1. Nicholas Copernicus

2. Personal Background Þ1473–1543 ÞThorn (now Torum), Poland ÞMerchants & Municipal Officials ÞPolish Astronomer ÞHigh Social Class ÞSolid Education ÞBest Universities

3. Personal Chronology ÞStudied Liberal Arts (1491) ÞJagiellonian Univ. ÞStudied Law ÞUniv. of Cracow ÞStudied Medicine ÞUniv. of Padua ÞWhere Galileo taught a century later ÞDidn’t Complete Studies

4. Personal Chronology ÞStudied Canon Law (1497) ÞUniv. of Bologna ÞDoctorate, Univ. of Ferrara (1503) ÞNot unusual to get degree elsewhere ÞLived with Mathematics Prof. ÞDomenico Maria de Novara ÞLectured on Astronomy ÞRome (1500)

5. Personal Chronology ÞDomenico Maria de Novara ÞStimulated Copernicus’s Interests ÞGeographical & Astronomical ÞCritic of Astronomer Ptolemy ÞTogether Observed Occultation ÞEclipse of the moon ÞStar Aldebaran, 3/9/1497

6. Personal Chronology ÞReturn to Poland (1503-1510) ÞUncle's Bishopric palace ÞLidzbark Warminski ÞAdministration of the Diocese ÞConflict Against the Teutonic Knights ÞPublished First Book ÞLatin translation of letters on morals Þ7th-century Byzantine writer ÞTheophylactus of Simocatta.

7. Personal Chronology ÞBetween 1507 and 1515 ÞCompleted Astronomical Treatise ÞKnown as the Commentariolus ÞNot Published Till 19th Century ÞPrinciples Heliocentric Astronomy.

8. Personal Chronology ÞChurch Administrator (1512) ÞFrauenberg, East Prussia. ÞFinancial Responsibilities ÞNo Priestly Duties. ÞCommission on Calendar Reform Þ1515

9. Personal Chronology ÞWrote a Treatise on Money Þ1517 ÞDe Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium ÞHis Major Work, ÞOn the Revolutions of Celestial Spheres ÞFinished by 1530 ÞFirst published by Lutheran printer ÞNuremberg, Germany, 1543.

10. ÞEventually Replaced ÞCopernican Theory ÞGeocentric Universe ÞEarth ÞStationary and motionless ÞCenter of concentric,rotating spheres. 16th-Century Cosmology

11. ÞGeocentric Universe ÞSpheres Held Celestial Bodies ÞThe moon ÞMercury ÞVenus ÞThe sun, ÞMars ÞJupiter ÞSaturn ÞFrom Earth Outward 16th-Century Cosmology

12. ÞGeocentric Universe ÞFinite outermost sphere ÞSo-called fixed stars ÞSaid to wobble slowly Þproduces precession of the equinoxes ÞFlaws In The Geocentric Universe ÞApparent retrograde motion ÞMars, Jupiter, and Saturn ÞPlanet motion halts & reverses 16th-Century Cosmology

14. ÞHeliocentric Theory ÞFirst presented (1512 or earlier) Þ“Commentariolus” ÞCompleted by 1530 ÞPublished (1543) Þ“De revolutionibus orbium coelestium” Copernican System

15. ÞHeliocentric Theory ÞSun is at rest ÞNear the center of the universe ÞEarth spins on its axis once daily ÞRevolves annually around the sun ÞPrecesses on its axis ÞWobbles like a top ÞPlanets also rotate Copernican System

17. ÞHeliocentric Theory Explains ÞMotions of Sun & Stars ÞRetrograde motion of some planets ÞHeliocentric Theory Retains ÞSolid planet-bearing spheres ÞFinite outermost sphere of fixed stars was stationary Copernican System

18. ÞTen Copernicans (1543 and 1600) ÞWorked outside the universities ÞGalileo & Kepler ÞDifferent reasons for support ÞMiddle position ÞDanish astronomer Tycho Brahe ÞThe earth remained at rest and all the planets revolved around the sun as it revolved around the earth Copernican System

19. ÞGalileo’s Ecclesiastical trial (1633) ÞSuppression of Copernican Theory ÞSome Jesuit philosophers ÞSecret followers of Copernicus ÞOthers ÞGeocentric-heliocentric system ÞLate 17th century ÞSystem of celestial mechanics ÞSir Isaac Newton Copernican System