1- Heliocentric model of the universe

The most recognized and revolutionary contribution of Nicholas Copernicus is

undoubtedly the theory of heliocentrism. Up to this point, Ptolemy's model had been
followed, which proposed that the earth was the center of the universe ( Geocentrism ).

Copernicus proposed a model of a spherical universe, in which both the Earth and the
planets and stars revolved around the Sun. This contribution of Copernicus to science is
perhaps the most revolutionary in the history of mankind, A paradigm shift for the
sciences.

And it is that from that moment, the science began to be based on observations and
mathematical measurements, and is not beliefs and simple theoretical affirmations.

2- Changing the theory of gravity

The fact that the center of the universe was the earth implied that the center of gravity of
the universe was the earth; And this could be corroborated with the physical
phenomena that occurred here.

If the center of gravity is no longer the earth, why then do things within the earth fall to
its center? Copernicus's response to this was one of his great contributions to the world
of science:

All matter has gravity, and the heavy matter will attract and be attracted by similarly
heavy matter, just as the smaller matter will be attracted to the larger matter.

In this way, the small things that are on the earth, are attracted to the earth. For
example, the moon, being smaller than the earth, revolves around it, and the earth,
being smaller than the sun, does the same. Copernicus ex

3- Theory of the three movements

His model of the universe implied that Earth possesses three movements: rotation,
translation and a conical oscillation motion of its own axis. The first has a duration of
one day, the second of a year, and the third occurs also in a year progressively.

This latter movement is what modern eyes may seem strange. But it was the way in
which Copernicus explains the variation of temperature in the different seasons of the
year.

4- Order of alignment of the planets

The translation movement causes the order in which the celestial spheres are arranged
to be the following:

The supreme and immovable sphere is the Sun, which contains all things situated in the
universe. In the farthest orbit is Saturn, then comes Jupiter and Mars is nearer.

In the next orbit moves on the Earth, then Venus and finally Mercury. The Moon
revolves around the center of the Earth, and moves with the Earth, as an epicycle.

5- The retrograde movement of the planets

This order indicates that one planet surpasses another in the speed of translation
according to the size of the circles.

Thus Saturn takes about thirty years to complete a cycle; Jupiter, twelve years old;
Mars, two and a half years, and Earth, one year; Venus, nine months and Mercury,
three.

In this way, Copernicus explains the retrograde movement of other celestial spheres
whose time of translation is greater to the Earth, since, by difference of speeds, the
Earth surpasses several times to the other planets, but the observer perceives of these
last ones a trajectory In the opposite direction.

6- Amount of water on Earth

The astronomer proposed that the amount of water has to be less than the land. At that
time it was believed that there was ten times more water than land.

It was then explained that the earth's rotation (as a disk) was due to the fact that the
center of gravity and center of magnitude did not coincide and were two forces that
sought balance and this generated movement.

This also used to explain why there are mountains and valleys, cavities and
protuberances on the surface of the Earth.

However, through geometry, Copernicus demonstrated that, since the earth is a sphere,
necessarily the center of gravity and the center of its mass are coincident and, at the
same time, he came to the conclusion that the quantity of water does not May be
greater than that of earth, because the heavy matter is conglomerated around the
center of gravity and light on the outside.

Thus, if the amount of water exceeds the amount of land, the water would cover the
entire surface of the earth.