What is Copernicus Famous For?
The Man When it comes to the astronomy hall of fame, Nicolaus Copernicus is, by far, one of the most pivotal astronomers in history and is considered the founder of modern astronomy. Born February 19, 1473, in Poland, Copernicus was a true Renaissance Man. During his lifetime, he was a mathematician, physician, classical scholar, artist, Catholic cleric, governor, diplomat, military leader, translator, and economist. Ironically, Copernicus considered astronomy to be just a hobby, not his profession, but it was in this field where he received his biggest claim to fame. The Theory In Copernicus’ day, scientists generally held a geocentric view of the universe – meaning the earth was the center of the solar system and remained stationary as the sun, stars, and planets revolved around it. Copernicus’ hypothesis challenged this belief, asserting that the sun was the stationary center of the solar system and that the earth revolved around it. While this idea had been theorized by a few ancie
