas was born in the city of Toruń, Royal Prussia, on February 19, 1473. His father, Nicolaus Copernicus Sr., was a merchant from Krakow. Mom, Barbara Watzenrode, was of German descent.

More than five hundred years have passed, the borders of states and their names have changed, so there is still debate about which country the great astronomer was born in and what his nationality is. The city of Torun became part of the Kingdom of Poland just seven years before the birth of Copernicus. The nationality of the father is not known for certain.

His mother's roots provide every basis for the assertion that Nikolai was ethnically at least half German. Perhaps, due to his political-territorial affiliation, he considered himself a Pole. Only one thing is known for sure: Copernicus never wrote a single document in Polish, only in Latin and German.

Nikolai was the fourth child in the family. Two girls and a boy were born before him. One of the sisters (Barbara), upon becoming an adult, became a nun; the second (Katerina) got married and left Toruń. She had five children, whom Nikolai loved very much. He cared for them until the end of his life, as if they were his own. Brother Andrzej became Nikolai’s faithful companion and comrade-in-arms; together they studied at universities and then traveled half of Europe.

Since the father was a merchant, the family lived in abundance. But this happiness did not last long. When the youngest of the children, Nicholas, was only nine years old, a plague epidemic broke out in Europe, killing tens of thousands. human lives. Terrible disease also overtook the head of the family, Copernicus the Elder, as a result of which he died. All worries about the family now fell on Barbara's shoulders. It was hard for the woman to cope with everything, and he took her and her children into custody brother Lukasz Watzenrode. In 1489, their mother also died, the children were left complete orphans in the care of their uncle.

Lukasz was a local Catholic bishop, he was considered a skilled diplomat and was entrusted with various delicate assignments of a political nature. My uncle was very well-read and intelligent, a doctor of canon law at the University of Bologna, a master's degree at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Lukash had a cool temperament, but he loved his youngest nephew Nikolai very much, gave him fatherly warmth and often spoiled him. In the younger Copernicus, the uncle saw his successor, so he instilled in him an interest in learning and a desire for education.

Education

Nikolai was fifteen years old when he graduated from school in his hometown, and received further education at the cathedral school of Włocławsk. It was here that he began to take a keen interest in astronomy. This was facilitated by a teacher who had an unusual surname: Vodka. The teacher himself adhered to a sober lifestyle and asked his colleagues and students to call him Abstemius, which translated from Latin language meant “abstinent.” Teacher Vodka did an excellent job sundial. Communicating with him, Copernicus first thought about the fact that the Earth is mutually positioned in relation to the Sun.

In 1491, Uncle Lukasz made a patronage for his nephews Nicholas and Andrzej to enter the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. This establishment at that time was famous for its training programs in astronomy, mathematics and philosophy. The guys were admitted to the university to study at the art department. An approach to science from a philosophical perspective was encouraged here. The Copernicus brothers engaged in in-depth study of mathematics, theology, astronomy, medicine and theology. The educational institution had an intellectual atmosphere, which developed critical thinking among students.

At the University of Krakow, young Copernicus took up astronomy no longer at the level of idle interest, but rather seriously. He attended lectures by famous scientists.

In 1494, Nicholas graduated from the university, but did not receive any academic title. Together with his brother, he wanted to go to Italy to continue his studies. But there was no money for such a trip, and the brothers planned that Uncle Lukash, who by that time had become the Bishop of Emerland, would help them financially. However, the uncle said that he did not have any free money. He suggested that his nephews earn money by becoming canons in his diocese, and then use the funds received to go study abroad.

Copernicus worked for a little more than two years and in 1497 went to Italy. Uncle Lukash contributed to the fact that his nephew was given a three-year leave for study, was given a salary in advance, and was also elected in absentia as a canon to the diocese of Warmia.

Nikolai entered the oldest educational institution in Europe - the University of Bologna. He chose the Faculty of Law, where he studied canonical ecclesiastical law. Students were taught ancient languages ​​(Nicholas was especially interested in Greek) and theology, and he again had the opportunity to study astronomy. The young Copernicus was also fascinated by painting; from then on, a painting has survived to this day, which is considered a copy of his self-portrait. In Bologna, Nikolai met and began to communicate closely with the Italian scientist Scipio del Ferro, whose discoveries marked the beginning of the revival of European mathematics.

But the decisive factor in the fate of Copernicus was a meeting with professor of astronomy Domenico Maria Novara de Ferrara. Together with his teacher, Nikolai made the first astronomical observation in his life, as a result of which they concluded that on the full moon and new moon the distance to the Moon in quadrature is the same. After this observation, Copernicus for the first time doubted the validity of Ptolemy's theory, according to which the Earth is the center of the Universe with celestial bodies revolving around it.

After studying at the University of Bologna for three years, Nikolai had to return to his homeland, since the period of leave granted to him for studying had expired. He again did not receive a diploma or title. Arriving at their place of service in the city of Frauenburg in 1500, they and their brother again asked to delay their return to work and be given leave to complete their studies.

In 1502, the Copernicus brothers' request was granted and they returned to Italy for further studies. medical science at the University of Padua.

In 1503, at the University of Ferrara, Nicholas finally passed the exams and graduated from educational institution Doctor of Canon Law. Uncle Lukash allowed him not to return home, and Nikolai began practicing medicine in Padua, Italy.

Scientific activity

In 1506, Copernicus received a letter stating that his uncle’s condition had worsened (perhaps it was far-fetched). Nikolai left for his homeland. Over the next six years, he lived in the episcopal castle of Heilsberg, served as Uncle Lukash's confidant and secretary, and was also his attending physician. At the same time, he managed to engage in teaching activities in Krakow, conducted astronomical observations and developed a treatise on monetary reform.

In 1512, Uncle Lukash died. Nicholas had to move to a small town on the shores of the Vistula Lagoon, Frombork, where he was listed as a canon. Here he began to fulfill his church duties, and continued to study scientific observations. He worked alone and did not use any outside help or advice. Optical instruments It didn’t exist then, and Copernicus conducted all his research from the northwestern tower of the fortress, which was located near the wall of the monastery. Here he set up his observatory.

When the new astronomical system clearly presented itself to his consciousness, Nikolai set to work on a book in which he decided to describe a different model of the world. He made no secret of his observations; he shared them with friends, among whom there were many like-minded people.

By 1530 Nicholas completed his first great work"On the revolution of the celestial spheres." In this work, he assumed that the Earth rotates around its axis within one day, and around the Sun within a year. For that time it was an unimaginably fantastic idea. Before this, everyone considered the motionless Earth to be the center of the Universe, around which stars, planets and the Sun revolve.

News quickly spread throughout Europe about a new outstanding astronomer. At first there was no persecution of the concept he proposed. Firstly, Nikolai formulated his ideas very carefully. Secondly, church fathers For a long time they themselves could not decide whether to consider the heliocentric model of the world a heresy. So Copernicus was luckier than his followers Galileo Galilei and Giordano Bruno.

Copernicus was in no hurry to publish his book, since he was a perfectionist by nature, and believed that he needed to double-check his observations several times. In total, he worked on the book for forty years, making changes, adjustments and clarifications, and preparing new astronomical calculation tables. The scientist's main work was published in 1543, but he never found out about it because he was already in a coma on his deathbed. Some details of this theory were later corrected and refined by the German astronomer Johannes Kepler.

Copernicus was engaged not only in scientific, but also in practical activities:

  • He developed a project according to which a new coinage system was introduced in Poland.
  • During the Polish-Teutonic War, he became the organizer of the defense of bishops from the Teutons. After the conflict ended, he took part in peace negotiations, which resulted in the creation of the first Protestant state - the Duchy of Prussia.
  • Designed new system water supply in the city of Frombork, thanks to which a hydraulic machine was built and all houses were supplied with water.
  • In 1519, as a doctor, he devoted his efforts to eliminating the plague epidemic.

Since 1531, Nicholas devoted all his time only to the heliocentric system and free medical practice. Since his health was getting worse, Copernicus received a lot of help from like-minded people, friends and students.

Illness and death

In 1542, Copernicus became significantly worse and became completely paralyzed. right side. In March 1543, he fell into a coma and remained in it until his death. On May 24, 1543, as a result of a stroke, the great scientist’s heart stopped.

For a long time his burial place was unknown. In 2005, archaeological excavations were carried out in the city of Frombork, as a result of which human remains were discovered - leg bones and a skull. The reconstruction of the skull, carried out using special methods, corresponded to the signs of Copernicus himself. It is known that the scientist had a broken bridge of his nose and a scar above his left eye; such marks were also found on the found skull. The examination also determined that the skull belonged to a man who died at the age of seventy. We conducted a comparative DNA analysis of the discovered remains and hair found earlier in one of Copernicus’s books (this rarity was kept in the library of a Swedish university). As a result, it was revealed that these are indeed the remains of the great astronomer.

In 2010 they were reburied in cathedral Fromborka. There are many monuments to Copernicus throughout Poland; the university in Torun and the international airport in Wroclaw bear his name. One of the monuments bears the inscription: “He who stopped the Sun, who moved the Earth.”

(1473-1543) Polish astronomer

Nicolaus Copernicus was born in the Polish city of Toruń into the family of a merchant who came from Germany. He was orphaned at an early age and raised in the house of his uncle, the famous Polish humanist Bishop Lukasz Wachenrode. In 1490, he graduated from the University of Krakow and became a canon of the cathedral in Frombork, a fishing town at the mouth of the Vistula. He remained in this position (with interruptions) until the end of his life.

In 1496, Copernicus went on a long journey to Italy. He first studied at the University of Bologna, where he became a Master of Arts and also studied ecclesiastical law. It was in Bologna that he developed an interest in astronomy, which determined his scientific destiny.

Then he's on a short time returns to Poland, but soon goes back to Italy, where he studies medicine at the University of Padua and receives a doctorate in theology from the University of Ferrara. Nicolaus Copernicus returned to his homeland in 1503 in full educated person. He settled first in the city of Lidzbark, where he served as a secretary and doctor for his uncle, and after his death he moved to Frombork, where he lived until the end of his life.

Nicolaus Copernicus was an amazingly versatile scientist. Simultaneously with his studies in astronomy, he was engaged in translations of works of Byzantine authors, as well as medicine, earning a reputation as a wonderful doctor. Copernicus treated the poor for free: day and night he was ready to rush to the aid of the sick. In addition, he participated in the management of the region and was in charge of its financial and economic affairs. But most of all he was interested in astronomy, which he presented somewhat differently than was customary.

By that time, the system of the world structure proposed by the ancient Greek scientist Claudius Ptolemy had existed for almost one and a half millennia. It consisted in the fact that the Earth rests motionless in the center of the Universe, and the Sun and other planets revolve around it. Ptolemy's theory did not explain many phenomena, well known to astronomers, in particular the loop-like movement of planets across the visible sky. Nevertheless, its provisions were considered unshakable, since they were in good agreement with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Long before Copernicus, the ancient Greek scientist Aristarchus argued that the Earth moves around the Sun. But he could not yet experimentally confirm his teaching.

Observing the movement of celestial bodies, Nicolaus Copernicus came to the conclusion that Ptolemy’s theory was incorrect. After thirty years of hard work, long observations and complex mathematical calculations, he convincingly proved that the Earth is only one of the planets and that all planets revolve around the Sun. True, Copernicus still believed that the stars are motionless and are located on the surface of a huge sphere, at a great distance from the Earth. This was due to the fact that at that time there were no such powerful telescopes with which one could observe the sky and stars.

Having discovered that the Earth and the planets are satellites of the Sun, Nicolaus Copernicus was able to explain the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky, the strange entanglement in the movement of some planets, as well as the apparent rotation of the sky. He believed that we perceive the movement of celestial bodies in the same way as the movement various items on Earth when we ourselves are in motion. When we are sailing in a boat on the surface of a river, it seems that the boat and we are motionless in it, and the banks are floating in the opposite direction. In the same way, to an observer on Earth, it seems that the Earth is motionless, and the Sun is moving around it. In fact, it is the Earth that moves around the Sun and makes full turn in its orbit.

Sometime between 1510 and 1514 Nicolaus Copernicus wrote short message, in which he first informed scientists about his discovery. It created the impression of a bomb exploding and became the cause of misfortune not only for its author, but also for his followers. To accept such a theory meant destroying the authority of the church, since this concept refuted the theory divine origin Universe.

Copernicus's theory was fully expounded in his work “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres.” The author did not live to see this book spread throughout the world. He was dying when friends brought him the first copy of his book, printed in one of the Nuremberg printing houses. His book aroused interest among progressive-minded scientists.

Church leaders did not immediately understand the blow to religion that Copernicus’ book dealt. For some time his work was freely distributed among scientists. Only when Nicolaus Copernicus had followers was his teaching declared heresy, and the book included in the “Index of Prohibited Books.” Only in 1835 did the Pope exclude the book of Copernicus from this index and thereby, as it were, acknowledge the existence of his teaching in the eyes of the church.

In 1600, an Italian was burned at the stake for promoting the views of Copernicus. scientist Giordano Bruno. But this could not stop the development of science.

Soon after the death of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei established that the Sun also rotates around its axis, which confirmed the correctness of the Polish scientist’s conclusions.

It's obvious that discovered by Copernicus the patterns contributed to the further development of astronomy, in which more and more new discoveries are still being made.