Christian Cyclopedia

(Koppernigk; 1473–1543). B. Thorn [Torun], Prussian Poland. Father of modern astronomy. Educ. Cracow and Bologna; studied medicine, philos., and math; lectured on math and astronomy at Rome. Returned to Prussia 1505; at Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warminski) and Frauenburg formulated the theories later pub. in Commentariolus and De revolutionibus orbium caelestium [coelestium]; in his preface to the latter, A. Osiander* the Elder states that the conclusions are to be regarded as hypothetical; it was put on the Index* of Prohibited Books 1616 and was not removed for many yrs. Copernicus regarded the sun rather than the earth as the center of solar system; prepared the way for J. Kepler,* Galilei,* I. Newton,* and F. G. Bruno.*