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Whose Model Put the Sun at the Centre of the Universe?

Quick Answer

Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the Sun-centred model in his book On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, published in 1543.

The Full Story

For centuries most scholars followed the Earth-centred system of the ancient astronomer Ptolemy. Nicolaus Copernicus argued instead that Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun. His book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium was published in 1543, the year he died. The ancient Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos had proposed a similar idea in the 3rd century BC. Galileo's later support for the Copernican model led to his trial by the Roman Inquisition in 1633.

Key Facts

1.According to tradition, Copernicus received a printed copy of his book on his deathbed.

2.Copernicus still used circular orbits; Kepler later showed orbits are elliptical.

3.Element 112, copernicium, was named after him in 2010.

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