Nicolaus Copernicus — Born February 19, 1473 | Died May 24, 1543
Copernicus was important to astronomy because he proposed the heliocentric system that explained how planets orbit around the Sun. His central idea was that Earth, in addition to orbiting the sun every year, rotates once daily on its own axis. The slow changes in the direction of this axis account for the precession of the equinoxes.
Historical Events
During Copernicus’s lifetime (1473-1543), explorer Christopher Columbus completed his journey across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in the “New World” in 1492. Additionally, in the early 1500s, European countries established the slave trade in West Africa to obtain workers for the sugar and tobacco plantations in South America and the Caribbean.
Historical Figures
Henry VIII (June 28, 1491 – January 28, 1547) and Leonardo da Vinci lived at the same time as Copernicus. Henry VIII was influential because he was the king of England from 1509 to 1547, and as king, he broke with the Roman Catholic Church and had Parliament declare him supreme head of the Church of England, which started the English Reformation. Leonardo da Vinci was best known for being an artist, who notably painted the Mona Lisa, and an engineer who is arguably credited as the inventor of the tank, helicopter, parachute, and flying machine.
Reflection
I chose Copernicus at random from the selection of the five astronomers, but I’m really glad I got to research him! I’ve always heard his name thrown around in science classes, but I had no idea how influential he was to the development of our understanding of the solar system. His work directly ties into our whole past unit, so it was nice to have a name to attach the knowledge to. Additionally, I’m glad I was able to get a grasp on the time frame that these scientists lived in. It makes a lot of sense that Copernicus came before many of the other astronomers because their work was probably largely dependent on Copernicus’s. It’s also interesting that Copernicus came before Columbus’s exploration of the “New World”. If the understanding of our solar system was only developed decades before Columbus’s journey, then it’s clear why Columbus and his crew were shocked at their realization of how Earth’s geography works.