Astronomers - 01 - Nicholaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

Nicholaus Copernicus or Mikolaj Kopernik was born on the 19th February1473 in the ancient village of Toran, Poland. His father was a rich merchant and the mother an educated woman.

From childhood Copernicus had the habit of watching the night sky for hours with great fascination and awe.

After finishing his early education in a local school he entered the University of Krakov at the age of 18. There he studied Astronomy and Mathematics as his main subjects, but had a great liking towards the works of ancient Greek Scholars like Plato and Aristotle. It is said that faculties of his logical thinking were sharpened by those works.

Next he went to Italy and joined the famous University of Padua for further studies. Being a very bright student, at the end of studentship he was appointed a research student. While employed, Copernicus studied Law, Medicine, Astronomy and Advanced Latin. All these learning helped him immensely to become a respected scholar of his day. He was a distinguished celebrity at discussions, seminars, and conferences conducted at the Universities of Padua, Milan, Venice and Genoa.

Copernicus lived in an age where freedom of expression was much restricted. At the time Aristotle’s theory that the Earth is the Centre of the Universe (this was called the Geo-Centric Theory) was unquestionable and respected as an absolute truth. Anyone who dared to express a view against this so called ‘unrefutable’ conclusion, could be punished by burning at the stake.

The various observations conducted by Copernicus independently made him strongly convinced that the Earth and other planets such as Venus and Mars revolved around the Sun in their orbits and that the whole system was Solar-Centric or Sun Centered.

“The Earth is only a small speck in the vast Universe. It is not stationary. It revolves round the Sun in a regular orbit”, he explained to his very close and confident friends. But he dared not to publish his views and findings as he was aware of the inevitable and brutal punishment.

Addressing a few colleagues he once said “Friends, my discoveries will gain recognition when proper time dawns. Till then I am compelled to lay them aside.” He did so not risking his life.

Nicolaus Copernicus the great pioneer in the exploration of space led a very simple unassuming life and passed away peacefully in 1543 at Fraunberg, Poland.

All his works were published posthumously or after his death. ‘The Copernican Revolution’ launched by him silently, paved the way for Johan Kepler and Galileo Galilee and a few others to make their discoveries in Astronomy.

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