Week 19 Essay

          This week I learned about the War of the Roses, Nicolas Copernicus, and Christopher Columbus. However, I found the lesson on Nicolas Copernicus most interesting, so that is what this essay is about. I will write about the life of Nicolas Copernicus as well as his book, and how his theory impacted the world.

          First, there was another famous astrologist, scientist, and mathematician whose name was Ptolemy. He believed that the earth was the center of the universe, and everything orbited around it. No one else could think of a better theory, and Ptolemy’s was logical at the time, so everybody believed his theory.

          About 1,000 years later, Ptolemy’s theory and view were still believed to be accurate and correct. However, during the Renaissance, this idea began to be questioned by many people. The Renaissance sparked new ideas and theories, and Ptolemy’s view was no exception.

          Nicolas Copernicus was born in 1473 in Royal Prussia, Poland. His father was a merchant, but after he died, Nicolas lived with his uncle and received a good education. It included mathematics and astronomy, but he also was a physician, translator, governor, and an economist. He became a master of all trades, but astronomy was his passion.

          In the early 1500s, he started writing down his own thoughts in astronomy as he studied. Instead of Ptolemy’s theory on the universe, Copernicus believed that the sun was stationary and the earth, along with all the other planets, orbited around it, and the moon orbited around the earth. He began writing a 40 page manuscript that almost no one knew about.

          Eventually, he showed some of his friends his book, and they urged him to get it published, but he refused, probably for fear of denial. He continued writing, but rumors leaked out, and many people were wanting to read his book. Finally, he sent his book in to be published, when it was almost too late.

          In 1543, he developed internal bleeding and paralysis before his book had been completely published. Copernicus died at the age of 70, on May 24, 1543. Thankfully, he was able to see his 40 page manuscript finished and published the day before he died.

          Nicolas Copernicus’s theory changed science and astronomy forever, even though two planets hadn’t even been discovered yet! Unfortunately, this theory was not believed for many years afterwards. Galileo, who believed in Copernicus’s theory, was even put in house arrest for it. However, during the Scientific Revolution, Nicolas Copernicus’s theory was discovered to be correct!

          Today, about 6,000 years after Copernicus, astrologists are making discoveries and advances, and they would not be at the level that they are at if it wasn’t for this famous astrologist who changed the world forever.