Nicolas+Copernicus

===[|history project.mp3][|history project.mp3]The life and achievement of renaissance scientist, Nicolas Copernicus===

===Copernicus is said to be the founder of modern astronomy  (this is the rephrase part)  === === He was a mathimatician, astronomer, physicion, classical scholar, translator, catholic Cleric, jurist, govenor, military leader, diplomat, and econmoist. He was the first astronomer to formulate a scientifically based heliocentric cosmology that displaced Earth from the center of the universe. His epochal book is often regarded as the starting point of modern astronomy. === === In his early life time,   the family came originally from Silesia or from Poland, certain it is that his father Niclas, a merchant, emigrated from Krakow to Torun, and married the sister of LucasWatzelrode, later Prince-Bishop of Ermland. Of the four children the oldest and youngest, Andreas and Nicolaus, adopted the clerical career, while the older girl became a Cistercian nun and Abbess of Culm, and the younger married. The whole family belonged to the Third Order St. Dominic. Nicolaus was hardly ten years old when his father died. His uncle, Lucas, however, took charge of the children and gave the boys a university training. In 1491, He went to Krako Academy (or Jagiellonian University as it is known today). He most likely encountered astronomy for the first time with Albert Brudzewski. Astronomy soon fascinated him ("most beautiful and most worth knowing" he said). Aslo, in 1496, he decided to attend the University of Bologna to study canon and civil law. Also, At Bologna he fell in with scholars who agreed that Aristotle's cosmology was too inelegant—in Copernicus's words "no sure scheme for the movements of the machinery of the world which has been built for us by the Best and Most Orderly Workman of all." In 1505 he went to the University of Padua to study medicine. He was from Polish Prussia where he started to work on his heliocentric view of the heavens. After he spent 4 years at the Academy he went back home to Torun and studied Law, at Bologna he met the famous astronomer Domenico Maria Novara de Ferrara. He later become his deciple and assistant he made his first observations in 1497 with Novara, which are recorded in Copernicus’s book, De reveloutionibus orbium coelestium which asserted that the earth rotated on its axis once daily and traveled around the sun once yearly: a fantastic concept for the times. However, before his time, people believed in the Ptolemaic model of the solar system, which maintained that the Earth was the center of the universe. But, Copernicus had an idea that the sun was the center of he universe, not the Earth like everyone had thought. Moreover, while Copernicus studied he figure out the system of which the earth rotates all the way around every day and rotates around the sun once yearly. By the 1530s Copernicus published De Revolutionibus Oribum Coelestium, in there he reported his heliostatic theory. Also, Nicholas Copernicus is well known mathematican who is looked at as a revolutionary figure. He overthre other existing systems and became a legend. Actually, all his theories are based on data from Ptolemy. Copernicus died in 1543 and was never to know what a stir his work had caused. It went against the philosophical and religious beliefs that had been held during the medieval times. Man, it was believed (and still believed by some) was made by God in His image, man was the next thing to God, and, as such, superior, especially in his best part, his soul, to all creatures, indeed this part was not even part of the natural world (a philosophy which has proved disastrous to the earth's environment as any casual observer of the 20th century might confirm by simply looking about). Copernicus' theories might well lead men to think that they are simply part of nature and not superior to it and that ran counter to the theories of the politically powerful. === ===   The most important aspect of Copernicus' work is that it forever changed the place of man in the cosmos; no longer could man legitimately think his significance g reater than his fellow creatures; wit h Copernicus' work, man could now take his place among that which exist s all about him, and not of necessity take that premier position which had been assigned immodestly to ===

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=== **The sites that I got the informations** Kusukawa, Sachiko. "Nicholas Copernicus." 1999. Department of History and Philosophy of Science of the University of Cambridge. 21 Jun 2007 from wikispace < [] ===

1. book- copernicus by Henry Thomas
=== Regarded as the founder of modern astronomy, Copernicus was one of the most verstile geniuses of the sixteenth century- astronomer, physician, churchman, soldier and philosopher. He defined the thinkers of his day and inspired one of the great revolutinons in human thought. Overthrowing the age-old belief that the earth was fixed at the center of the universe, he established the theory that the earth rotates daily on its axis and the planets revolve in orbits around the sun. As a boy in Poland, Copernicus was torn with pity for the sufferings of mankind. To help humanity, he decided to study both medicine and religion and was educated at Polish and italian universities, but his primary interest was in astronomy. His research convinced him that the earth moved around the sun and that a single universal law accounted for the motion of all heavenly bodies. These theories refuted established superstition and were dangerous, for Copernicus lived in the dreaded shadow of the Inquisition. men were not allowed to think for themselves; if judged a heretic or atheist he could be burned to death or buried alive. Prudently, he decided no to express his views until he could prove them, and he began work on his book which took thirty dedicated years. Copernicus practiced medicine and also served as a church official, but with the Reformation, religious war spread like a vast bloodstain and his pleas for tolerance were futile. He was ridiculed as "the crazy astronomer". yet respected as a physician even by his enemies. Quietly he continued his work until Poland was invaded by the Teutonic Knights, a nazi-like horde determined to establish "Nordic supremacy." Copernicus was their principal target, to be burned at the stake. But he prepared the defense of Allenstein Castle and resisted months of brutal siege. Henry Thomas brings to life the savage splendor of the Renaissance. We meet the martyred prophet Savanarola, who was Copernicus' hero and Michelangelo, who was his friend. Most dramatically, we enter the heart of a modest and lonely man who pioneered the mysteries of outer space. issac Newton wrote, more than a century later, " If I have been father, it is by standing on the shoulders of the giants" ===

Life Family

Copernicus's birthplace in Toruń ( Thorn ) Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473, in a house on St. Anne's Street (now Copernicus Street) in the city of Toruń ( Thorn ). Toruń, situated on the Vistula River, was a city in Royal Prussia, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Poland. [1] [2] Nicolaus was named after his father, who about 1458 had moved from Kraków. The father was a wealthy copper trader who had become a respected citizen of that city. Nicolaus' mother, Barbara Watzenrode (died after 1495), had been born into a wealthy merchant family that was part of the patrician class in Toruń. Nicolaus's father died between 1483 and 1485. After that, his maternal uncle, Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (1447–1512), a church canon who would later become Prince-Bishop governor of the Archbishopric of Warmia, took young Nicolaus under his protection and saw to his education and future career. Nicolaus was the youngest of four children. His brother Andreas became an Augustinian canon at Frombork (Frauenburg). His sister Barbara (named after her mother) became a Benedictine nun. His sister Katharina married Barthel Gertner, a businessman and city councilor.

Monument in Toruń by Christian Friedrich Tieck (1853) Name Numerous variants of Copernicus's name are documented. [3] Until the mid-1530s, he mostly signed himself Coppernic. Afterward, he followed the academic custom of his time and adopted a Latinized version of his name. Thus, on the title page of his epochal book, Nicolai Copernici Torinensis De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium Libri VI, the astronomer's name appears as Nicolaus Copernicus. In 1776, Johann Gottfried Herder introduced the spelling Nikolaus Kopernikus, which replaced each c with k and changed pp to p. This spelling became popular in German writings, although scholars argued for Coppernicus. The Polish rendering is Mikołaj Kopernik ; the surname means "one who works with copper". [4] Education

Courtyard of Kraków University's Collegium Maius 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 subject. Copernicus's library would later be carried off as war booty by the Swedes during "the Deluge" and is now at the Uppsala University Library. After four years in Kraków, followed by a brief stay back home in Toruń, Copernicus went to study law and medicine at the universities of Bologna and Padua. Copernicus's uncle, Lucas Watzenrode the Younger, financed his education and hoped that Copernicus too would become a bishop. Copernicus, however, while studying canon and civil law at Bologna, met the famous astronomer, Domenico Maria Novara da Ferrara. Copernicus attended Novara's lectures and became his disciple and assistant. The first observations that Copernicus made in 1497, together with Novara, are recorded in Copernicus's epochal book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium.

Copernicus with medicinal plant Thorvaldsen's statue of Copernicus holding an armillary sphere, before the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. A replica stands at Solidarity Drive on Chicago's Museum Campus. [5] In 1497 Copernicus's uncle was ordained Bishop of Warmia, and Copernicus was named a canon at Frombork Cathedral. But Copernicus remained in Italy, where he attended the great Jubilee of 1500. He also went to Rome, where he observed a lunar eclipse and gave some lectures in astronomy and mathematics. In 1501 Copernicus returned to Frombork. As soon as he arrived, he obtained permission to complete his studies in Padua, where he studied medicine (with Guarico and Fracastoro), and at Ferrara, where in 1503 he received his doctorate in canon law. One of the topics Copernicus must have studied at that time was astrology, since it was then considered to be an important part of a medical education. [6] However, unlike most other prominent renaissance astronomers, he appears to have never practiced it, or expressed any subsequent interest in it. [7] It has also been surmised that it was in Padua that he encountered passages from Cicero and Plato about opinions of the ancients on the movement of the Earth, and formed the first intuition of his own future theory. In 1504 Copernicus began collecting observations and ideas pertinent to his theory. Work In 1503 Copernicus returned to Polish Prussia, to the Prince-Bishopric of Warmia, where he resided the rest of his life. From 1503 until 1510 he had the position of secretary to his maternal uncle Lucas Watzenrode, Bishop of Warmia, and until 1510 resided in the Bishop's castle at Lidzbark ( Heilsberg ). It is there that he started work on his heliocentric view of the heavens [8] In 1510 he moved to Frombork ( Frauenburg ), a town in the north and downstream of Toruń on the Vistula Lagoon. The Bishopric of Warmia, within Royal Prussia, though subject to the Polish crown, enjoyed substantial autonomy, with its own diet, army, monetary unit (the same as in the other parts of Prussia) [2] and treasury. Some time before his return to Warmia, he received a position at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross in Wrocław ( Breslau ), Silesia, Bohemia, which he held for many years and only resigned for health reasons shortly before his death. Copernicus remained for the rest of his life a burgher of Warmia (Bishopric of Warmia). During the Protestant Reformation he remained a loyal subject of the Catholic Prince-Bishops and the Catholic Polish King. Throughout his life he performed astronomical observations and calculations, but only as time permitted, and never in a professional capacity.

Statue at Olsztyn ( Allenstein ) In 1516-21 Copernicus was economic administrator of Warmia and wrote the manuscript Locationes mansorum desertorum (Locations of Deserted Fiefs). When Olsztyn ( Allenstein ) was besieged by the Teutonic Knights during the Polish-Teutonic War (1519–1521), Copernicus oversaw the castle's defense at the head of Royal Polish forces. He also participated in the peace negotiations. [9] Copernicus worked for years with the Royal Prussian diet, and with Duke Albert of Prussia, and advised Poland's King Sigismund I the Old on monetary reform. Holding the office of canon, he traveled extensively on government business and as a diplomat on behalf of the Prince-Bishop of Warmia. [10] He participated in the discussions in the East Prussian diet about coin reform in the Prussian countries. One question at issue to members of the Diet concerned who had the right to mint coin. The matter required much diplomacy, but was resolved successfully. Some of the difficulties were caused by the political upheavals occurring in Prussia at the time, including the 1525 establishment of the Duchy of Prussia as a Protestant state. Copernicus translated his coin-reform treatise into Latin for external use. In 1530 an agreement was negotiated with Duke Albert at Elbląg ( Elbing ). In 1526 Copernicus wrote a study on the value of money, Monetae cudendae ratio. In it he formulated an early iteration of the theory, now called "Gresham's Law," that "bad" (debased) coinage drives "good" (un-debased) coinage out of circulation, 70 years before Gresham. He also formulated a version of quantity theory of money. Two years before Copernicus's death, Duke Albert urgently summoned him to Königsberg to treat one of his counsellors, who was dangerously ill. The patient recovered within a month or so, and Copernicus then returned to Frombork. [11] In 1551, eight years after Copernicus' death, Erasmus Reinhold would publish, under Duke Albert's sponsorship, the Prutenic Tables, a set of astronomical tables based on Copernicus' work, which astronomers and astrologers quickly adopted in place of superseded tables. [12] Heliocentrism In 1514 Copernicus made available to friends his Commentariolus (Little Commentary), a six page hand-written text describing his ideas about the heliocentric hypothesis. It contained seven basic assumptions. Thereafter he continued gathering data for a more detailed work.

The astronomer Copernicus: Conversation with God. [13] Painting by Jan Matejko In 1533, Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter delivered in Rome a series of lectures outlining Copernicus's theory. The lectures were heard with interest by Pope Clement VII and several Catholic cardinals. On 1 November 1536, Archbishop of Capua Nicholas Schönberg wrote a letter to Copernicus from Rome: Some years ago word reached me concerning your proficiency, of which everybody constantly spoke. At that time I began to have a very high regard for you... For I had learned that you had not merely mastered the discoveries of the ancient astronomers uncommonly well but had also formulated a new cosmology. In it you maintain that the earth moves; that the sun occupies the lowest, and thus the central, place in the universe... Therefore with the utmost earnestness I entreat you, most learned sir, unless I inconvenience you, to communicate this discovery of yours to scholars, and at the earliest possible moment to send me your writings on the sphere of the universe together with the tables and whatever else you have that is relevant to this subject ... [14] By then Copernicus's work was nearing its definitive form, and rumors about his theory had reached educated people all over Europe. Despite urgings from many quarters, Copernicus delayed with the publication of his book, perhaps from fear of criticism — a fear delicately expressed in the subsequent Dedication of his masterpiece to Pope Paul III. Scholars disagree on whether Copernicus's concern was limited to physical and philosophical objections from other natural philosophers, or whether he was also concerned about religious objections from theologians. [15] The book

Title page of the 2nd edition of De revolutionibus, printed 1566 in Basel

Melanchthon Copernicus was still working on De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (even if not convinced that he wanted to publish it) when in 1539 Georg Joachim Rheticus, a Wittenberg mathematician, arrived in Frombork. Philipp Melanchthon had arranged for Rheticus to visit several astronomers and study with them. Rheticus became Copernicus's pupil, staying with him for two years and writing a book, Narratio prima (First Account), outlining the essence of Copernicus's theory. In 1542 Rheticus published a treatise on trigonometry by Copernicus (later included in the second book of De revolutionibus ). Under strong pressure from Rheticus, and having seen the favorable first general reception of his work, Copernicus finally agreed to give De revolutionibus to his close friend, Tiedemann Giese, bishop of Chełmno ( Kulm ), to be delivered to Rheticus for printing by Johannes Petreius at Nuremberg ( Nürnberg ). Death

Frombork Cathedral, Copernicus's burial place Copernicus died on May 24, 1543, in Frombork. Legend has it that the first printed copy of De revolutionibus was placed in Copernicus's hands on the very day he died, allowing him to take farewell of his opus vitae (life's work). He is reputed to have woken from a stroke-induced coma, looked at his book, and died peacefully. Copernicus was reportedly buried in the Cathedral of Frauenburg where archeologists had long searched in vain for his remains. In August 2005, a team of archeologists led by Jerzy Gąssowski, head of an archaeology and anthropology institute in Pułtusk, discovered what they believe to be Copernicus's grave and remains, after scanning beneath the floor of the Cathedral. The find came after a year of searching, and the discovery was announced only after further research, on November 3. Gąssowski said he was "almost 100 percent sure it is Copernicus". Forensic expert Capt. Dariusz Zajdel of the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Polish Police used the skull to reconstruct a face that closely resembled the features — including a broken nose and a scar above the left eye — on a Copernicus self-portrait. [16] The expert also determined that the skull had belonged to a man who had died about age 70 — Copernicus's age at the time of his death. The grave was in poor condition, and not all the remains were found. The archeologists hoped to find deceased relatives of Copernicus in order to attempt DNA identification.

(30 September 2008, at 03:38.). Nicolas copernicus. Retrieved 30 September 2008, at 03:38., from Wikipedia. http:[|//www.wikipedia.org/wiki/**Nicolaus**_**Copernicus**//]

<span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN"> Script : How many of you guys know that earth moves around the sun? YOU DON'T KNOW! I think even kids will know about is. However, you think that every people believed that earth moves around the sun since ancient year? How do you think about this? Okay, first, I want you answer about my question. Are you christian? ( that doesn't matter whether you are protestant or catholic). If you are christian, you saw how christian priests mentioned about earth, sun, and space during middle ages? Do you think that it was the same system like these days? HERE IS MY LAST QUESTION? If the space concept different than those days, who changed this CONCEPT? WHO? WHO? YOU KNOW WHO IS HE? the person I will introduce is NICOLAS COPERNICUS. To know who is he, I'll answer a excellent student's question, Judy. She asked about really significant aspects of Nicolas copernicus :)

Q: Many of people knew Nicholas copernicus as astronomer of renaissance period. However, I wander Nicholas copernicus's only occupation was astronomer?

A: The answer is no. Of course, Nicolas copernicus was well known as astronomer of Renaissance period. However, He also worked as catholic clergy.T<span style="BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">he oldest and youngest, Andreas and Nicolaus, adopted the clerical career, while the older girl became a Cistercian nun and Abbess of Culm, and the younger married. Also, he worked as mathematicians, translator, military leader, governor. So we could guess that Nicolas copernicus was not only good at astronomy but also other areas.

//Q:// I understood that, but I want to know more about Nicolas copernicus's family. Can you explain about his family//?

A:// Of course//,// Copernicus's birthplace in Toruń ( Thorn ) Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473, in a house on St. Anne's Street (now Copernicus Street) in the city of Toruń ( Thorn ). Toruń, situated on the Vistula River, was a city in Royal Prussia, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Poland. [1] [2] Nicolaus was named after his father, who about 1458 had moved from Kraków. The father was a wealthy copper trader who had become a respected citizen of that city. Nicolaus' mother, Barbara Watzenrode (died after 1495), had been born into a wealthy merchant family that was part of the patrician class in Toruń. Nicolaus's father died between 1483 and 1485. After that, his maternal uncle, Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (1447–1512), a church canon who would later become Prince-Bishop governor of the Archbishopric of Warmia, took young Nicolaus under his protection and saw to his education and future career. Nicolaus was the youngest of four children. His brother Andreas became an Augustinian canon at Frombork (Frauenburg). His sister Barbara (named after her mother) became a Benedictine nun. His sister Katharina married Barthel Gertner, a businessman and city councilor.

//Q:// Before Nicholas Coperniucs gave heliocentric theory, what theory was dominant at that period//?

A:// Before Nicholas Copernicus, there was well known astronomer Ptolemy. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Claudius Ptolemy, an Egyptian living in Alexandria, at about 150 A.D., gathered and organized the thoughts of the earlier thinkers. (It is to be noted that one of the ancient Greek astronomers, Aristarchus, did have ideas similar to those more fully developed by Copernicus but they were rejected in favour of the geocentric or earth-centered scheme as was espoused by Aristotle .) Ptolemy's findings were that the earth was a fixed, inert, immovable mass, located at the center of the universe, and all celestial bodies, including the sun and the fixed stars, revolved around it. It was a theory that appealed to human nature. It fit with the casual observations that a person might want to make in the field; and second, it fed man's ego.

//Q:// Then, what are the differences between heliocentric theory and geocentric theory//?

A:// The first heliocentric system is heliocentric theory is the theory that the Sun is at the center of the Solar System. However, the geocentric theory of the universe is the superseded theory that the Earth is the center of the universe and other objects go around it. So, the biggest difference is whether the earth or the sun is the center of the universe.

//Q:// What other aspects were affected by heliocentric theory//?

A:// Because of heliocentric theory, Nicolas copernicus found that the theory that the earth rotates daily on its axis and the planets revolve in orbits around the sun (Latter, that became the explanation of appearing four seasons). And his research convinced him that the earth moved around the sun and that a single universal law accounted for the motion of all heavenly bodies. Also, after Nicolas copernicus died in 1543, <span style="BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">it went against the philosophical and religious beliefs that had been held during the medieval times. Man, it was believed (and still believed by some) was made by God in His image, man was the next thing to God, and, as such, superior, especially in his best part, his soul, to all creatures, indeed this part was not even part of the natural world (a philosophy which has proved disastrous to the earth's environment as any casual observer of the 20th century might confirm by simply looking about). <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">

//Q:// How Nicolas copernicus got the motivation towards astronomy//?// <span style="BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> //A:// Nicolas was hardly ten years old when his father died. His uncle, Lucas, however, took charge of the children and gave the boys a university training. In 1491, He went to Krako Academy (or Jagiellonian University as it is known today). He most likely encountered astronomy for the first time with Albert Brudzewski. Astronomy soon fascinated him ("most beautiful and most worth knowing" he said). Moreover, as a boy in Poland, Copernicus was torn with pity for the sufferings of mankind. To help humanity, he decided to study both medicine and religion and was educated at Polish and italian universities, but his primary interest was in astronomy

//Q:// Then, who was the person that helped Nicolas copernicus to announce his theory. And what was the first Nicolas copernicus's first accomplished work?

//A:// <span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN">Georg Joachim Rheticus (1514-1574) who was on a tour of visiting distinguished scholars, visited Copernicus in 1539. Copernicus shared his ideas with him, and Rheticus published the Narratio Prima (First Report on the Books of Revolution) in 1540 at Gdansk, in which he reported Copernicus' heliostatic theory in an astrological framework: the changing fortunes of the kingdom of the world, according to Rheticus, depended on the changing eccentricity of the sun. Following the favourable reception of the Narratio Prima, Rheticus persuaded Copernicus to publish a full account. This, of course, became the De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), published in March 1543 at Nuremberg. Copernicus died two months later. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Q: Like other famous scientists such Galileo suffered by church because of his theory. Nicholas copernicus also suffered same situation?

A: Yes, he does. These theories refuted established superstition and were dangerous, for Copernicus lived in the dreaded shadow of the Inquisition. men were not allowed to think for themselves; if judged a heretic or atheist he could be burned to death or buried alive. Prudently, he decided no to express his views until he could prove them, and he began work on his book which took thirty dedicated years. Copernicus practiced medicine and also served as a church official, but with the Reformation, religious war spread like a vast bloodstain and his pleas for tolerance were futile. He was ridiculed as "the crazy astronomer".

Judy: Wow, I got the so much informations from you! Actually, before you answer my question, I just thought that Nicholas Copernicus was astronomer of Renaissance period. But I could know that he made heliocentric theory. Also, he was not only astronomer but also clergy

Jayup: I really glad about that. If you had more questions about Nicholas Copernicus, please ask me. And I was really happy to meet you today. Also, if you guys have questions about Nicholas Copernicus please come to me :)

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