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 research were the first steps towards the creation new system based on 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.
Copernicus's scientific activities, hobbies, and research were very diverse. 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 simultaneously engage in 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. In recent months, Copernicus's health has been 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The meteorite and the element are named after the researcher.
- There are museums dedicated to his memory in Torun and Frombork.
- Throughout his life, Nicholas was accompanied by a faithful student named Retik, who helped conduct research, published works, and was a good friend.
- 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:
- There is no common center of rotation for all celestial bodies.
- The earth is not the center of the world.
- The stars are motionless on the surface of the sphere that bounds the Cosmos.
- The Earth rotates around its own axis and around the Sun.
- The trajectory of movement of celestial bodies is a circle.
- The distance between the Sun and the stars is immeasurably greater than the distance of the luminary from the Earth.
- 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. 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.
Nicolaus Copernicus (Polish: Mikołaj Kopernik, German: Niklas Koppernigk, Latin: Nicolaus Copernicus). Born on February 19, 1473 in Torun - died on May 24, 1543 in Frombork. Polish astronomer, mathematician, mechanic, economist, canon of the Renaissance. He is best known as the author of the heliocentric system of the world, which marked the beginning of the first scientific revolution.
Born in Torun into a merchant family, he lost his parents early. Torun became part of Poland just a few years before the birth of Copernicus; before that, the city bore the name Thorn and was part of Prussia, which belonged to the Teutonic Order.
The question of Copernicus's ethnicity still remains the subject of a (rather unpromising) debate. His mother was German (Barbara Watzenrode), his father's nationality is unclear, but it is known that he was a native of Krakow. Thus, ethnically Copernicus was German or half-German, although he himself may have considered himself a Pole (by territorial and political affiliation). He wrote in Latin and German; not a single document in Polish written by his hand has been found; after early death father, he was raised in a German family by his mother and uncle. Niccolò Komneno Popadopoli spread the unproven - and, in the opinion modern historians, invented by himself - the story that Copernicus allegedly enrolled at the University of Padua as a Pole. It should be noted that the concept of nationality in those years was much more blurred than it is today, and some historians suggest that Copernicus be considered a Pole and a German at the same time.
In the Copernicus family, besides Nicholas, there were three more children: Andrei, later a canon in Warmia, and two sisters: Barbara and Katerina. Barbara went into a convent, and Katerina married and gave birth to five children, to whom Nicolaus Copernicus was very attached and cared for them until the end of his life.
Having lost his father as a 9-year-old child and remaining in the care of his maternal uncle, Canon Lukasz Watzenrode, Copernicus entered the University of Krakow in 1491, where he studied mathematics, medicine and theology with equal zeal, but he was especially attracted to astronomy.
After graduating from the university (1494), Copernicus did not receive any academic title, and the family council decided that he would have a spiritual career. A strong argument in favor of this choice was that the patron uncle had just been elevated to the rank of bishop.
To continue his education, Copernicus went to Italy (1497) and entered the University of Bologna. In addition to theology, law and ancient languages, he had the opportunity to study astronomy there. It is interesting to note that one of the professors in Bologna was then Scipio del Ferro, with whose discoveries the revival of European mathematics began. Meanwhile, thanks to the efforts of his uncle, in Poland Copernicus was elected in absentia as a canon in the diocese of Warmia.
In 1500, Copernicus left the university, again without receiving any diploma or title, and went to Rome. Rheticus' memoirs say that Copernicus taught a number of disciplines at the Roman university, including astronomy, but other biographers question this fact. Then, after a short stay in his homeland, he went to the University of Padua and continued studying medicine.
In 1503, Copernicus finally completed his education, passed the exams in Ferrara, received a diploma and academic degree Doctor of Canon Law. He was in no hurry to return and, with the permission of his uncle-bishop, spent the next three years practicing medicine in Padua.
In 1506, Copernicus received news, perhaps far-fetched, of his uncle's illness. He left Italy and returned to his homeland. He spent the next 6 years at the episcopal castle of Heilsberg, engaged in astronomical observations and teaching in Krakow. At the same time, he is a doctor, secretary and confidant of Uncle Lukash.
In 1512, the uncle-bishop died. Copernicus moved to Frombork, a small town on the shores of the Vistula Lagoon, where he had been listed as a canon all this time, and began his spiritual duties. Scientific research he, however, did not quit. The northwestern tower of the fortress became an observatory.
Already in the 1500s, the idea of a new astronomical system was quite clear to him. He began to write a book describing a new model of the world, discussing his ideas with friends, among whom were many of his like-minded people (for example, Tiedemann Giese, Bishop of Kulm). During these years (ca. 1503-1512), Copernicus circulated a handwritten summary of his theory among friends ("Small Commentary on the Hypotheses Relating to the Celestial Motions"), and his student Rheticus published a clear exposition of the heliocentric system in 1539. Apparently, rumors about new theory were widely distributed already in the 1520s. Working on the main task - "About rotation celestial spheres» - lasted almost 40 years, Copernicus constantly introduced clarifications into it, prepared new astronomical calculation tables.
Rumors about a new outstanding astronomer were spreading in Europe. There is a version, not supported by documents, that Pope Leo X invited Copernicus to take part in the preparation of the calendar reform (1514, implemented only in 1582), but he politely refused.
When necessary, Copernicus devoted his energies and practical work: according to his project, a new coin system was introduced in Poland, and in the city of Frombork he built a hydraulic machine that supplied water to all houses. Personally, as a doctor, he was involved in the fight against the plague epidemic of 1519. During the Polish-Teutonic War (1519-1521) he organized the successful defense of the bishopric from the Teutons. At the end of the conflict, Copernicus took part in peace negotiations (1525), which ended with the creation of the first Protestant state on the order lands - the Duchy of Prussia, a vassal of the Polish crown.
In 1531, 58-year-old Copernicus retired and concentrated on finishing his book. At the same time, he practiced medicine (free of charge). The faithful Rheticus constantly worked for the speedy publication of Copernicus's work, but progress was slow. Fearing that the obstacles would prove insurmountable, Copernicus circulated among his friends short summary his work entitled “Small Commentary” (Commentariolus). In 1542, the scientist’s condition deteriorated significantly, and paralysis of the right half of the body occurred.
Copernicus died on May 24, 1543 at the age of 70 from a stroke. Some biographers (for example, Tiedemann Giese) claim that the author managed to see his work published shortly before his death. But others argue that this was impossible, since recent months During his life, Copernicus was in a severe coma.
The book of Copernicus has remained as an outstanding monument to human thought.
The location of Copernicus’s tomb remained unknown for a very long time, but during excavations in cathedral Frombork in 2005, a skull and leg bones were discovered. A comparative DNA analysis of these remains and two hairs of Copernicus, found in one of his books, confirmed that the remains of Copernicus were found.
On May 20, 2010, the reburial ceremony for the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus began. On May 21, the coffin was delivered to the cathedral of Frombork, where Copernicus made his most important discoveries. On the way to Frombork, the coffin passed through several cities of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship - Dobre Miasto, Lidzbark Warminski, Orneta, Pienierzno and Braniewo, with which Copernicus was associated in the course of his activities. On May 22, 2010, the remains of the great scientist were buried in Frombork Cathedral. The solemn ceremony was performed by the Primate of Poland, Archbishop of Gniezno Józef Kowalczyk. The burial of the remains was also timed to coincide with the celebration of the 750th anniversary of the city.
Nicolaus Copernicus, short biography which will be discussed in this article, is an outstanding scientist. He is not only a great astronomer who created the heliocentric Copernicus, he was a good mechanic, mathematician, canonist, and also the man who laid the foundation for the real first 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 design developed by Ptolemy heliocentric system, set out by him 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 impact 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.
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.
The discoveries of the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus not only made it possible to create a new scientific paradigm, but also made a real revolution in human consciousness, becoming the basis for a new picture of the world. The Renaissance, during which the scientist worked, became a turning point for the life of all of Europe. It was then that the most progressive representatives of humanity made breakthroughs in many areas of knowledge. Copernicus's work marked the beginning of another scientific revolution and became part of the new natural science.
short biography
The famous canon and astronomer was born in the city of Toruń into a wealthy merchant family on February 19, 1473. Since Torun at the turn of the 15th-16th century changed hands several times, becoming the property of either the Teutonic Order or the Polish king, Germany and Poland are still arguing about what nationality Copernicus was. Now Torun is part of Poland.
In the early 1480s, a plague epidemic broke out in Europe, killing many thousands of people, including Nicolaus Copernicus the Elder, the father of the future scientist. In 1489, the mother of the family also died. Their uncle, Lukasz Wachenrode, who was the bishop of the Warm diocese, took custody of the remaining orphans. He gave a very good education to his nephews - Nikolai and his older brother Andrzej.
After the young people graduated from school in Torun, they continued their education at the cathedral school in Włocławsk, and then went to Krakow, where they entered the Jagiellonian University at the Faculty of Arts. Here Nikolai met the famous astronomer of that time - Professor Wojciech Brudzewski. Brudzewski believed that a scientist should respect the works of his predecessors, but at the same time not stop at empty reproduction of other people’s theories, but move on and learn to compare the works of classics with the latest hypotheses. Brudzewski's approach largely determined the future scientific path of Copernicus himself.
In 1495, the brothers graduated from the university, became canons in their uncle's diocese and went to Italy. Here they continued their education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Bologna. Within the walls of Bologna, Nicolaus Copernicus met an astronomy teacher, Domenico Maria di Novara. Together with the teacher, Copernicus began to regularly observe the stars. It was then that he noticed that the real movement heavenly bodies does not correspond to the scheme of the geocentric Universe described by Ptolemy.
After studying in Bologna, Copernicus continued to travel around Italy. For some time, Nikolai lectured on mathematics in Rome and communicated with representatives of the Italian nobility. In the early 1500s, Copernicus was also educated in Padua and Ferrara. Here he became acquainted with medicine and received a doctorate in theology. A few years later, at the insistence of his uncle, the scientist returned to Poland and became the personal secretary and at the same time the house physician of Bishop Wachenrode. At the same time, he continued his studies in astronomy in Krakow. Almost a ten-year stay in Italy made Copernicus a comprehensively erudite person who absorbed the latest achievements of all major applied sciences.
In 1516, after the death of Bishop Wachenrode, Nicolaus Copernicus moved to Frombork and began to carry out the usual duties of a canon, at which time he began to develop his heliocentric system.
However, Poland remembers Nicolaus Copernicus not only as a brilliant astronomer and clergyman. Also he:
- developed some economic laws, which made it possible to carry out monetary reform in Poland,
- how a doctor successfully fought the plague,
- made up detailed maps Poland, Lithuania and the Vistula (now Kaliningrad) Lagoon,
- invented a system for supplying water to Frombork houses,
- during the Polish-Teutonic War he led the defense of the city.
In addition to astronomy, Nicolaus Copernicus was interested in painting and studying foreign languages and mathematics.
Since Copernicus’s works devoted to his heliocentric system were published at the very end of the scientist’s life, Catholic Church didn't have time to accept necessary measures against a dissenting astronomer. Nicolaus Copernicus died of a stroke on May 24, 1543, surrounded by his friends and students.
Development of the heliocentric system
Medieval Europe inherited ancient ideas about the structure of the cosmos, namely the geocentric system of Claudius Ptolemy, developed in the 2nd century AD. e. Ptolemy taught that:
- The Earth is at the center of the Universe;
- She is motionless;
- All celestial bodies rotate around the Earth at a constant speed along certain lines - epicycles and deferents.
The Greek scientist left notes that also concerned calculations of the distance between space objects and the speed of their movement. For many centuries, the Ptolemaic system was generally accepted throughout Europe. Based on it, people calculated the fairways of ships, determined the length of the year and compiled calendars.
The first attempts to create different ideas about the Universe arose even before the birth of Ptolemy. Some ancient astronomers believed that the Earth, like other celestial bodies, revolves around the Sun, located at the center of the world. However, these theories have not found wide acceptance.
While still studying starry sky Under the leadership of Novara, Nicolaus Copernicus noticed that the paths along which the planets moved that he observed did not correspond to the epicycles of Ptolemy. Initially, the scientist only wanted to make minor corrections to his predecessor’s system, however, the observations yielded stunning results. The actual motion of the planets in their orbits clearly indicated that they did not revolve around the Earth, but around the Sun.
Astronomical observations, already held in Frombork, were not easy for Copernicus. Besides that most time he devoted to his direct duties as a canon, the astronomer was greatly interfered with weather. Frombork was located on the shores of the Vistula Lagoon, so there were always thick sea fogs over the town. For his work, Copernicus primarily used only two tools:
- Triquetrum - a special ruler that made it possible to determine the zenith distances of astronomical objects;
- Horoscope, with the help of which it was possible to determine the height of heavenly bodies above the horizon.
Despite the fact that Copernicus’s arsenal of astronomical instruments was not so large, the scientist managed to produce complex and very accurate calculations, which laid the foundation for the formation of a new scientific paradigm. It is curious that the technical tools that make it possible to directly prove the rotation of the Earth around the Sun appeared only 200 years after the death of the scientist.
Copernicus was a sensible man and understood that his revolutionary conclusions could lead to accusations of heresy. Therefore, although the scientist did not make much secret of his observations, all his formulations were quite careful and streamlined. His hypotheses were outlined in a small work - “Small Commentaries”. This book was not intended for a wide range of readers and passed from hand to hand among Copernicus' friends.
The astronomer was also saved by the fact that the Catholic Church had not yet come to a consensus: whether to consider supporters of heliocentrism as heretics or not. In addition, the Catholic hierarchs needed the services of Copernicus: at the beginning of the 16th century, the question arose of creating a new calendar and establishing exact dates church holidays. First of all, it was necessary to develop a formula for calculating exact date Easter. Old Julian calendar complicated the calculations, since it did not take into account about 8 hours a year, and required processing. Copernicus, invited for these purposes, stated that such serious work should be based on careful astronomical observations. In particular, it was necessary to establish the exact length of the year and the trajectories of the Sun, Moon and neighboring planets.
While working on the new calendar, Copernicus was finally convinced of the falsity of the geocentric system. Many of Copernicus' solutions were ideal for a situation in which the Earth revolved around the sun, and not vice versa.
In the early 1530s, Copernicus decided to present his ideas in a completed and edited version. This is how work begins on the most important work of the scientist’s entire life - “On the revolutions of celestial bodies.” Copernicus did not forget about caution, so he presented his conclusions as just one of the possible theories of the structure of the Universe. The book included not only the results of astronomical observations, but also the very essence philosophical views Copernicus. He wrote that:
- The earth is spherical, it revolves around the sun and is just one of many planets, and not the center of the universe;
- Movement is relative, we can talk about it only if there is a reference point;
- Space is much larger than the area visible from Earth and is most likely infinite.
At the same time, the scientist did not abandon the idea of creating the world by a divine essence.
“On the Revolutions of Celestial Bodies” was published a few days before the astronomer’s death - in May 1543. Thus, Copernicus devoted almost 40 years to the development of the heliocentric system - from the moment the first inaccuracies were discovered in the works of Ptolemy until the final version of his views was formalized.
The fate of the scientific heritage of Nicolaus Copernicus
At first, Copernicus's book did not cause much concern among Catholics. This was due to two reasons. Firstly, the abundance of formulas, numbers and diagrams was incomprehensible to an unprepared person. Secondly, the scientist very subtly presented his ideas in the form of just an alternative view. Therefore, the astronomer’s work spread freely throughout Europe for quite a long time. A few years later, the hierarchs realized the danger of the teaching set forth in “On the Revolutions of Celestial Bodies.” But this, however, did not stop them from using the results of Copernicus’ work to compile a new calendar. In 1582, despite the fact that the late Copernicus was considered a heretic, Europe began to gradually switch to modern Gregorian calendar, based on the calculations of the disgraced astronomer.
The revolutionary ideas of Copernicus contradicted the picture of the world, which was strongly supported by the Catholic Church. Accepting the heliocentric system meant recognizing that:
- The earth, which was God's creation, is not at the center, but at the periphery of the Universe;
- There is no celestial hierarchy;
- The idea of anthropocentrism is controversial;
- There is no cosmic prime mover.
However, for a long time the name of Copernicus was forgotten. At the end of the 16th century, the Italian Dominican monk Giordano Bruno popularized the ideas of Copernicus. Unlike the Polish astronomer, he was not afraid to hide his views and preach them openly. This led Bruno to death at the stake, but at the same time made a real revolution in the minds of progressive Europeans. They started talking about Copernicus, and the best minds of that time began to get acquainted with his system.
Only in 1616, a special commission of inquisitors decided to include Copernicus’s book in the “Index of Prohibited Books.” However, the spread of heliocentrism could no longer be stopped. Despite all the prohibitions and rigidity of religious dogmas, the doctrine of the central position of the Sun in the Universe early XVII century has become generally accepted.
The scientist who revealed to the world the true interaction of celestial bodies with each other was born at the end of the 15th century. Despite the ban on his works for inconsistency with the religious beliefs of his time, the scientist’s works were not lost. The great discoveries of Copernicus are the basis of school teachings and ideas about many areas of human life.
Copernicus made his discoveries not only in astronomy; they also affected physics, economics, mathematics, the laws of mechanics and medicine, contributing to more than one scientific revolution.
Youth
The future outstanding scientist was born in Poland, in 1473 in Toruń. Born in February, the boy was the fourth child in the family and received the name Nicholas, the same name as Copernicus’s father. Despite her Polish origin, Nikolai's mother was born German. The boy's father was a merchant, which allowed the child to receive a good education.
Until the age of ten, the Copernicus family lived quietly, but the outbreak of the plague not only claimed thousands of other people’s lives, it also affected Copernicus the Elder. The head of the family died, leaving the boy's mother as his successor. In 1489, the mother of the family also died. Then Nikolai’s uncle takes responsibility for the children, brother mother.
As a local bishop, Lukasz Watzenrode was known as a man endowed with the gift of diplomacy, an educated and well-read person. An intelligent relative, with a cool disposition and love for his younger nephew, became a real father for Nikolai. Seeing his successor in his nephew, Lukash gave it to the boy good upbringing on par with education.
Education
- The young man graduated from school at the age of fifteen. The next stage of his education took place at the Włocławsk school. Thanks to interesting teacher a young student became interested in astronomy.
- At the age of eighteen, the young man comes to Krakow, under the protection of his uncle, taking his brother with him. Having entered the Jagiellonian University, famous for its excellent educational programs, both brothers entered the Faculty of Arts. Thanks to the atmosphere around him, Copernicus developed critical thinking and thoroughly mastered the sciences he taught. His passion for astronomy moved to a deeper level.
- After graduating from university at twenty-four, Nikolai and his brother went to work in their uncle’s diocese as canons. In this way, the bishop accustoms young people to the idea that they need to earn money themselves to further study abroad.
- After two years of working as a canon, Copernicus goes to Italy, where he intends to continue his studies. Lukash makes sure that his nephew receives a vacation for a period of three years and a salary.
- Having entered the University of Bologna, the student chooses to study at a law school. There he mastered Greek and continued to study astronomy. In addition to his passion for painting, studying abroad brings the guy an acquaintance with the scientist who revived European mathematics.
- During his stay in Italy, Copernicus makes a joint discovery with the professor, which speaks of the equal distance to the Moon in quadrature, regardless of the full moon or new moon. This is how Nicholas first begins to doubt the veracity of Ptolemy’s statements.
- Three years later, Copernicus returns to Poland. Just like after his first education, he remains without a scientific degree. Returning to their place of duty, the brothers ask for an additional delay in order to complete their education. Having received consent, in 1503 Nicholas received the degree of Doctor of Canon Law. Having undergone medical training during this time, Copernicus remained in Italy and practiced medicine.
Merits in science
After three years of medical practice, Copernicus travels to his homeland, where he works for his uncle as both a confidant and a physician. After the bishop's death, the nephew moves to a small town, where he continues to work in the church and conduct scientific observations.
Having built an observatory in the tower of the fortress, the astronomer continues his work alone, without accepting help. By the thirtieth year of the 16th century, Copernicus completed his work, determining that the Earth rotates around the sun in a year, and around its axis in a day.
Being a fantastic idea, this idea spread the news of the astronomer throughout Europe. There was no negative response to the bold idea. However, the scientist did not rush to publish the book, hoping to double-check his ideas and observations. The verification took about forty years, and in 1543 the master’s greatest work was published. At this time, Copernicus could no longer rejoice at the news, because he was in a coma.
Death of a Scientist
Nicolaus Copernicus died after two months in a coma. The scientist's death occurred in the spring of 1543 due to a stroke.
Until 2005, Copernicus' grave was unknown. The remains of the greatest astronomer were found by chance, as a result of excavations carried out by archaeologists. Their authenticity was established by DNA testing. Five years later, the remains of Copernicus buried in Frombork Cathedral.
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