Born: February 19, 1473 (Julian calendar), Thorn, Poland
Died: May 24, 1543, Frauenberg, Poland
Youth and Studies
Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473, in Thorn, Poland. Coming from a family of merchants and municipal employees, Copernicus’ maternal uncle, Bishop Lukas Watzenrode, recognized his intellectual potential and arranged for him to receive an excellent education. He was sent to study at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University in 1491, where he studied liberal arts for four years.
Afterward, Copernicus left Poland to study law and medicine in Italy. His uncle appointed him canon of Frauenburg (now Frombork), a position that provided financial stability but didn’t require religious duties.
The University and Early Studies
In 1497, Copernicus began studying canon law at the University of Bologna, where he was influenced by his mentor, Domenico Maria de Novara, a professor of mathematics. This was the period when Copernicus first developed a keen interest in astronomy and geography.
Back to Poland and Early Publications
Between 1503 and 1510, Copernicus returned to Poland, where he worked as an assistant in the administration of the diocese in Lidzbark Warminski. It was during this time that he wrote his first publication, a Latin translation of the work of Byzantine writer Theophylactus de Simocatta. He also began working on a treatise on astronomy, which he would later publish in the 19th century as the Commentariolus. This treatise laid the groundwork for his heliocentric theory of the solar system.
Major Work and the Copernican Revolution
In 1512, Copernicus moved to Frauenberg and participated in the Fifth Lateran Council’s commission on calendar reform. He also started working on his major work, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), which he completed around 1530. This groundbreaking work, in which Copernicus argued that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the universe, was published in 1543, just before his death.
Death and Legacy
Copernicus died in 1543 in Frauenberg (Frombork), where he was buried. His remains were only truly identified in 2008, when DNA analysis confirmed his identity. Researchers linked a lock of hair left in one of his books to the skeleton found in Frombork Cathedral. A new tomb is being built to honor this influential astronomer.
Cosmology in the Early 16th Century
Before Copernicus, cosmology was largely based on the geocentric model, where Earth was the fixed center of the universe. In this view, planets and stars were thought to revolve around Earth. The geocentric model had been established by the ancient Greeks and was widely accepted by scientists in the 16th century.
Retrograde Motion
A key observation that led to Copernicus’ heliocentric theory was the phenomenon of retrograde motion. In ancient times, astronomers noticed that the motion of planets like Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn seemed to slow down, stop, and then reverse direction. This baffling motion played a key role in Copernicus’ development of the heliocentric model.
