The Copernican Revolution refers to the shift in astronomy from believing that Earth is at the center of the universe (geocentric theory) to recognizing that the Sun is at the center with Earth and other planets revolving around it (heliocentric theory). Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, was the first European scientist to propose the heliocentric theory in the 16th century, though others had considered or discussed aspects of it earlier. Copernicus presented a thorough heliocentric model comparable to the existing geocentric model of Ptolemy, marking a major revolution in scientific thought.

1. COPERNICAN
REVOLUTION

2. What is Copernican
Revolution?
Shift in astronomy from a geocentric
theory of the cosmos, focused on the
Earth, to a heliocentric theory, centred
on the Sun, as proposed in the 16th
century by the Polish astronomer
Nicolaus Copernicus.

3. Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish
astronomer and mathematician
known as the father of modern
astronomy. He was the first European
scientist to propose that Earth and
other planets revolve around the sun,
the heliocentric theory of the solar
system.

4. The theory that the Earth
revolves around the Sun is
called the heliocentric
theory, helio meaning 'sun'
and centric meaning 'in
the center.'

5. Even though Philolaus, a philosopher from the fifth
century BCE, had considered heliocentric theories and
there had been earlier discussions of the possibility of
Earth's motion, Copernicus was the first to present a
thorough heliocentric theory comparable in scope and
predicability to Ptolemy's geocentric system.