20100807 Nicolaus Copernicus: Moving Astronomy Forward (3)

Nicolaus Copernicus: Moving Astronomy Forward

While his conclusions would answer astronomers' questions, Copernicus was well aware that "moving the Earth" would shake the foundations of everyone else's worldview. So sometime before 1514, he carefully revealed his conclusions, gradually introducing them in an essay he sent only to various colleagues in philosophy and astronomy. Over the next several years, he refined his results while his theory circulated around Europe, spreading his reputation as a remarkable astronomer.

In 1539, a young mathematician named Georg Rheticus came to study under the seasoned 66-year-old astronomer. Fascinated by his conclusions, Rheticus worked with Copernicus to publish an introduction to his sun-centered universe model.

Its success pushed Copernicus to complete and publish his entire, massive six-volume work, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly spheres, at the end of his life. Legend holds that Copernicus held a published copy of his life's work on his deathbed on May 24, 1543. in subsequent years, astronomers built upon Copernicus' conclusions, continuing to challenge the previous perspective. By the 1700s, it was nearly impossible to find an astronomer who wasn't convinced of the Copernican model's accuracy. Copernicus' impact on both astronomy and how we pursue knowledge today has truly been astronomical.