Astro2110 – The Solar System

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 and died on May 24, 1543. Throughout Copernicus’ life, many key historical events took place that altered the state of knowledge and culture at the time. In 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Germany. His writing criticized the Catholic Church especially due to its use of indulgences, sparking the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Two years later, Ferdinand Magellan (almost) completed his circumnavigation of the globe. This was the first time a complete circumnavigation had been complete, and it proved that the Earth was round. While Magellan didn’t do it all himself, a crew mate completed the journey following his death. Copernicus lived at the same time as Leonardo Da Vinci, who was a polymath, most known for his paintings The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. He was a key figure in the development of the Italian Renaissance, a major artistic movement at this time in Europe. It’s fascinating to me to think about just how little we used to know just 500 years ago. Putting into context the likes of Copernicus, Magellan, Martin Luther, and Da Vinci gives me an idea of just how much the world was changing during this time period. Artistically, ideologically, and scientifically, the world was moving from explaining everything with the supernatural to learning concrete facts about how the world works. Old ideas and methods were being challenged, opening the door for new discoveries and innovations across all aspects of society.

Nicholas Copernicus was an essential figure to the astronomy world because he suggested the concept of the heliocentric model of the solar system. Unlike previous astronomers who believed that planets revolve around Earth, Copernicus postulated that the Sun is at the center of the Solar System and that all the planets, including Earth, revolved about the Sun. Additionally, Copernicus suggested an order of the planets and devised a way to calculate their relative distances from the Sun. Further, Copernicus discovered that Earth spins once daily on its axis.

Copernicus lived through two crucial events to world history: The Spanish Conquest (1519-1521) and the Apparition of the Virgin de Guadalupe (1531). Between 1519 and 1521, initially in search of gold on the American mainland, Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, lead a group of conquistadors to Mexico. The group eventually reached Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, where they killed the Aztec emperor, Montecuzoma II, and dismantled the Aztec empire. Later, in 1531, Mexico had another powerful event happen. The Virgin of Guadalupe, the mother of Jesus, appeared to a man named Juan Diego and asked him to construct a shrine for her on the spot where she appeared. She appeared on Tepeyac Hill in the suburbs of present-day Mexico City.

Copernicus also lived during the same time period as the famous artist, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, and architect, Michelangelo is best known for his paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When he was alive from March 6, 1475 to February 18, 1564, Michelangelo also sculpted the large statue of Bacchus and David. His works lead him to become a prominent figure in the development of Western art.

Learning more about the Spanish Conquest and the Apparition of the Virgin de Guadalupe, I realize how crucial Mexico was to world history during Copernicus’ lifetime. In my Latinx class, one of the topics discussed is the concept of Latinx versus Hispanic culture and how they are impacted by colonization. Reading about Cortés’ conquest of Tenochtitlan and the Aztec empire, I am appalled by his audacity to overthrow the empire. The Spanish Conquest is yet another example of how Europeans believed that they had the power to colonize the Americas. I am also beginning to realize the importance of religion to the development of Mexico and its culture. The Virgin de Guadalupe was so crucial to Mexico’s culture that she has become the national symbol of the country. Further, it is interesting to see how the Renaissance artistic movement, Spanish Conquest, and development of the heliocentric model all occurred around the same time in history.