The Life of Nicolaus Copernicus

553 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay about nicolaus copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer. He is famous for his formulation of a heliocentric theory of our galaxy. This theory suggested that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun, which is in the center of our solar system. This heliocentric model was the opposite of what people had believed before, which was that the sun and other planets revolved around Earth. Copernicus was a genius of his time and had a breakthrough in astronomy. He is known as the initiator of the Scientific Revolution.
Copernicus had quite a tough life early on, because of the loss of his father, but he still managed to do very well in life. He was born on February 19, 1473 in Poland. He was the youngest of four children. His father was a prosperous merchant while he was alive, but he died when Nicolaus was only ten years old. This left him and his three siblings in the protection of their uncle, Lucas Watzenrode. Watzenrode was a successful cleric, who was to become a bishop. He took great care of Copernicus by educating him and facilitating his advancement in church.
N...

Show More
Related

  • Nicholas Copernicus' On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres Led to the Belief in the Scientific Method

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the year of 1543, laying on his death bed, Nicholas Copernicus published the On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. The notions and ideas that were presented in Copernicus’s book have not only led us to believe that the Earth orbits around the Sun, but rather have led the general populace to have an intrinsic belief in the scientific method. Today, this very belief in the scientific method is being challenged by human morality. As biochemists continue to widen the scope of biopharming, countless individuals are beginning to wonder where to draw a line on transgenic organisms. As individuals, themselves, are beginning to take a stance on transgenics, governments and health organizations are also closely monitoring this ongoing struggle between scientific advancement and human morality.

    Read More

  • Galileo’s Legacy

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    In papal Rome in the early 16th century the “Good Book” was the reference book for all scientists. If a theory was supported in its holy pages, or at the very least not contradicted, then the idea had a chance of find acceptance outside the laboratory. Likewise, no theory no matter how well documented could be viewed with anything but disdain if it contradicted with the written word of, or the Church’s official interpretation of scripture. For these reasons the Church suppressed helio-centric thinking to the point of making it a hiss and a byword. However, this did not keep brave men from exploring scientific reason outside the canonical doctrine of the papal throne, sometimes at the risk of losing their own lives. While the Vatican was able to control the universities and even most of the professors, it could not control the mind of one man known to the modern world as Galileo Galilei. Despite a wide array of enemies, Galileo embarked on a quest, it seems almost from the beginning of his academic career, to defend the Copernican idea of a helio-centric universe by challenging the authority of the church in matters of science. Galileo‘s willingness to stand up for what he held to be right in the face of opposition from Bible-driven science advocates set him apart as one of the key players in the movement to separate Church authority from scientific discovery, and consequently paved the way for future scientific achievement.

    Read More

  • The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment

    1694 Words  | 4 Pages

    A key parallel between the scientific revolution and the enlightenment was the decreasing belief in authority. The scientific revolution lead to great advances in astronomy, mathematics, geography, botany and medicine (7). A key discovery was that of Copernicus’ heliocentric theory (2). The heliocentric theory proposed that the sun was at the centre of the universe as opposed to the earth which was the common belief held strongly at the time. Copernicus discovered that the sun was at the centre of the universe, and that the moon orbited the earth while the earth orbited the sun. This theory raised profound qu...

    Read More

  • Dbq John Copernicus

    863 Words  | 2 Pages

    To begin, many people did not support the new scientific discoveries because it would contradict religious doctrine. John Calvin, a French Protestant theologian, believed that science was only useful if it was used to glorify God (Doc 2). For many people, God was held higher than science and they took offense at the radical idea of the opposite, that science was higher than God. In fact, Giovanni Ciampoli, an Italian monk, wrote to Galileo telling him that he understood his ideas but that he should not share them publicly because he is not a clergyman, therefore people would not listen to him (Doc 3). Being a monk himself, Ciampoli's statement is very credibly since he is a prominent figure in religious work and he is very closely acquainted

    Read More

  • Galileo and the History of the Catholic Church

    1932 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1543 Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish Canon, published “On the Revolution of the Celestial Orbs”. The popular view is that Copernicus discovered that the earth revolves around the sun. The notion is as old as the ancient Greeks however. This work was entrusted by Copernicus to Osiander, a staunch Protestant who though the book would most likely be condemned and, as a result, the book would be condemned. Osiander therefore wrote a preface to the book, in which heliocentrism was presented only as a theory which would account for the movements of the planets more simply than geocentrism did, one that was not meant to be a definitive description of the heavens--something Copernicus did not intend. The preface was unsigned, and everyone took it to be the author’s. That Copernicus believed the helioocentric theory to be a true description of reality went largely unnoticed. In addition to the preface, this was partly because he still made reassuring use of Ptolemy's cycles and epicycles; he also borrowed from Aristotle the notion that the planets must move in circles because that is the only perfect form of motion.

    Read More

  • Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution: A Comparative Study

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first record of the movement of the planets was produced by Nicolaus Copernicus. He proposed that the earth was the center of everything, which the term is called geocentric. Kepler challenged the theory that the sun was the center of the earth and proposed that the sun was the center of everything; this term is referred to as heliocentric. Kepler’s heliocentric theory was accepted by most people and is accepted in today’s society. One of Kepler’s friends was a famous person named Galileo. Galileo is known for improving the design and the magnification of the telescope. With improvement of the telescope Galileo could describe the craters of the moon and the moons of Jupiter. Galileo also created the number for acceleration of all free falling objects as 9.8 meters per second. Galileo’s and Kepler’s theories were not approved by all people. Their theories contradicted verses in the bible, so the protestant church was extremely skeptical of both Galileo and Kepler’s

    Read More

  • The Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nicholas Copernicus was the first to question the universal truths and teachings of the church. He devised a theory that the earth along with the other planets revolved around the sun. This theory disagreed with Aristotle and the old teachings that the universe revolved around the earth, and that man was the center of the universe.

    Read More

  • The Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment

    1738 Words  | 4 Pages

    Copernicus was a scientist and philosopher whose theory proposed that the sun was stationary, and the heavens orbit around the sun. Galileo tried to convince the Church not to abolish the Copernican theory but was told that he was not to entertain such thoughts with others.... ... middle of paper ... ...(n.d.).

    Read More

  • Johannes Kepler's Accomplishments

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    Johannes Kepler was born on December 27th in the year of 1571. He was born in the town of Weil Der Stadt in Germany. He was the oldest child of the three siblings in his family. His father was Heinrich Kepler and his was mother Katharina Guldenmann. He was born into a very wealthy and powerful family, but the wealth dwindled quickly. The loss of wealth caused his father to enlist into the Mercenary Business and was sent away on missions and was away from home a lot. His father passed away on the battlefield when Johannes was five years

    Read More

  • What Drives History?

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another important individual who drove history was the Italian astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei. Galileo discovered something so important that it changed the selfish perspective that humans were the center of the universe and led to the growth of human knowledge. Utilizing mathematics and a telescope he had developed, Galileo observed that the planets revolved around the sun and not the Earth. This was a significant discovery because not only did it contradict what the church had taught, it also showed that the universe was not what it seemed. With this truth uncovered, many people began to fascinate over the universe. This triggered people to begin studying space extensively and eventually lead to present day space exploration. Galileo also left a lasting impression upon many great minds, such as Sir Isaac Newton, who used Galileo's research and theories to further his own studies such as the physical laws, and their properties.

    Read More

  • The Revolution In Astronomy Summary

    513 Words  | 2 Pages

    He also built an observatory, Uraniborg, where large and finely calibrated instruments were used to get precise measurement soy celestial movements. • Kepler: Johannes Kepler used Brahe's data to further develop Copernicus's model and reached a more accurate heliocentric theory. Kepler mathematically confirmed the Copernican heliocentric hypothesis. • Galileo: Galileo Galilei provided "compelling new evidence to support Copernican theory", and has created inventions like military compass and telescope.

    Read More

  • Scientific Empiricism

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1513, Nicholas Copernicus, composed a brief theory that stated that the sun is at rest and the earth is in rotation around the sun. In 1543, just days before his death, Copernicus published this theory in On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. This theory was meant to dissolve the long lived belief in Ptolemyís theory which stated, "The earth was at the center because it was the heaviest of objects(Kagan331)." This was a common belief at that time, which supported the religious beliefs that the earth was the center of the universe and God in the heavens were surrounding the earth. Copernicusís theory was shocking, but he published such a controversial theory without sufficient evidence, it had to be considered invalid.

    Read More

  • 1514 Nicolaus Copernicus: The Hellenistic System

    444 Words  | 1 Pages

    1514 Nicolaus Copernicus displays the “first” accurate model of what is referred to as the Hellenistic system. The Hellenistic system theory claimed that the sun was center which contradicted the previous believed geocentric theory, that claimed the earth was center the He completed a manuscript but, in fear of possible anger from the church and other criticisms he did not publish it. His ideas would soon become a great influence for Galileo. 1542

    Read More

  • Copernicus Essay

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nicholaus Copernicus is one of the most well known astronomers of all time. He is even labeled as the founder of modern astronomy for the proposition of his heliocentric theory (“Nicolaus Copernicus”, Scientists: Their Lives and Works). The heliocentric theory was revolutionary for Copernicus’ time. Copernicus lived during the Renaissance. “The era of the Renaissance (roughly 1400-1600) is usually known for the “rebirth” of an appreciation of ancient Greek and Roman art forms, along with other aspects of classical teachings that tended to diminish the virtually exclusive concentration on religious teachings during the preceding centuries of the “Dark Ages.” New thinking in science was also evident in this time…” This time period became known as the scientific revolution (“Copernicus: On The Revolutions Of Heavenly Bodies). In other words, old ideas were revived in the arts and other means and less emphasis was placed o...

    Read More

  • The Copernican Revolution and Its Importance According to Thomas S. Kuhn

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...centred universe, like Aristotle, and Ptolemy posed new questions for Copernicus's successors. Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, and finally Newton would be viewed as the successors to the Copernicus theory, and their contributions would complete the Copernicus revolution. Galileo with his telescope, Kepler with his ellipses, and Newton with his laws of motion and gravity.

    Read More

More about The Life of Nicolaus Copernicus

Open Document