Biography of Nicolaus Copernicus. Who is Nicolaus Copernicus: discoveries and scientific activities

Nicolaus Copernicus is a very versatile and talented person. He is a famous Polish astronomer, mathematician, as well as economist and canon. But Nikolai’s greatest fame came from his discovery of the heliocentric system of the world, which became the impetus for the first revolution in science.

Biography of Nicolaus Copernicus

Nicholas was born on February 19, in 1473 in a cute town called Torun. In the family of merchants, in addition to Nikolai, there were three more children, one boy and two girls, one named Katarzyna and the other Barbara. The father of the family was called Nikolai like his son, and the mother like her daughter was Barbara. At the age of ten, Nicholas had to endure the bitterness of loss; in 1483, his father passed away. The Copernicus family is left without the main breadwinner in the house. But he undertakes to take them under his wing brother Barbara Copernicus, that is, Nikolai's uncle, his name was Lucas Wachenrode. As a person, Lucas was very strict and demanding, so the children missed him all the time. my own father. But thanks to the good financial situation of Lucas Wachenrode, the children could receive a decent education. Their uncle was concerned about the future of his nephews, and he tried to give each of them a good push in life. One sister of Nicolaus Copernicus, Katarzyna, happily married a merchant whose name was Gertner, he was from Krakow. And Nicholas’s other sister, Barbara, made the difficult decision to enter a monastery of the Benedictine Order. Two brothers Andrzej and Nikolai studied arithmetic, Latin and music at school in Chelmno, in order to later receive higher education. When Nicholas was eighteen years old, his uncle Lukas Wachenrode became Bishop of Warmia. Lucas's financial situation has improved even more, and he now has great influence.

Education

Lucas Wachenrode's goal was to provide higher education to his beloved nephews. And he achieved it; already in 1491 he sent them to the city of Krakow. Nicolaus Copernicus liked to study, and he studied medicine, theology and mathematics with great desire, but most of all he liked the subject of astronomy. Then, four years later, Lucas tried to send his nephews to the Warmia land, he wanted them to take the post of canons in the Warmia Chapter. But Lucas’s plan cannot be realized. Therefore, he agrees that the two brothers Andrzej and Nikolai go to Bologna. There the brothers began to study further at the University of Bologna. Since Lukas still wanted to place at least one Nicholas in the Warmian Chapter, he advised him to study canon law. Nicholas diligently studied law, ancient languages ​​and also theology. And in his spare time, from teaching basic subjects, Nikolai devoted his time to studying astronomy. Largely due to the efforts of Uncle Lucas, in Poland Nicolaus Copernicus was made a canon in absentia in the diocese of Warmia. Then, for an unknown reason, in 1500, Nikolai abandoned his studies, without receiving a diploma or any title, and simply left for Rome. Then he stayed in his homeland for a short time and went to study medicine at the University of Padua. And already in 1503, Nicolaus Copernicus completed his studies and received the long-awaited diploma, and he was also given the degree of Doctor of Canon Law. But even after graduation, Nikolai did not want to return and, having asked permission from his uncle Lucas, continued to study medicine in Padua for three years. Three years later, Nicolaus Copernicus finishes his studies, and he needed to stay in Rome for another year in order to complete his internship in medicine.

Life path of Nicolaus Copernicus

But when the time came for practice in 1506, Nicholas learned that his uncle Lucas was very ill. After this news, Nikolai immediately leaves Rome for his homeland. After his return, from 1506 to 1512, Nicholas stayed at the bishops' castle in Heilsberg. There he is actively involved in astronomy, and also teaches in the city of Krakow. But besides this, he is also a doctor and a secretary. His uncle Lucas also appoints Nikolai as his confidant. In the winter of 1512, Nicholas again went to Krakow; he invited his uncle Lucas Wachenrode to royal wedding Sigismund the Old himself, and he in turn took his nephew Nicholas with him. After this is over important event At the royal court, Lukas Wachenrode left Petrkov to attend a meeting of the Sejm. And Nicolaus Copernicus, in turn, returned to Varimia. Later, Lucas was supposed to go there, but unforeseen circumstances happened.

When he was traveling from Petrkov to Varimia, he became very ill right on the road. The patient's condition was so critical that they could only bring him to the city of Torun. Having learned about what had happened, Nikolai immediately went to his uncle. No matter how many doctors were brought to Lukas Wachenrode, it was not possible to save him, since it was already too late. When Uncle Lucas died, Nicolaus Copernicus was next to his bed. Having taken the body of his deceased uncle to Frombork, Nikolai buried him there as expected. After the death of Lukas Wachenrode, Fabian Luzyanski becomes the Bishop of Warmia. And Nicolaus Copernicus is simply removed from his position as doctor and canon.

The man makes a firm decision to move to Frombork in order to settle there forever. Copernicus liked this turn in life, because now he had the opportunity and time to practice his favorite astronomy. In this city, Nicolaus Copernicus bought a house for himself in 1510. He divides his house into two zones, living and work area. He was also given a tower in which Nikolai set up a personal observatory. In this place he conducted observation for a long time. It cannot be denied that it was on this tower that Nicolaus Copernicus discovered the heliocentric theory. It is difficult to say exactly when he wrote the book about the rotation of the celestial circles. Nikolai hid the results of his labors from everyone; only those closest to him, as well as relatives, knew about them. Since the great astronomer knew that if the results of the work were published, it would cause a real revolution and completely change the usual perception of the world. Scientists around the world, as well as churches, claimed that the Earth was flat and that it was the center of the Universe. And Nicolaus Copernicus made a real scientific revolution, making the discovery that the Earth is round and it revolves around the sun, which in turn is the center of the universe. When this theory reached people, they did not believe and considered all these stories to be nonsense.

Nicolaus Copernicus shared with his close friends a handwritten note describing his theories about celestial motion. A clear statement about the heliocentric system was published by Nicolaus Copernicus's student Rheticus in 1539. But word of the new theory about the Earth had spread by 1520. But Nikolai did not stop developing his theory and continued to carry out new tables and calculations. A little time passed and Nicolaus Copernicus became known as an outstanding astronomer in Europe. In 1514, Pope Leo the Tenth invited Nicholas to participate in the development of calendar reform. But the astronomer answered Leo the Tenth with a refusal. Nikolai often spent his time on practical exercises. In Poland, he creates a project to introduce a new coinage system. And in the city of Frombork, he built a hydraulic machine, which for a long time supplied water to all houses. Nicolaus Copernicus applied his medical knowledge in 1519, when he fought a terrible plague epidemic. From 1519, for two years, when there was a Polish-Teutonic war in the country, Copernicus became the organizer of the strongest defense of the bishopric from the Teutons. In 1525, when fighting ended, he participated in peace negotiations. These negotiations ended with the creation of the Protestant state of the Duchy of Prussia on the order's land. When Nicolaus Copernicus was fifty-eight years old, in 1531, he slightly pushed his affairs into the background and completely immersed himself in writing his book. But he never left one thing, this medical practice, he did it completely free of charge.

As mentioned earlier, Nicholas had a faithful student Rheticus, who helped in every possible way so that the results of Copernicus’ work were published as soon as possible, but even with his efforts this matter progressed very slowly. The astronomer already began to fear that he would not be able to pass all the obstacles of publication and began to distribute short summaries of his observations, which were called Commentariolus “Small Commentary,” to people who were close to them. Soon, or rather in 1542, a big trouble happened in Nicholas’s life: he became seriously ill, so much so that half of his body became paralyzed. And a year later, Nicolaus Copernicus finally decided to publish the results of his hard and long work. Even then he was very seriously ill. In 1543 he published De Rovolutionibus. On May 24, Nicolaus Copernicus passed away as a result of a stroke; the astronomer was 70 years old at that time. His book forever became a monument to human thoughts. That's when it started scientific revolution in the world. The great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was buried near the Frombor Cathedral.

It is impossible to say for sure who Copernicus is. It is believed that he is a theorist, astronomer, and humanist who lived from 1473 to 1543. He is the supposed creator of the modern theory of planetary structure, according to which the Sun is at the center. However, information about his life and work is very contradictory, which does not allow us to unambiguously answer the question: “Who is Copernicus?” There is a high probability that it was a dummy. The name Copernicus could also refer to a whole group of innovators in the field of astronomy who were hiding from persecution. However, we will present official biography this scientist. You will find out who Copernicus is, according to the most common version. Sometimes there are several popular versions, and then we will present them all.

Date of birth, origin of Copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus, according to Polish historians of the 19th century, was born in 1473, on February 2. This event took place in the Prussian city of Torn (modern Toruń, Poland). According to astrological calculations by the teacher of Galileo and Kepler (M. Maestlin), he was born at 4:48 am. pm February 19, 1473. It is this date that is repeated by most scientific sources of our time.

The father of the future scientist is his namesake. There are many versions of who Copernicus the Elder was and what he did. He was either a merchant, a peasant, a doctor, a brewer, or a baker. This man came from Krakow to Toruń around 1460. In Toruń, Nikolai's father became a respected man. He served for many years as an elected city judge. In addition, he was the bearer of the honorary title of “brother tertiary” (a lay assistant to the monks belonging to this order).

What does the name Copernicus mean?

It is impossible to say exactly what the surname Copernicus means, but historians believe that distant ancestors in the family of Nicholas were copper traders (copper in Latin is “cuprum”). Another version is that the surname comes from the names of villages in Silesia that have the same name. Presumably they got their name from the dill that grew in the area (in Polish, dill is "koper"). However, the exact location of these villages is unknown. Polish historians first discovered this surname in Krakow documents dating back to 1367. It is known that later its bearers were artisans of various professions, including coppersmiths, stonemasons, gunsmiths, bathhouse attendants, and watchmen.

The fate of Nikolai's relatives

Nicolaus Copernicus Sr. married Varvara Watzenrode, daughter of the chairman of the court, in Toruń. It is believed that the wedding took place before 1463. Four children were born into the family. Nikolai was the youngest of them.

In Poland, even today they indicate the house where Nicolaus Copernicus was allegedly born, whose biography interests us. This building, shown in the photo below, became an object of pilgrimage for many Poles at the end of the 18th century. Its plaster and bricks are national relics that are kept in museums.

Children in the Copernican family studied at hometown where they received a good education. Andrei, the elder brother, born around 1464, accompanied Nicholas everywhere almost until his death (he died in 1518 or 1519). He helped him in his studies and religious career. In 1512, Andrei fell ill with leprosy, and A. Copernicus died a few years later. Let's briefly talk about the fate of our hero's sisters. The first, Varvara, was tonsured a monk in Kulm. She died around 1517. And Catherine went to Krakow with her husband, merchant Bartholomew Gertner. After this, her traces are lost. What about our hero, Nicolaus Copernicus? His biography and discoveries are worthy of detailed study. First we will talk about life path Nicolaus Copernicus, and then - about his achievements.

Death of parents, care of uncle

In 1483, Nicholas's father died from a transient illness (presumably the plague). The mother died in 1489. After her death, Luka Watzenrode, her mother’s brother (pictured below), took care of the family. He was a canon of the local diocese, and after some time became its bishop. This man was educated for that time. He was a master of Krakow and also a doctor at another university - Bologna.

Training of brothers Nikolai and Andrey

Soon Andrei and Nicolaus Copernicus followed in the footsteps of their uncle. The biography of our hero continues with a long period of training. After graduating from the city school (around 1491), the brothers went to the Jagiellonian University. Nikolai and Andrey chose the Faculty of Liberal Arts. In this educational institution they became familiar with the humanism that was spreading at that time. The university supposedly even preserved a certificate indicating payment for tuition (for 1491) by Nicolaus Copernicus. After studying Latin, astronomy, mathematics and other sciences for 3 years, the brothers decided to leave Krakow without receiving a diploma. Perhaps they made this decision because the scholastic party, whose representatives belonged to the Hungarian community, won at the university in 1494.

Brothers are chosen to become canons

Andrei and Nikolai intended to continue their studies in Italy. However, my uncle, who by this time had become the Bishop of Ermeland, did not have extra funds for this. He advised his nephews to take the places of canons (members of the government chapter) in the diocese subordinate to him in order to receive the salary necessary for long travel and study abroad. However, this plan was not implemented immediately - it was prevented by the brothers’ lack of diplomas. Even strong protection did not help. Nevertheless, the brothers nevertheless went to study as lawyers at the University of Bologna in 1496. They were elected in absentia to the positions of canons in 1487, with the provision of a salary, as well as a 3-year leave to continue their education.

Continuation of studies at the University of Bologna

He studied not only law, but also astronomy scientist Nikolai Copernicus. His biography of this time is marked by his acquaintance with Dominic Maria di Navar. This is a teacher at the University of Bologna, famous astrologer that time. Copernicus, whose biography can only be reconstructed on the basis of indirect sources, in his future book allegedly mentions the astronomical observations that he jointly carried out with his teacher. At the University of Bologna, Nikolai learned and Greek language, which was quite popular among humanists, but aroused suspicions of heresy from Catholic scholastics. In addition, he fell in love with painting - a painting has been preserved, which is considered a copy of a self-portrait made by Copernicus.

Lectures in Rome, studying medicine

The brothers studied in Bologna for 3 years, again without receiving a diploma. According to historians, for a short time Nicholas worked as a mathematics teacher in Rome, at the same time giving astronomical lectures to Alexander VI Borgia, the Pope, as well as Italian scientists. However, there is no evidence for this opinion.

The brothers returned to a short time to Frauenburg, to the place of duty. They wanted to ask for a deferment to continue their studies. Having received it, the brothers went to study medicine at the University of Padua. They remained here until 1506 and again did not receive a diploma. However, in 1503, the brothers passed external examinations at the University of Ferrara and became doctors of law.

Return to homeland, service with the bishop

The Copernicians returned to their homeland in 1506 after completing their studies. By this time Nikolai was already 33 years old, and Andrei was 42. At that time, receiving diplomas at this age was considered normal. Moreover, many scientists recognized in the scientific community (for example, G. Gallileo) did not have diplomas. This did not prevent all of them from receiving professorships.

Nicolaus Copernicus, after a year of service as a canon in Frombork, became an adviser to the bishop (his uncle), and then the chancellor of the diocese. He helped his relative fight the Teutonic Order, which was headed in 1511 by Albrecht von Hohenzollern, his future renegade. Nicholas also helped in negotiating with Sigismund I, the Polish king, who was Albrecht's uncle. It is believed that Luka Watzelrode wanted to make Nicholas his successor. However, he did not have sufficient activity and ambition for this kind of activity.

Moving to Fraenburg

Copernicus began to create an astronomical theory at this time. In February 1512, Bishop Luke Watzelrode died. From this time on, the Copernican sinecure ends. The bishop's chair is occupied by Fabian Losainen, a classmate of the brothers at the University of Bologna. Nikolai has to leave Lidzbarg. N. Copernicus returns to Frauenburg, where he becomes a canon of the cathedral. Tiedemann Giese, his supporter and friend, becomes chancellor of the diocese. However, Nikolai’s duties do not yet burden him much. He was in charge of economic affairs and tax collection. Around this time, his brother Andrei falls ill with leprosy and decides to leave for Italy.

Copernicus becomes famous

Copernicus continues his studies in astronomy. The scientist allegedly gained fame in this field at the end of the 15th century. His lectures became very popular, they were attended by Alexander VI Borgia, as well as Nicholas da Vinci. Historians note that Pope Leo X in 1514 asked the scientist what he thought about calendar reform. Nicolaus Copernicus expressed his opinion in a letter to Paul of Middelburg, the papal curator of the matter. He advised to postpone this idea for a while, until he completed the creation of his theory (on which, by the way, Copernicus worked for 30 years). However, no written evidence has been found to prove this.

Nicolaus Copernicus was elected in the fall of 1516 to replace Tiedemann Giese. He becomes the manager of the southern possessions belonging to the Warmia diocese. And from that time on Giese held the position of bishop of Kulm. Due to his new appointment, Copernicus moved to Olsztyn for 4 years. Here he is forced to take up military craft - the troops of the Teutonic Order attack Warmia and capture part of it. And one day they even besieged the residence of Copernicus himself. Nicholas returns to Frombork in 1521, after peace was concluded with the Teutonic Order.

First treatise, proposals for monetary reform

It is believed that it was then that he created his first treatise called “Small Commentary”. This essay made his theory known in a narrow circle. Copernicus's proposals for monetary reform in Prussia date back to 1528. It was then that he presented them at the Elbląg Sejm.

The charge brought against Copernicus

After the death of Ferber in 1537, Johann Dantiscus, a former humanist and epicurean, became the bishop of Warmia. Subsequently, he became a hypocrite and a retrograde, and it was thanks to this that he made a religious career. Copernicus' reign brought a lot of grief and trouble. The dentist allegedly accused Nicholas of immoral cohabitation with Anna Schilling, a married housekeeper. The woman was allegedly forbidden by a special decree from the bishop to appear in Frombork, since this dangerous person had seduced the “venerable astronomer.”

Last years of life, death

I. Rheticus came to Copernicus in 1539 to study his theory. After some time, he published a book where he presented new theory, and then published his teacher’s book.

Copernicus died on May 24, 1543. Death occurred after a stroke and the resulting paralysis of the right half of the body. In 1655, Pierre Gassendi wrote a biography, according to which his friends placed the original of his book into the cold hands of Copernicus. Nicholas, according to modern historians, was buried in Frombork Cathedral (his photo is presented above). In 1581, a portrait was installed opposite his grave, and near the cathedral there is a monument to Nicholas.

Acts of Nicholas

N. Copernicus is known primarily as the creator heliocentric theory. However, he is also credited with many other activities typical of gifted and highly educated humanists of the time. Let us briefly describe the main discoveries of Copernicus.

Translation from Greek

In 1509, Nicholas, who was fluent in Greek, translated a work from the 6th or 7th century into Latin. BC e. "Moral, rural and love letters of Theophylact Simocatta, scholasticism." It is believed that the creator of this work was the last historian who belongs to the ancient tradition. Unfortunately, it is not known whether this translation was published, but its text is known. It is interesting that historians report that this correspondence with historical and mythical figures is filled with anachronisms and does not represent anything outstanding. However, for some reason, even the “boring” “rubbish” delighted Copernicus and inspired Nicholas to translate. He dedicated his work to his uncle. In addition, the heirs of Nicholas's cause published other works of Theophylact Scholasticus.

Cartography classes

And in this area Copernicus left his mark. He created a map of Prussia, which, unfortunately, has not survived. Using a self-made parallax ruler from fir cones, Nicholas determined with an accuracy of 3" the latitude of Frauenburg. These sticks, called "triquetra", are today in the University of Krakow. According to historians, at the end of the 16th century, this precious relic was given to John Hanovius, the Bishop of Warmia, by Tycho Brahe through Elias Olai Cimber, a student of the latter.

Other activities of Copernicus

During the period of control of the lands of Warmia (from 1516 to 1520), Nicolaus Copernicus mastered the craft of a commander, military engineer and administrator. His activities public finance date back to the end of the 1520s. In addition, they write that Nikolai was a famous doctor who treated artisans and peasants for free. Copernicus' discoveries allegedly even included his invention of the sandwich.

"Small comment"

Three essays present the astronomical works of Nicolaus Copernicus. Two of them were published only in the 19th century. The first essay is “Small Commentary,” which briefly outlines Nicholas’s theory. A copy of this manuscript was found in the Vienna Court Library in 1877 or 1878. And a few years later, in 1881, the same notebook with notes from Copernicus himself was discovered. It consists of 16 sheets and was found at Uppsala University, in its library. However, it is sometimes reported that it was discovered in Stockholm.

"The Epistle of Copernicus against Werner" and "On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres"

"The Epistle of Copernicus against Werner" is the second most recent work of Nicholas on astronomy. This is his letter to Bernard Wapowski, rector of the Krakow Cathedral. The work is doubly interesting, since it presents the author’s chronological arguments, which are based on an analysis of the precession of stars in accordance with medieval and ancient sources. In 1543, Copernicus's main book, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres, was published. The place of publication of this work is either Regensburg or Nuremberg. It contains the results of the author's observations, as well as a catalog of 1025 stars, compiled by him personally.

Copernican theory

The ideas of this scientist were very bold for their time. The world of Copernicus was radically different from the generally accepted views of his predecessors and contemporaries. Nicholas discarded the geocentric one that Ptolemy created. This was a bold move at the time, as the model was rarely questioned. She was supported by the very influential Catholic Church at that time. According to it, the center of the universe is the Earth, and the Sun, the sphere of fixed stars and all the planets revolve around it. The heliocentric system of Copernicus radically diverged from this idea. The scientist believed that the Earth, like other planets, moves around the Sun. Nikolai noted that the movement of the sky that we observe during the day is a consequence of the movement of our planet around its axis. Copernicus' discoveries were presented in his work “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres,” which was published in the year of his death. The book was banned by the Catholic Church in 1616. Nevertheless, new ideas steadily made their way. The discovery made by Nikolai gave a powerful impetus to natural science. Many scientists subsequently turned to him.

So, we have outlined the biography and discoveries of Nicolaus Copernicus briefly. As you understand, there is only a certain degree of probability that certain facts from his life are true. Reconstructing the biography of people who lived long before us is always difficult. However, we have tried to present the most probable information about such a person as Copernicus. His biography and his discoveries are still the subject of study by historians. Perhaps after some time they will be able to obtain more accurate information.

Nicolaus Copernicus, short biography which will be discussed in this article, is an outstanding scientist. He is not only a great astronomer who created the heliocentric Copernicus, he was a good mechanic, mathematician, canonist, and also the man who laid the foundation for the real first earthly civilization in the entire history. The scientist had at his disposal only primitive instruments, made by him with his own hands. But this did not stop him from making a number of discoveries during his thirty years of observations of the celestial sphere.

Copernicus, whose brief biography demonstrates great power reason ordinary person, was born into a merchant family in 1473 in the city of Torun (Poland). His father died early, so the boy was raised by his uncle, Bishop Lukasz Wachenrode. The future scientist studied in Krakow and Padua and studied astronomy, medicine, and law. After training, he was elected a canon, worked as a doctor and secretary of his uncle at his residence (Lidzbark).

Copernicus, whose short biography is not only white stripes, had an inquisitive mind and knew how to observe. After the death of his tutor, he moved to Frombork, where he settled in a secluded tower, which still stands today. Nikolai set up an observatory in his house, so we can say that he made his discoveries exclusively at home. In addition, he served as a canon, treated the sick for free, developed a coin system, which was later introduced in Poland, and built a hydraulic machine. In this place the great astronomer spent his entire life later life. But this did not prevent him from actively participating in the life of his country: more than once he was entrusted with important tasks, which he coped with glory. For example, he negotiated between warring monarchs and corresponded with the best minds of the time.

Nicolaus Copernicus made revolutionary discoveries for his time. At first, he only wanted to improve the heliocentric system developed by Ptolemy, which he outlined in the Almagest. However, his work was significantly different: Nikolai more accurately determined the routes and also added his own comments to it. Thus, the Polish astronomer turned the Earth from, as previously thought, into one of the ordinary planets solar system. His tables were significantly more accurate than Ptolemy’s, which had a positive effect on the development of navigation. He outlined all his observations and calculations in the work “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres”, small in volume, but with very important content.

Copernicus, whose brief biography cannot but delight his contemporaries, published his work only in 1543, almost before his death. This saved him from the persecution to which his followers and disciples were later subjected. He quietly left this world and was buried in the Church of St. John in the city of Torne.

The Catholic Church for a long time considered Nicholas's work to be heresy and did not recognize it. However, the teachings with a revolutionary character were continued and further revealed by Galileo Galilei. Copernicus, whose brief biography is outlined above, was awarded a monument only in the nineteenth century. But now they are available not only in Krakow, Warsaw, Thorn, Regensburg, but all over the world.

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 in the Polish city of Torun, his father was a merchant who came from Germany. The future scientist was orphaned early; he was raised in the house of his uncle, bishop and famous Polish humanist Lukasz Wachenrode.

In 1490, Copernicus graduated from the University of Krakow, after which he became a canon of the cathedral in the fishing town of Frombork. In 1496 he went on a long journey through Italy. Copernicus studied at the universities of Bologna, Ferrara and Padua, studied medicine and church law, and became a Master of Arts. In Bologna, the young scientist became interested in astronomy, which determined his fate.

In 1503, Nicolaus Copernicus returned to his homeland as a fully educated man; he first settled in Lidzbark, where he served as his uncle's secretary. After the death of his uncle, Copernicus moved to Frombork, where he carried out research until the end of his life.

Social activity

Nicolaus Copernicus took an active part in governing the region in which he lived. He was in charge of economic and financial affairs, fought for its independence. Among his contemporaries, Copernicus was known as statesman, a talented doctor and expert in astronomy.

When the Lutheran Council organized a commission to reform the calendar, Copernicus was invited to Rome. The scientist proved the prematureness of such a reform, since at that time the length of the year was not yet known exactly.

Astronomical observations and heliocentric theory

The creation of the heliocentric system was the result many years of work Nicolaus Copernicus. For about one and a half millennia, there was a system of world structure proposed by the ancient Greek scientist Claudius Ptolemy. It was believed that the Earth was at the center of the Universe, and the other planets and the Sun revolved around it. This theory could not explain many of the phenomena that astronomers observed, but it agreed well with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Copernicus observed the movement of celestial bodies and came to the conclusion that the Ptolemaic theory was incorrect. In order to prove that all the planets revolve around the Sun, and the Earth is only one of them, Copernicus carried out complex mathematical calculations and spent more than 30 years of hard work. Although the scientist mistakenly believed that all the stars were stationary and located on the surface of a huge sphere, he was able to explain the apparent movement of the Sun and the rotation of the firmament.

The results of the observations were summarized in the work of Nicolaus Copernicus “On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres,” published in 1543. In it he developed new philosophical ideas and focused on improving mathematical theory, which described the movement of celestial bodies. The revolutionary nature of the scientist’s views was realized Catholic Church later, when in 1616 his work was included in the Index of Prohibited Books.

Copernicus was the first to prove the inconsistency of the ancient ideas about the universe. His works served as a breakthrough in astronomy. We decided to remember and tell who Nicolaus Copernicus is.

Biography of Copernicus - briefly

February 19, 1473 A fourth child was born into the merchant family of Barbara Watzenrode and Nicolaus Copernicus. The baby was named after his father. Toruń, the Prussian city where the family lived, became part of the Kingdom of Poland in 1466. The answer to the question in which country Copernicus was born is obvious - in Poland. Ethnic origin is difficult to determine. It is known that the mother was German, the father had either Polish or German roots.

Both parents died when Nikolai was 10 years old. The children remained in the care of Uncle Lukash, who served as a canon. Until his death, the future scientist was accompanied by his older brother Andrei. With the encouragement of their teacher, the brothers studied theology, Greek, mathematics, medicine and astronomy at several European universities.

Copernicus, as evidenced by his brief biography, received his diploma only in 1503. At the University of Krakow they did not give him the document. Other educational establishments Nikolai threw it himself. Having received academic degree in Italy, began to practice medicine in the city of Ferrari. In 1506 he returned to Poland. Uncle Lukash was already a bishop and made his nephew his confidant.

The activities of the clergyman in the biography of Nicolaus Copernicus do not prevent him from pursuing science. After the death of his teacher in 1512, he moved to Frombork and took up the duties of a canon.

One of the towers of the fortress is dedicated to the observatory. Here he brings together experience and thoughts. Nikolai is actively discussing the world model with friends and is closely involved in writing a book. He reveals ideas in letters. They served as notes for writing the “Small Commentary on Hypotheses Relating to Celestial Movements.”

Copernicus was burned at the stake

Some people believe that Nikolai Nikolaevich fell victim to the courts of the Inquisition. There is such an opinion, but it has no basis. How did Copernicus really die?

The model proposed by the scientist is not perfect, but it is simpler than that of its predecessor, Ptolemy. It is considered a revolutionary step in science. The theory spread quickly in the 1520s, even before the paper edition was published. Thanks to the student Rheticus, six books with the discoveries of Copernicus were published in 1543.

Whether the author saw these publications remains an open question. In May of the same year, he died of a stroke. Because the theory was propagated and developed by the followers of Copernicus, they were burned at the stake. Nikolai Nikolaevich himself avoided this fate. He simply did not live to see the times when the courts of the Inquisition got close to his works.

The books contradicted established ideas and church canons, but they were only recommended to be edited. Many publishing houses did not respond to the recommendations and released the text in full. Even after it was officially banned in 1616, Copernicus' theory was used to calculate the motion of the planets.

Copernicus' heliocentric system

The new astronomical model of the world is described in the following statements:

• The absence of a common center for orbits and spheres;
• The Sun is the center of the orbits of all planets, therefore the world; The Earth is the center of the Moon's orbit;
• the movement of the Sun is an effect of the movement of the Earth;
• The distance to the Sun is small relative to the distance to the fixed stars.

Nicolaus Copernicus, if you look at his short biography, also has other discoveries. In one of the works, the author talks about universal gravitation. He represents heaviness as “a certain aspiration” and assumes that all spherical celestial bodies possess this property.

In economics, the Copernican-Gresham law is known. Two scientists, independently of each other, drew attention to the dependence of the circulation of money on the amount of savings. People accumulate more valuable ones (for example, gold), but inferior (copper) funds are in circulation.

The principle served as the basis for the development of a new monetary system in Poland.

Copernicus Museum in Warsaw

The museum was opened in 2005. There are approximately 450 interactive exhibits on display. In particular, there is a planetarium where the heliocentric model of the world is clearly demonstrated. In 2010, the institution received a new title. It all started with the opening of a robotics seminar.

Now this building in Warsaw is called the Copernicus Science Center. It is the largest scientific center in Poland and one of the largest in Europe. In 2011 a technology park, chemical, physical and biological laboratories were opened. Objects have been identified for study by children and youth, and meetings are held aimed at popularizing science.

In Warsaw, the Copernicus Museum was divided into several thematic parts:

• Roots of Civilizations– the gallery will tell about the history of mankind. Technologies allow you to plunge back into the depths of centuries, carry out archaeological excavations, create models of legendary buildings, and conduct several experiments;
• man and environment – robotic collection represents the structure human body on an enlarged scale;
• Copernican sky – heliocentric system the world of Copernicus;
• light zone– will initiate the observer into the laws of optics;
• world in motion– you can see the origins of some natural phenomena or feel their consequences.

There are many shortcomings in the scientific and philosophical ideas of N. Copernicus. However, they pushed subsequent scientists to create a more advanced model of the world. It is not without reason that Nikolai Nikolaevich’s achievements are considered a revolutionary step in scientific circles.

By the way, why do you think the intermediate stage between speculation and knowledge is so important in our development? Write in the comments.