Transcript Fernando Torres

Nicolaus Copernicus
Fernando Torres
W. Stiern Middle School
Ms. Marshall
2009-2010
H.S.S. 7.10
Introduction
 Copernicus was a Polish astronomer
 Lived from 1473 to 1543
 Was a Roman Catholic
 Considered as the father of modern astronomy
 Discovered that the sun, not the earth, was the center of
the universe
 Theories opposed church teachings which overthrew the
reliance of popular ideas of ancient Greek philosophers
 Provided a model for the scientific method
Birth of Copernicus
Born on February 19, 1473 in Thorn, (now Torun)
Poland
Parents were Barbara Watzcelrode and Nicolaus
Koppernigk
Name in Poland is either Niklas Koppernigk or
Mikolaj Kopernik
Belonged to a family of wealthy merchants
Childhood
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Had two sisters and a brother:
Andreas/ Andrzej, who became an Augustinian canon
at Frombork
Barbara, who became a Benedictine nun
Katharina/ Katarzyna, who married Barthel Gertner,
a business man and city councillor
Was the youngest one in the family
At the age of ten, Copernicus went to live with his
uncle, who was a prince and a bishop, after his
father died
Basic Studies
Entered the University of Cracow in 1491 and studied
mathematics and painting
Also studied liberal arts- which included astronomy and
astrology
Left before he completed his degree in 1494
Uncle arranged for Copernicus to serve as a canon( church
official) at the cathedral at Frombork
Job provided Copernicus with income for his studies
Studied religious law and medicine at the universities of
Bologna and Padua
Gained a doctorate in canon law at the University of Ferrara
Further Studies in Astronomy
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In Italy attended the astronomical lectures of Professor
Domenico Maria Novara
Copernicus’s earliest observations were in the year 1497
On March 9, 1497 observed and recorded an eclipse of the
star Aldebaran
In the 1500ths, he lectured in Rome about mathematics,
astronomy, medicine, and theology
Attended a conference in Rome about the calendar reform
where people argued that if the Earth was the center of the
sun then why were they getting inaccurate calendars
Witnessed a lunar eclipse on November 6, 1500
Returned to Poland in either 1505 or 1506 after completing
his studies in 1503
Copernicus’s Job as Canon
• Returned to Poland in his early 30’s
• Served as a canon for 40 years
• Assisted the bishop in :
governing the diocese( the territorial authority of a
bishop),
administering church property,
and used his medical training on the clergy and the
poor
Nightly Watches
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Often watched the night sky atop a roofless tower
of stone that he built himself
Did not use a telescope in his observations
Made regular observations about the path of the
sun, moon, and planets
Tried to calculate the planet’s orbits
With careful observation, he learned much about
the universe
Copernicus’s Theories
 Early astronomers had suggested a heliocentric universe ( a universe
where the sun is the center of the universe)
 Immediately religious church leaders rejected these ideas, wanting
their view of the universe to be the only one
 Copernicus believed that Ptolemy’s theory contained flaws
 The idea that stars rotated around the earth and that the sun moved
around the earth every night and day was complicated
 Copernicus observed that the planets changed in brightness and even
moved backwards’ like Mars
 Wondered if the earth moved along with the planets- third from the
sun, which set Mars back to fourth
 This explained Mar’s backward motion
 Concluded that all planets orbit the sun
 Proposed that the earth revolves yearly around the sun
 Theorized that the earth moved on its axis
De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium
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This book explained Copernicus’s theories
Called On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres or De
Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium in Poland
Published in 1543
Demonstrated how the earth's motion could be used to explain the
movements of other universal bodies
Copernicus refused to publish his theories, afraid that he will be
exiled
In 1530, allowed scholars to review his work
Georg Rheticus, used Copernicus’s permission to publish his book,
but was forced into exile
The job of publishing Copernicus’s book was left to a Lutheran
Minister, Abdreas Osiander
Copernicus died before he ever saw his book published
Dedicated to Pope Paul III
Roman Catholic Church’s Action
• Banned On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres in 1616
and it remained on a list of forbidden books until the 1800’s
• Religious leaders disagreed with Copernicus’s theories
because they contradicted their view of the universe
• Some scholars understood Copernicus’s theories but they
did not openly oppose the church
Death
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Scientists and astronomers like
Galileo and Johannes Kepler helped
prove some of Copernicus’s theories
Copernicus died on May 24, 1543 in
Fraunberg
Was unmarried and bared no
children
Bibliography
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Ellavich C. Marie. Scientist's: their
Lives and Works. 1997
Boltzmann, Cuvier. The Grolier
Library of Science Biographies.
1996