Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model in the early 16th century, placing the Sun at the center of the universe rather than the Earth. He studied mathematics and astronomy at the University of Cracow and later held a position as a canon at Frombork Cathedral, which allowed him time for his astronomical research. His heliocentric theory challenged the geocentric Ptolemaic model that had been dominant for over 1,000 years, and it took some time for his ideas to gain acceptance due to conflicts with the dominant religious authorities of the time.

2. NICOLAUS COPERNICUS
Nicolaus Copernicus was a polish mathematician,
scientist and astronomer.
He was born the 19th February 1473 in Torun, Poland
and he died the 24th May 1543 in Frombork, Poland.
He described around the year 1508 the heliocentric
model, although people say it had been already
described by Aristarchus of Samos in ancient Greece.
It is true that Copernicus based his investigations and
research studies on Aristarchus’ previous work.

3. He was the youngest child in a family of polish
merchants. Because of the political issues in those
times Copernicus’ first language was German, but
their parents took him to school to study polish.
His father died when he was only 10 years and his
maternal uncle took that role. He was the bishop of
Varmia Lucas Watzenrode and he would ensure the
best education for his loved Copernicus.
He financed the studies of Copernicus and fond him a
job to ensure his future. Copernicus mother would
die only some years later.

4. In 1491, Copernicus
entered the University of
Cracow, where he
studied painting and
mathematics. During that
period he developed
interest in astronomy
and the cosmos.
After graduating in Cracow in 1494, his uncle
found him a job in the Frombork Cathedral as
canon, so that he could continue with his
studies on astronomy.

5. In 1496, Copernicus traveled to Italy, where he
enrolled in a religious law program as the
University of Bologna. There, he met some
astronomers.
In 1500, after completing his law studies in Bologna,
Copernicus went on to study practical medicine
at the University of Padua, but he did not finished
them.
In 1503, Copernicus attended the University of
Ferrara, where he prepared to take the canon law
exam. After passing it, he returned to Poland.

6. In those years he lived in the Episcopal residence
looking after his uncle’s health. During that time he
described the heliocentric model.
In 1510, Copernicus moved to a residence in the
Frombork Cathedral Chapter to have more time to
study astronomy. He would live there as a canon for
the rest of his life.

7. GEOCENTRIC MODEL
Also known as Ptolemaic model. Although Plato and
Aristotle had been writing about it centuries earlier,
it was developed by Greek astronomers and was
named after Claudius Ptolemy.
It explained how planets and the Sun revolved about
the motionless Earth. It was a complex interaction of
circles. Despite this difficulties and complexity, this
model survived until the 16th century when
Copernicus proposed the Heliocentric model.

9. Ptolemy believed that each planet orbited around a
circle, called epicycle, and the epicycle orbited
around a bigger circle, called deferent, around the
Earth.
Equants were the solution that Ptolemy gave to some
of the discrepancies the model had. Equants were
the point at which an epicycle’s center always
seemed to move at the same speed.

10. HELIOCENTRIC MODEL
After 1,400 years Copernicus was the first to
propose a different theory from Ptolemy’s.
He used an astronomical theory to describe how
the Sun was placed at the center of the
universe.
This model became popular in the 16th century
because of advances in technology which
gained evidence in its favor.

12. The rotation of the Earth on its own axis in a 24
hour period could explain the daily movement
of all the stars around the Earth.
Copernicus wrote a book called ‘On the
Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies’. In this
book he explained the movement of the stars
and planet in a more simple way than Ptolemy
did. However, both theories prediced identical
planetary movements.

13. THE COPERNICAN REVOLUTION
When Copernicus’
heliocentric model was
developed, great changes
appeared in society.
However, it spread a bit
slowly because of the
conflicts it created with
the Church.

14. The Church was against Copernicus and his theory of
heliocentrism because it contradicted the Bible. His
book was banned some years after it was published.
First of all, the Holy Scripture states that the Earth is
the center of the universe and the Sun revolves
around it, and not otherwise; saying the opposite
was considered blasphemy.
Second, if you prove the Church wrong, it would lose a
great part of its power and influence. At the
moment, the Church and the Bible were the only
sources of truth, and they were followed blindly by
most of the people, so if part of it was a lie, it would
lose credibility.

15. At first, the heliocentric model
wasn’t properly accepted by
society either and it took a long
time for non-educated people
like peasants to believe the
center of the universe was the
Sun. Many progressive
scientists believed in this
theory, but we can´t say the
same for the rest of the world.
After all, there´s a great
difference between thinking
human beings are the centre of
everything and thinking you’re
just something in the Universe
without importance.

16. Nowadays, we can see that,
even though the
heliocentric model wasn´t
entirely correct, it has
helped a lot mankind to get
closer to the actual model
of the Universe. It has
affected our society is not
only in a scientific way, but
it has also made the Church
lose part of it power and
encouraged people to
prove things instead of just
believing in something
blindly.