Copernicus T J Osler

Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543)

Universe has 8 spheres Sun is motionless at center Stars on the outermost sphere Each planet has its own sphere Moon revolves in its sphere around the earth Earth rotates daily

For theological and philosophical reasons All orbits must be perfect circles Required epicycles to account for deviations in motion of planets

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on 19 February 1473 in a house on St. Anne's Street (now Copernicus Street) in the city of Toruń (Thorn). Toruń, situated on the Vistula River, a region of the Kingdom of PolandToruńVistula RiverKingdom of Poland

In 1491 Copernicus enrolled at the Kraków Academy (now Jagiellonian University), where he probably first encountered astronomy with Professor Albert Brudzewski. Astronomy soon fascinated him, and he began collecting a large library on the subjectKraków AcademyAlbert Brudzewski

Title page, 2nd edition, Basel,Officina Henricpetrina, 1566BaselOfficina Henricpetrina

Revolutionibus is his major work Required decades of labor Incorporates over a thousand years of observations 330 folio pages 100 pages of tables Over 2000 tabulated numbers

De Revolutionibus is dedicated to Pope Paul IIIPope Paul III Argues that mathematics, not physics, should be the basis for understanding and accepting his new theory. De revolutionibus is divided into 6 books

Book I: General vision of heliocentric theory Book II: Principles of spherical astronomy and a star list Book III: Apparent movements of the sun Book IV: Moon and its orbital movements.Moon Book V and VI: How to calculate the positions of astronomical objectsastronomical objects

De Revolutionibus was a serious blow to Aristotelian philosophy and Church teaching

Forward implied that the whole work might be only a bold speculation. At the time of publication many assumed that Copernicus had written the foreword. Copernicus' friends, were furious when they saw the preface to the first edition, because it diminished the historic breakthrough that De revolutionibus was. In fact, it was Lutheran philosopher Andreas Osiander who wrote and inserted the infamous foreword.Andreas Osiander

FromborkFrombork Cathedral, where Copernicus was buried

Ptolemy vs Copernicus Just add Pi to initial angles