The Giant Of Astronomy Truth Research Paper

The Giant of Astronomy’s Truth “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust’s definition of true discovery is exactly the kind of discovery that Copernicus is famous for. Living from 1473-1543, Copernicus, a Polish priest and mathematician, earned his nickname as “the founder of modern astronomy.” Although he graduated with a degree of doctor of canon law, the heavens had always fascinated him. Until 1513, Copernicus practiced medicine serving the poor and low instead of the high and rich, who had requested his service. In March 1513, he built an observation tower to study the stars. When Copernicus examined the skies, he discovered the errors of the geocentric system, and he

Lexically, they refer to either having the sun or earth as the center of the universe. In 300s B.C., Aristotle began the geocentric movement, stating that the earth was the center of the universe, with the sun, moon, and all the stars and planets revolving around it. Later, in the 100s A.D., Ptolemy amended the geocentric model, declaring that the planets revolved on small circles called epicycles, which orbited on large circles called deferents. Accounting for retrograde motion, this theory became the longstanding cornerstone of the universe’s design. Conversely, in the early 1500s, Copernicus revived a past theory, that the sun was the center of the universe, also called the heliocentric paradigm. Interestingly, he actually believed in a heliostatic universe, which means that the sun is near not at the center of the universe. Moreover, his theory explained wonders such as the east-west motion of the stars, moon, and sun. Establishing the exact movements of the heavenly bodies, Galileo, Kepler, and other great astronomers expanded the theory of heliocentricity. Now, the entire world accepts the heliocentric model. Nonetheless, one-in-five Americans still suspect a geocentric

Because the church had adopted Ptolemy’s system for over a thousand years, they had labeled Copernicus’ model as a theological offense. Additionally, his model jeopardized the religious world view, and it would demote earth to “just another planet.” For that reason, the publisher of Copernicus’ book, Ossiander, added a introduction misrepresenting Copernicus’ intentions, labeling heliocentricity has only an “hypothesis” of the astronomer. Furthermore, earth would only be a part of the natural order, rather than the master of nature. Because of the contingency of criticism, he secreted his work until he was on his deathbed. Curiously, when it was published, the world and church did not immediately reject it. Nonetheless, when Galileo provided physical evidence of heliocentricity, the church banned Copernicus’ book and designated any supporters of the Copernican model has heretics. Although the church attempted rejection of heliocentricity, numerous astronomers overwhelmed them with proof and the church subsided, accepting their