Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19. 1473, in Royal Prussia, a part of Poland. Both of his parents were merchants. His sister was named Katharina. He was a mathematician and an astronomer that changed people’s views on space forever. Copernicus was one of the most important pieces in the Scientific Revolution.
In 1491, Copernicus entered the University of Cracow, where he studied painting and mathematics. Though he did not take astronomy classes at that time, he developed a growing interest in
the cosmos, and started collecting books on the topic. After graduating, he went back to his home and assumed the position of canon and a cathedral. This position let him study in his free time, although he felt that that wasn’t enough time, so he looked for a different job.
In 1496, he traveled to Italy, where he enrolled in a religions law school called the University of Bologna. While he was there, He met an astronomer named Domenico Maria Novara. He was the only person he had ever met that challenged the views of Ptolemy. Ptolemy was one of the most important and influential people in the topic of astronomy, so this was a huge difference from what he was used to.
Copernicus had read a lot of books on astronomy, and he started to notice that something wasn’t right. He looked at Ptolemy’s geocentric model of the solar system, and he thought that it didn’t make sense. It was inconsistent with Aristotle’s view, stating that planets moved in a circular motion at different speeds around a fixed point, the earth. He took these in to note and created a new theory of the solar system, one with the sun at the center. Copernicus also believed that the size of each planet's orbit depended on its distance from the sun.
This theory raised lots of controversy, but Copernicus designed and applied a complex mathematical formula to further prove his point. It was then, in the 1500s, when people started to believe him. In 1513, he was prompted to build his own observatory so he could view the planets whenever he wanted.
In 1514, he wrote a book on astronomy called Commentariolus. After that, he wrote another book about astronomy called De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. Shortly after his death on May 24, 1543, the Catholic Church banned this book because it disproved the ways that they taught. Nicolaus Copernicus was a very important man who changed people’s views on space for the years to come.
Dear sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog post because it gives a very complete understanding of Nicolaus Copernicus. What else happened after he died?
Great blog,
Ava
Hi sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteThis blog is really interesting and without his reason of believing in his theory we would not have a very good understanding of our universe. Have you ever seen cosmos it is a really good show if you are into astronomy.
-Advay K.
Sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteI loved your post about Copernicus and how he changed people's views of the solar system. Why did you chose him to write about? Also, how did people view his theory at fit once he published the books?
~Aarushi
Dear Sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteI like how you talked about the fact that Copernicus was mostly self-taught. One thing I was wondering was, did the Catholic Church say anything to him during his life?
From, Ibrahim A
Dear Sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog post was really interesting. I liked how you didn't just talk about his achievements but talked about his whole life, even venturing into something that happened after he died. Do you like Astronomy?
Best Wishes,
Britt
Dear Sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteI thought your writing was well put and Intriguing. It amazes me how much he discovered? Do you think he would be better or worse at math if he went to school instead of getting homeschooled?
Bryan
Dear Sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteInteresting how Copernicus gained all this knowledge from being self taught. Why do you think he raised so much controversy with his teachings?
-Truman
dear sassafrasser
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting the he gained all of his smartness from being self taught. Why do you think he came back and became a person at a church.
-luca
Dear sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting blog post. I thought it was interesting to learn that Copernicus was one of the first people to question Ptolemy. Why did no one question Ptolemy? Did Copernicus ever get exiled?
Lauren Mei
Dear Sassafrasser,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talked about his family in the beginning. I was wondering why you choose to write about Nicolaus Copernicus? Have you always known about him?
good job!
-Emma
Dear Sass,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post. It was very detailed in what copernicus did. How is copernicus related to your life? How did you choose this topic?
elise
Hi Jasper,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post because it was very detailed. I was wondering how you decided to pick this idea?
Sincerely,
Ramya
To Jasper,
ReplyDeleteThis is such an important man! We wouldn't of known that our universe is actually heliocentric! That takes a lot of courage to stand against a theory that everybody believed. Thanks for sharing the history of Copernicus! Where their any other people who challenged this idea?
Great article!
-Lion