Signature Assignment: “Nicolaus Copernicus”

By Andres Eisert

Physics 1040: Elementary Astronomy

Dr. Jones

November 30, 2022

 Famous Astronomer/scientist: Nicolaus Copernicus

Throughout the years, many astronomers and scientists have contributed to what we now

know about our solar system and the universe as a whole. In this paper, I chose to write about

Nicolaus Copernicus because he was the astronomer that changed the way our society used to

know about the solar system by making astronomical observations and proposing new ideas that

eventually lead to the creation of the Heliocentric model. His ideas challenged older astronomy

models and beliefs, but after proving his work, not only did he make history but also became a

major influence on future astronomers and thinkers

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473, in Poland. His parents were Nicolas

and Barbara Copernicus, and he was the youngest of 4 siblings. His path to his education began

upon his father’s death when his uncle, Lucas Watzenrode, took guardianship of young Nicolaus.

“Watzenrode was a very successful cleric – he was to become bishop of Warmia (Ermland in

German) in 1489 – and he both facilitated his nephew’s advancement in the church and directed

his education.” (Stanford University, 2019).

 At 18, after finishing his early studies, Copernicus applied to the university of Krakow

where he began more advanced studies in arts, science, mathematics, and astronomy. “The

course of study he had selected gave him a profound knowledge of logic and philosophy and he

read not only works by Aristotle and his commentators, but also Heraclitus of Ephesus,

Democritus, Epicurus, Plato (in neo-platonic versions written by Marsilio Ficino and Cicero),

Plutarch, Cicero and the Pythagoreans e.g. Eudoxus of Cnidus and Philolaus of Croton. As he

admitted in the foreword to his book, addressed to Pope Paul III, it had been his studies of

ancient philosophy that inspired Copernicus to take interest in the Earth’s orbit,” (Borawska,

Nicolaus Copernicus Thorunensis). Even though he didn’t finish his studies with a degree, he

learned the foundations of his knowledge where he identified his main interest in astronomy.

After four years at Krakow university, he was sent to Italy by his uncle. His uncle, a

bishop of the church, expected him to study and learn about the laws and regulations of the

catholic church and to graduate with a Canon Law degree. Even though he was studying Canon

law, Copernicus also enrolled in classes like mathematics, Greek, and astronomy. “He rented

rooms at the house of the astronomy professor Domenico Maria de Novara and began to

undertake research with him, assisting him in making observations,” (Mathshistory, 2022). At

this point in his life and after another three years of this new career, he was still dedicated and

interested in astronomy, and he continued observing the sky. In the end, he left the university

with even more books, and more knowledge, but without his degree.

After realizing he could stay in Italy and learn more about astronomy, after his uncle’s

permission, Nicolaus stayed in the city of Padua with the condition of learning and getting

medical training. “In May 1503 Copernicus finally received a doctorate—like his uncle, in canon

law—but from an Italian university where he had not studied: the University of Ferrara,”
(Britannica, 2022). After getting his degree, he returned to Poland where he began working as a

clergyman and care for people’s medical needs as a physician while doing research and still

making observations in astronomy on the side.

Despite being busy with his duties at his job, he wrote “Commentariolus,” a print he

shared with people close to him, where he presented a new description of the solar system based

on how he viewed it. “He thought people should shift from a geocentric (earth centered) view to

a heliocentric (sun centered) view,” (FamousScientists, 2014). From here on his work on proving

this new Heliocentric hypothesis became his focus. In this heliocentric model, he proposed the

idea that the Earth wasn’t the center of the universe, that all spheres orbit the sun, that retrograde

motion is because of Earth’s motion, and that the universe is much bigger than people thought it

to be.

One of the reasons he delayed the publishing of his book to the rest of the people was that

he needed time to make observations and test his theories with mathematical proof. “His

administrative duties certainly interfered with both the research and the writing. He was unable

to make the regular observations that he needed and Frombork, which was often fogged in, was

not a good place for those observations,” (Stanford University, 2019). Discouragement was

added constantly because his new model disagreed with the church’s astronomical views that had

been in place for decades.

Soon after, he began his work on his book, “On the Revolutions”. This book, comprised

of 6 books, explains more in-depth his Heliocentric model and the known Copernican theory.

During this period, he obtained a pupil that helped add important material to his book and

eventually convinced him of publishing it. ‘Rheticus added astrological predictions and number

mysticism, which were absent from Copernicus’s work.” (Stanford University, 2019). The name
of his colleague and pupil was Georg Rheticus. Nicolaus Copernicus died on May 24th, 1543,

when he was 70 years old and the same year, he published his book. He died from a cerebral

hemorrhage.

Nicolaus Copernicus’s work and dedication paid off in the end. After years of studying,

researching, and observing the stars despite not having telescopes, and being busy with his other

work, he was able to prove his model true. Even with much opposition from the church and

others, his work prevailed, and it became supported and accepted. Future astronomers,

influenced by Copernicus, started creating their own theories, and many were able to verify his

model later on.

 Works Cited

Rabin, Sheila. “Nicolaus Copernicus.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford

University, 13 Sept. 2019, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/copernicus/#LifeWork.

Borawska, T. (n.d.). Studies at Kraków University. Nicolaus Copernicus thorunensis - studies at

Kraków University. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from
http://copernicus.torun.pl/en/biography/1491-1495/1/

“Nicolaus Copernicus - Biography.” Maths History, 22 Nov. 2022, https://mathshistory.st-

andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Copernicus/.

Westman, Robert S.. "Nicolaus Copernicus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Oct. 2022,

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolaus-Copernicus. Accessed 2 November 2022.

“Nicolaus Copernicus.” Famous Scientists. famousscientists.org. 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 11/1/2022