Astro2110 – The Solar System

Nicholas Copernicus lived from February 19, 1473 to May 24, 1543. He was one of the first people to propose the Heliocentric Theory, which states that the Sun is the center of the solar system and everything else revolves around it. He also proposed that the Earth rotates on its axis and correctly predicted the order of the planets.

Another significant historical figure who lived during Copernicus’ lifetime was Leonardo da Vinci, who was born on April 15, 1452 and died on May 2, 1519. Although he is most widely known for painting the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, he was also an inventor and engineer.

For context, one of the major events that happened during this time was that Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and ended up in the Bahamas in 1492. Later in 1521, closer to the end of Copernicus’ life, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church by Pope Leo X.

The part I found the most interesting when putting Copernicus’ life into historical context was when looking at the different events. I had previously thought that Christopher Columbus “discovering” America and Martin Luther being excommunicated happened much earlier than the proposal of the Heliocentric Theory. However, this made me realize how amazing his discoveries were given the limited knowledge and tools that he had at the time.

Nicholas Copernicus:

Nicholas Copernicus was born February 19, 1473 and lived until May 24, 1543. Within his lifetime, he great contributions to astronomy that inspired many following astronomers, including Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, to test and prove some of the most fundamental aspects of our solar system.  Although it was not accepted at the time, Copernicus first proposed the heliocentric representation of the solar system (he believed this applied to all of the universe, since they had no idea how big that really was).  Despite the currently held belief that the Earth was the center with everything revolving around it, Copernicus took a jump to claim it was instead the Sun that we orbited.  He also proposed that the earth spins on its axis daily, gradually wobbles on its axis, and orbits the Sun in one year.  These discoveries proved to be integral to other astronomers learning even further how our solar system works.

Historical Events:

In 1492, Christopher Columbus finds land in what he believes to be East Asia.  He had attempted to find a way to reach Asia by boat in search of gold and spices, but instead he landed in the Caribbean and claimed the land for Spain.  

In 1503, Leonardo Da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa, which will go on to become one of the most widely recognized and critically acclaimed paintings of all time.  Even 500 years later, the painting is priceless, with people traveling from all over the world to see it.

Historical Figure:

Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 and lived until February 18, 1546.  He singlehandedly began the Protestant Reformation with the nailing of his 95 Theses to a chapel door.  Questioning the basis of Catholicism, he and his followers split from the Catholic Church and began a new line of Christianity, Protestant, with hopes of reforming from within.

Reflection:

I found it very interesting to look not just at the lives of some famous astronomers, but the historical context as well.  Although I knew about all of the events and people I read about, I had never before connected the dots that all of these things were happening at the same time.  When Copernicus was proposing the heliocentric model of the universe, Columbus was discovering the Americas, da Vinci was painting the Mona Lisa, and Martin Luther was beginning the Protest Revolution.  Piecing together that all of these pivotal events were happening at once puts into perspective just how long ago Copernicus made his discovery.  The fact that he was able to make the observations and predictions that he did, when the Americas had yet to be colonized and Catholicism was the only form of Christianity, just shows how forward thinking and ahead of his time he was.  Learning about astronomy in context really reveals how impressive these astronomical discoveries were.

Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) was a huge contributor to the world of astronomy. Not only is he viewed as the father of modern astronomy, he created the heliocentric theory and model of the universe. He was the first scientist in the modern era to propose that Earth traveled around the sun, as well as the other planets in the solar system, as opposed to the wide belief that the sun and other planets orbited the Earth. He also proposed that Earth also turns on its axis daily in addition to orbiting the sun annually. Moreover, he argued that Earth wobbles slowly on its axis which contributes to the precession of the equinoxes.

During the same time that Copernicus was living, major events outside of astronomy occurred. One such event that is one of the most influential was “Age of Discovery” reaching the Americas in 1492. This happened due to Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to Hispaniola, sparking the division of the “New World” by Spain and Portugal from 1492 to 1494. Another example is Martin Luther starting “The Protestant Reformation” in 1517. Luther, an Augustinian monk was angered by what he felt was the Catholic church’s corruption, as the pope participated in the sale of reprieves from atonement and indulgences. In protest, he wrote his “95 Theses” which inspired the creation of new churches, known as Protestant, that were more focused on the Bible readings and believers’ relationships with God. This started a wave of Lutheranism in Europe, and Protestantism in the form of many other new churches. It also was the catalyst for an intense struggle between the Catholics and Protestants that continues to this day, but with less violence now.

The major events couldn’t have happened without the figures at their centers. One famous figure who lived during Copernicus’s time is Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). Da Vinci was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer from Anchiano, Republic of Florence (Italy) who is considered one of the most genius and creative people to have ever lived. He is most known for painting both The Last Supper (1495-98) and the Mona Lisa (c. 1503-19), which are some of the most famous paintings in the world.

Researching the context of the time period that Nicolaus Copernicus lived was very interesting to see. I liked the fact that this was an intense time period of human ingenuity even without new technological advancements. Copernicus developed his theories even knowing that he and his ideas would be attacked, much like Martin Luther and Lutheranism was by some. This even goes for da Vinci and his inventions. This exercise also gave me so much knowledge about this time which I had forgotten. I hadn’t realized that the heliocentric theory, Protestantism and da Vinci’s creations were all produced at around the same time. IT is truly incredible to think about. It provided really good comparisons that led to the conclusion that people are much more alike than we think, even if the context for each person is different. We are all creative in some type of way, it just depends on our passions and what we are willing to do to develop them.

Nicholas Copernicus: Born: February 19th, 1473 Death: May 24th, 1543

Copernicus was an influential figure for astronomy because of his work in promoting the heliocentric model that ultimately led to the Copernican Revolution. While Aristarchus first proposed a sun centered model, Copernicus’ work in De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium signified a change from a Ptolemaic model to a heliocentric one. Copernicus’ work and ideas and models laid the foundations for the work of Kepler and Galileo, who ultimately proved that the Earth did revolve around the sun. In summary, Copernicus set in motion the work that would ultimately overturn the Ptolemaic model.

Events During Copernicus’ Life:

In 1492, Christopher Columbus “discovers” the New World when he lands in North America from Spain. This voyaged marked the beginning of a power struggle between European powers on a new frontier, the genocide of Native Americans, and creation of the triangle trade.  

In 1517, Martin Luther posts his Ninety-Five Theses in Germany, protesting against indulgences among other wrongdoings he saw within the Roman Catholic Church. The spread of Luther’s ideas ultimately lead to the Reformation within Christianity. 

Important Figure During Copernicus’ Life:

Michelangelo was an artist who lived from March 6th, 1475 to February 18th, 1564. He was one of the most influential artists of all time, and many of his works including David, the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the Last Judgement, are some of the most recognized icons in the world. 

Reflection:

After researching the context of Copernicus’ life, it is clear that he lived during the height of the Renaissance. There was great change in all aspects of life at the time, not only in art and religion as highlighted above, but also in politics, literature, and science. There was intellectual and cultural growth everywhere, so it makes sense that a shift from a geocentric model to a heliocentric one would happen during this time. There was clearly a pursuit for intellect and knowledge in Europe, and I believe this definitely had an impact for the observations Copernicus made. It reminds me a little of the Salk Institute in San Diego, in that if you are surrounded by great minds, there is positive synergy. Just by going through the list of historical figures who were alive with Copernicus, it really puts into perspective the minds in Europe at the time. From Machiavelli to Raphael, the list could go on. The 16th century really is a good breeding ground for ‘radical’ ideas and beliefs that still influence our world today. If I could go back in time, this time period certainly wouldn’t be a bad place to start.