The Polish astronomer and the creator of a heliocentric system Nicolaus Copernicus was the versatile scientist. Besides astronomy which interested him most of all he was engaged in the translations of works of the Byzantine authors, was the famous statesman and the doctor.
Education
Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 in the Polish city of Toruni, his father was a merchant, arrived from Germany. Future scientist early was deserted, he was brought up in the house of the uncle, bishop and famous Polish humanist Łukasz Vachenrode.
In 1490 Copernicus graduated from the Krakow university then he became the canon of cathedral in the fishing town of Fromborke. In 1496 it went to a long travel across Italy. Copernicus was trained at the universities of Bologna, Ferrara and Padua, studied medicine and ecclesiastical law, became the master of arts. The young scientist became interested in Bologna in astronomy that defined his destiny.
In 1503 Nicolaus Copernicus returned home comprehensively educated person, at first he lodged in Lidzbarka where he served as the secretary of the uncle. After the death of the uncle Copernicus moved to Frombork where he researched until the end of the life.
Public work
Nicolaus Copernicus actively took part in management of area in which he lived. He knew economic and financial affairs, fought for its independence. Among contemporaries Copernicus was known as the statesman, the talented doctor and the expert on astronomy. When the Lutheran cathedral organized the commission on reform of the calendar, Copernicus was invited to Rome. The scientist proved prematurity of such reform as yet duration of year at that time was not precisely known.
Astronomical observations and heliocentric theory
Creation of a heliocentric system was result of long-term work of Nicolaus Copernicus. About one and a half millennia there was a system of a peace arrangement offered by the Ancient Greek scientist Claudius Ptolemaeus. Was considered that Earth is in the center of the Universe, and other planets and the Sun rotate around it. This theory could not explain many phenomena which were observed by astronomers, however it was well agreed with the teaching of Catholic church. Copernicus watched celestial motion and came to a conclusion that the ptolemeevsky theory is incorrect. To prove that all planets rotate around the Sun, and Earth — only one of them, Copernicus carried out difficult mathematical calculations and more than 30 years of persistent works are spent. Though the scientist mistakenly believed that all stars are not mobile and are on the surface of the huge sphere, he managed to explain apparent motion of the Sun and rotation of the heavenly arch. Results of observations were generalized in Nicolaus Copernicus's work "About the address of heavenly spheres", published in 1543. In it he developed the new philosophical ideas and concentrated attention on improvement of the mathematical theory describing celestial motion. The revolutionary nature of views of the scientist was realized by Catholic church later when in 1616 its work was included in "The index of the forbidden books".