Report on the scientific activities of Copernicus. Biography of Copernicus

The scientist who revealed to the world the true interaction of celestial bodies with each other was born at the end of the 15th century. Despite the ban on his works for inconsistency with the religious beliefs of his time, the scientist’s works were not lost. The great discoveries of Copernicus are the basis of school teachings and ideas about many areas of human life.

Copernicus made his discoveries not only in astronomy; they also affected physics, economics, mathematics, the laws of mechanics and medicine, contributing to more than one scientific revolution.

Youth

The future outstanding scientist was born in Poland, in 1473 in Toruń. Born in February, the boy was the fourth child in the family and received the name Nicholas, the same name as Copernicus’s father. Despite Polish origin, Nikolai’s mother was born German. The boy's father was a merchant, which allowed the child to receive a good education.

Until the age of ten, the Copernicus family lived quietly, but the outbreak of the plague not only claimed thousands of other people’s lives, it also affected Copernicus the Elder. The head of the family died, leaving the boy's mother as his successor. In 1489, the mother of the family also died. Then Nikolai’s uncle, the mother’s brother, takes responsibility for the children.

As a local bishop, Lukasz Watzenrode was known as a man endowed with the gift of diplomacy, an educated and well-read person. An intelligent relative, with a cool disposition and love for his younger nephew, became a real father for Nikolai. Seeing his successor in his nephew, Lukash gave the boy a good upbringing along with education.

Education

• The young man graduated from school at the age of fifteen. The next stage of his education took place at the Włocławsk school. Thanks to an interesting teacher, the young student became interested in astronomy.
• At the age of eighteen, the young man comes to Krakow, under the protection of his uncle, taking his brother with him. Having entered the Jagiellonian University, famous for its excellent educational programs, both brothers entered the Faculty of Arts. Thanks to the atmosphere around him, Copernicus developed critical thinking and thoroughly mastered the sciences he taught. His passion for astronomy moved to a deeper level.
• After graduating from university at twenty-four, Nikolai and his brother went to work in their uncle’s diocese as canons. In this way, the bishop accustoms young people to the idea that they need to earn money themselves to further study abroad.
• After two years of working as a canon, Copernicus goes to Italy, where he intends to continue his studies. Lukash makes sure that his nephew receives a vacation for a period of three years and a salary.
• Having entered the University of Bologna, the student chooses to study at a law school. There he mastered Greek and continued to study astronomy. In addition to his passion for painting, studying abroad brings the guy an acquaintance with the scientist who revived European mathematics.
• During his stay in Italy, Copernicus makes a joint discovery with the professor, which speaks of the equal distance to the Moon in quadrature, regardless of the full moon or new moon. This is how Nicholas first begins to doubt the veracity of Ptolemy’s statements.
• Three years later, Copernicus returns to Poland. Just like after his first education, he remains without a scientific degree. Returning to their place of duty, the brothers ask for an additional delay in order to complete their education. Having received consent, in 1503 Nicholas received the degree of Doctor of Canon Law. Having undergone medical training during this time, Copernicus remained in Italy and practiced medicine.

Merits in science

After three years of medical practice, Copernicus travels to his homeland, where he works for his uncle as both a confidant and a physician. After the bishop's death, the nephew moves to a small town, where he continues to work in the church and conduct scientific observations.

Having built an observatory in the tower of the fortress, the astronomer continues his work alone, without accepting help. By the thirtieth year of the 16th century, Copernicus completed his work, determining that the Earth rotates around the sun in a year, and around its axis in a day.

Being a fantastic idea, this idea spread the news of the astronomer throughout Europe. There was no negative response to the bold idea. However, the scientist did not rush to publish the book, hoping to double-check his ideas and observations. The verification took about forty years, and in 1543 the master’s greatest work was published. At this time, Copernicus could no longer rejoice at the news, because he was in a coma.

Death of a Scientist

Nicolaus Copernicus died after two months in a coma. The scientist's death occurred in the spring of 1543 due to a stroke.

Until 2005, Copernicus' grave was unknown. The remains of the greatest astronomer were found by chance, as a result of excavations carried out by archaeologists. Their authenticity was established by DNA testing. Five years later, the remains of Copernicus buried in Frombork Cathedral.

Nicolaus Copernicus was able to freeze and set in motion in the minds of his contemporaries. The researcher revolutionized ideas about the structure of the Universe. Biography, main ideas and influence of the scientist’s discoveries on today’s science, Interesting Facts about Copernicus - for your information.

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short biography

Little Nikolai was born on February 19 in the city of Torne, which is now called Toruń and is located in Poland. The question of which country the scientist was born in, Prussia or Poland, causes controversy among researchers. The fact is that the borders of these states were constantly changing.

Childhood and youth

The future researcher was the fourth child in a wealthy merchant family. He was very friendly with his older brother Andrzej. Subsequently, while receiving an education, young people will visit half of the best universities in Europe, become colleagues and wonderful friends.

The fate of the future research scientist was influenced by a number of circumstances, the country where Nicolaus Copernicus was born, and the conditions in which he lived. In 1482, the father became a victim of a severe plague epidemic that devastated Europe, and by 1489 the child was left an orphan - his mother died. The family was left without property and means of food. The children were taken in by Lukasz Watzenrode, their maternal uncle.

The guardian was a rather stern man, a priest of the local diocese, but the uncle became very attached to the child and became closely involved in his education. Lukasz had a doctorate in canon law and later received the position of bishop. Brilliant for the time, it allowed him to provide additional training to his nephew in order to prepare him for further studies.

In 1491, Nicholas and his brother Andrzej began their student life at the Jagiellonian University under the patronage of their uncle. The Faculty of Arts of the city of Krakow became the starting point on the path to becoming a researcher. After graduating from university, the young man planned further studies, but Lukasz Watzenrode did not have the money for it.

In 1487, in order to earn money for his education, the young specialist accepted the position of canon in his uncle’s diocese in absentia. He and his brother used the fee they received in advance to study church law. In Bolonia (Italy) in 1496, Nicholas first became acquainted with astronomy, a science that later became his life’s work, thanks to the teacher Domenico Maria Novara.

Attention! The University of Bologna became the site of Nicolaus Copernicus's first decisive step on the path of new discoveries, and 1497 was the year of the first astronomical observation.

The results of the seminal research were the first steps towards the creation new system based on observations of the full and new moon. The young scientist realized that the distance between the natural satellite and the Earth was equal when passing these points, which indicated that the night star was moving in a circle.

Copernicus's scientific activities, hobbies, and research were very diverse. Nikolai was engaged in painting, studied Greek language, studied mathematics. After graduating from the University of Bologna, the young scientist taught exact sciences to the people of the high society of Rome, and helped Pope Alexander VI himself to comprehend astronomy.

Social activity

The year 1506 marked the end of training. At the age of 33, Nikolai received medical, church and theological education and the position of clergyman of Frombork.

1512 turned out to be a year of losses. Brother Andrzej falls ill with leprosy and leaves the city, Lukasz Watzenrode dies, and the scientist becomes a canon of the cathedral of the city of Fraenburg. After 1516, Nicholas received the honorary position of chancellor of the city of Olsztyn. Here he shows himself to be a brilliant military strategist, taking command in the war against the crusaders. The fortress managed to withstand a significant superiority of enemy forces.

By 1521, the scientist returned to serve in the diocese of Frombork. The inventor's talent helped Nikolai build a hydraulic machine that provided water to all the houses in the city.

The scientist also did not abandon his passion for medicine. After retiring from business in 1531 to concentrate on writing the main book, he provided medical care free of charge to everyone in need, and helped many people cope with their ailments. In 1519, the scientist fought the plague epidemic.

Scientific developments

Nicolaus Copernicus was absorbed in his basic ideas and discoveries all his life. He spent 40 years writing the main work of his life, “On the Rotation of Celestial Bodies,” which was invaluable for the development of astronomy. He scrupulously collected information, data from his observations, systematized the information, compiled tables, and made amendments. He completed work on the book 3 years before his death.

The position of canon allowed him to study in parallel scientific research. For astronomical observations, the scientist equipped the tower of the Frombork fortress.

The discoverer of the doctrine of the heliocentric system was lucky not to encounter persecution from adherents of dogmatism. Copernicus's theory became an important step in the history of science, making a real revolution in the best minds of that time. The scientist’s views were very radical for that time, but he lived a fairly calm life.

Important! The doctrine of the movement of celestial bodies was prohibited and declared a heresy only in 1616, long after the death of its author, by which time the theory had already spread widely throughout Europe.

The idea of ​​a heliocentric system was formed by a young scientist closer to 1500. The theory had a lot of supporters. Among like-minded people, the researcher distributed the manuscript Commentariolus, where he outlined brief summary your hypothesis.

The scientist died of a stroke in his native Frombork in 1543. Last months Copernicus's health was critical. He suffered paralysis of one half of his body and was in a coma before his death.

The last years of Copernicus' life

Let's list interesting facts about Copernicus

1. The position of canon, as a church figure, implied a vow of celibacy. Fascinated by science, Nikolai at first did not attach any importance to this. In 1528, being a mature, accomplished man, he unexpectedly fell in love with Anna, the daughter of his friend Matz Schilling from his hometown of Toruń. The girl soon had to leave the scientist due to the discontent of the Church.
2. The researcher’s grave was considered not found until the rise of genetics and the corresponding examination in 2005. The last refuge was Frombork, which meant a lot to the scientist.
3. The year 1535 was marked by recognition of the researcher’s work by the church, which was facilitated by the Pope himself. The truths that Copernicus revealed to the world were initially favorably received by the ministers. Afterwards, conservative religious leaders saw the teaching as a threat to existing dogmas.
4. The meteorite and the element are named after the researcher.
5. There are museums dedicated to his memory in Torun and Frombork.
6. Throughout his life, Nicholas was accompanied by a faithful student named Retik, who helped conduct research, published works, and was a good friend.
7. The discoverer would hardly have seen the first edition of his life’s work, but his friends brought him a printed copy.

Description of the theory

The book “On the Rotation of Celestial Bodies” consists of 6 volumes, where the author described his ideas about the device:

• the first is dedicated to proving the spherical shape of the Earth and the Universe;
• the second talks about the rules for calculating the location of celestial bodies;
• the third part describes the annual cycle of the Earth's movement;
• the fourth talks about our planet’s satellite, the Moon;
• the fifth tells about the properties of celestial bodies in general;
• sixth - about the reasons for changes in latitudes.

Book “On the rotation of celestial bodies”

The main ideas of the heliocentric system can be briefly described by 7 theses:

1. There is no common center of rotation for all celestial bodies.
2. The earth is not the center of the world.
3. The stars are motionless on the surface of the sphere that bounds the Cosmos.
4. The Earth rotates around its own axis and around the Sun.
5. The trajectory of movement of celestial bodies is a circle.
6. The distance between the Sun and the stars is immeasurably greater than the distance of the luminary from the Earth.
7. The movement of the Sun observed from Earth is a consequence of the rotation of the planet itself.

Later, the teachings of Copernicus were supplemented by Johannes Kepler, who calculated that the trajectory of the movements of celestial bodies is not a circle, but an ellipse. It was also found that stars are not at all devoid of movement.

Attention! Now the main ideas of Nicolaus Copernicus do not look so revolutionary, but for the 16th century they were an important step in the development of astronomy, they changed the ideas of people of that time about the greatness of the world, the mysteries of nature, and the place of man in the Universe. These were important discoveries, given the dominant geocentric theory of the era.

Polish university

Residents of Poland are proud of the achievements of their compatriot who lived 4 centuries ago. There is the Nicolaus Copernicus University in the city of Torun, which trains young scientists. Educational institution was created in 1945 and ranks fifth in prestige among other universities in Poland. University classrooms are equipped the latest technology. The university opened its doors to future doctors, chemists, biologists, physicists, astronomers, mathematicians and artists.

Nicolaus Copernicus Biography

Nicolaus Copernicus and heliocentrism

Conclusion

Any educated person knows perfectly well who Copernicus is. The scientist lived a long life, managed to change the worldview of people on the planet, and made an invaluable contribution to astronomy. His revolutionary discoveries became the basis for the development modern science. Nicolaus Copernicus lived a long life and left an indelible memory of himself.

(1473-1543) Polish astronomer

Nicolaus Copernicus was born in the Polish city of Toruń into the family of a merchant who came from Germany. He was orphaned at an early age and raised in the house of his uncle, the famous Polish humanist Bishop Lukasz Wachenrode. In 1490, he graduated from the University of Krakow and became a canon of the cathedral in Frombork, a fishing town at the mouth of the Vistula. He remained in this position (with interruptions) until the end of his life.

In 1496, Copernicus went on a long journey to Italy. He first studied at the University of Bologna, where he became a Master of Arts and also studied ecclesiastical law. It was in Bologna that he developed an interest in astronomy, which determined his scientific destiny.

He then returned to Poland for a short time, but soon returned to Italy, where he studied medicine at the University of Padua and received a doctorate in theology from the University of Ferrara. Nicolaus Copernicus returned to his homeland in 1503 as a comprehensively educated man. He settled first in the city of Lidzbark, where he served as a secretary and doctor for his uncle, and after his death he moved to Frombork, where he lived until the end of his life.

Nicolaus Copernicus was an amazingly versatile scientist. Simultaneously with his studies in astronomy, he was engaged in translations of works of Byzantine authors, as well as medicine, earning a reputation as a wonderful doctor. Copernicus treated the poor for free: day and night he was ready to rush to the aid of the sick. In addition, he participated in the management of the region and was in charge of its financial and economic affairs. But most of all he was interested in astronomy, which he presented somewhat differently than was customary.

By that time, the system of the world structure proposed by the ancient Greek scientist Claudius Ptolemy had existed for almost one and a half millennia. It consisted in the fact that the Earth rests motionless in the center of the Universe, and the Sun and other planets revolve around it. Ptolemy's theory did not explain many phenomena well known to astronomers, in particular the loop-like movement of planets across the visible sky. Nevertheless, its provisions were considered unshakable, since they were in good agreement with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Long before Copernicus, the ancient Greek scientist Aristarchus argued that the Earth moves around the Sun. But he could not yet experimentally confirm his teaching.

Observing the movement of celestial bodies, Nicolaus Copernicus came to the conclusion that Ptolemy’s theory was incorrect. After thirty years of hard work, long observations and complex mathematical calculations, he convincingly proved that the Earth is only one of the planets and that all planets revolve around the Sun. True, Copernicus still believed that the stars are motionless and are located on the surface of a huge sphere, at a great distance from the Earth. This was due to the fact that at that time there were no such powerful telescopes with which one could observe the sky and stars.

Having discovered that the Earth and the planets are satellites of the Sun, Nicolaus Copernicus was able to explain the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky, the strange entanglement in the movement of some planets, as well as the apparent rotation of the sky. He believed that we perceive the movement of celestial bodies in the same way as the movement various items on Earth when we ourselves are in motion. When we are sailing in a boat on the surface of a river, it seems that the boat and we are motionless in it, and the banks are floating in the opposite direction. In the same way, to an observer on Earth, it seems that the Earth is motionless, and the Sun is moving around it. In fact, it is the Earth that moves around the Sun and makes a full revolution in its orbit during the year.

Sometime between 1510 and 1514 Nicolaus Copernicus wrote short message, in which he first informed scientists about his discovery. It created the impression of a bomb exploding and became the cause of misfortune not only for its author, but also for his followers. To accept such a theory meant destroying the authority of the church, since this concept refuted the theory of the divine origin of the Universe.

Copernicus's theory was fully expounded in his work “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres.” The author did not live to see this book spread throughout the world. He was dying when friends brought him the first copy of his book, printed in one of the Nuremberg printing houses. His book aroused interest among progressive-minded scientists.

Church leaders did not immediately understand the blow to religion that Copernicus’ book dealt. For some time his work was freely distributed among scientists. Only when Nicolaus Copernicus had followers was his teaching declared heresy, and the book included in the “Index of Prohibited Books.” Only in 1835 did the Pope exclude the book of Copernicus from this index and thereby, as it were, acknowledge the existence of his teaching in the eyes of the church.

In 1600, the Italian scientist Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for promoting the views of Copernicus. But this could not stop the development of science.

Soon after the death of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei established that the Sun also rotates around its axis, which confirmed the correctness of the Polish scientist’s conclusions.

It is obvious that the patterns discovered by Copernicus contributed to the further development of astronomy, in which more and more new discoveries are still being made.

This is how a new, Heliocentric Copernican system appeared.

A bold idea that revolutionizes people’s consciousness, as was consonant with the entire Renaissance era... It is especially interesting that he made all his conclusions without a telescope - it would be invented by another great astronomer, Galileo Galilei.

But the old one did not want to give up its positions without a fight. This affected Copernicus himself to a small extent - the revolutionary nature of his ideas was simply not understood during his lifetime. And there was plenty of other work to do - he was talented in many areas. A good doctor, a water supply designer, a reformer of the financial system in Poland, an organizer of the defense of his bishopric from the Teutonic Order: this is an incomplete list of his merits. You can also recall his contribution to the theory of monetary circulation: it was Copernicus who, noticing that when gold and copper coins circulate simultaneously, gold goes into savings, and copper remains in circulation, he concluded: “The worst money drives the best out of circulation.”

Merits

But the main thing remained the work on the Heliocentric system. If he published the first notes on his theory in 1503, and the book “On the Rotation of the Celestial Spheres” was published in 1543, then it turns out that the work took forty years! It is symbolic that this treatise was published shortly before Copernicus’s death, as if summing up his life’s journey...
With his death, his ideas did not die; on the contrary, a heated discussion began around them. The Catholic Church banned the works of Copernicus, seeing heresy in them: is the Earth really not the center of the universe, but just one of the planets? What then to think about heaven and hell?

But this did not stop inquisitive minds - the result was the death of Giordano Bruno at the stake of the Holy Inquisition and the trial of Galileo Galilei.
It is noteworthy that, calling Copernicus’ theory a heresy, the Catholic Church allowed the use of his model in astronomical calculations. This paradox fixed the facts - Copernicus’ theory was more consistent with reality, although it undermined the biblical picture of the world.

It was the idea of ​​Nicolaus Copernicus that served as the catalyst for the first scientific revolution. The transition from a medieval view of the world to a scientific one is his historical merit.

Name: Nicolaus Copernicus

State: Poland

Field of activity: The science. Astronomy

Today science is given a lot of attention. But it was not always so. It is difficult to imagine how life was for learned men several centuries ago - especially in Catholic countries, where the church tried to prevent the population from becoming overly educated. If the teaching went against the postulates of the churchmen, scientists were severely punished - they would be lucky if they were simply expelled from the city. But alive! But many ended their lives at the stake, as heretics and apostates.

The most interesting thing about this is that their teachings turned out to be correct (in the 19th and 20th centuries, the theories of the Middle Ages were confirmed). Particular attention was paid to astronomy - even in ancient times (for example, in) the priests knew that the earth was round and revolved around the sun. But with the advent of new times, they tried to erase this knowledge from memory. Nicolaus Copernicus, the great Polish astronomer, proved that all the theories of antiquity were true. He is probably the only one who died a natural death for such “heretical” views. But more about everything.

early years

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 in Torun, Poland, about 100 miles south of Danzig. He belonged to a merchant family. The most interesting thing is the origin of the future scientist - many consider him a Pole (in principle, rightly so). But biographers and historians cannot find a single document written on behalf of Copernicus in Polish. The mother was German by origin, the father was a Pole from Krakow (but again it is unclear). There were three more children in the family - a son and two daughters.

Nicholas entered the University of Krakow in 1491, where he studied for three years until 1494. There he studied basic subjects - mathematics, theology, literature. But it was astronomy that really attracted him. Although he did not take classes on the subject, during his student years Copernicus began collecting books on astronomy (especially those related to the study of the universe).

Upon completion of his studies, without receiving any title, Copernicus returned to hometown in 1494. In 1496, through the efforts of his uncle, he became a canon (priest) in Frauenburg, remaining in this post until the end of his life. To continue his studies, the family council decided to send the young man to Italy, to Bologna, where Copernicus went to study canon law.

In Bologna, Copernicus came under the influence of Domenico Maria di Novara, an astronomer who became famous in his homeland. In 1500 he moved to Rome to continue his study of astronomy. Let us note that here Copernicus failed to obtain an academic degree. In 1503, in another city - Ferrara - he was finally able to pass the exams and become a doctor of canon law. He spent the next three years studying medicine at the University of Padua.

Copernican world system

In 1506 he returned to Poland for a sad reason. His uncle got sick. For several years, Nikolai was engaged in astronomical research and was his uncle's personal physician. In 1512, Nicholas began working as a priest in the small town of Frombork. However, at the same time he continued to study the sky and comprehend the basics of astronomy.

It was during these years that a complete picture of the structure of the universe gradually emerged. Copernicus is thinking about writing a treatise. The basis was the so-called heliocentric system. Copernicus was in a sense lucky - the church did not initially persecute him for such statements (probably they did not look heretical). After some time, astronomy lovers had in their hands a small treatise “a short commentary on the celestial spheres.”

It contained a list of seven axioms (truths), each of which indicated a feature characteristic of the heliocentric system. The third principle stated, in part:

“All spheres revolve around the sun, since it is the central point, and therefore the sun is the center of the universe.”

Despite the fact that the treatise was not widely popular, the scientist’s friends and colleagues believed that Nikolai was one hundred percent right. Still, he had talent. Gradually, the fame of the young astronomer spread not only in Poland itself, but also beyond its borders - Copernicus was invited to universities as a consultant, to the Lateran Council, where the astronomer’s opinion was needed to draw up a new calendar.

Copernicus worked a lot - after all, the position of canon implied not only church service, but also various legal problems, as well as administrative, medical, and financial matters. However, there were also those who criticized Nicholas’s theory. Among them was Martin Luther, who considered Copernicus “a fool capable of turning the concept of astronomy upside down.” The papal throne has not yet been converted special attention to the treatise - probably because Nikolai expressed his thoughts regarding the heliocentric system carefully. Despite this, there were many gaps and inaccuracies in his treatise (also in theory). That, however, did not prevent the book from becoming a reference book for many subsequent generations of astronomers.

Death and Glory

Nicolaus Copernicus died on May 24, 1543 from complications after a stroke. He was about 70 years old - a very old age at that time. A few hours before his death, he received the first printed version of his book. Unfortunately, the thousand copies were not sold and were only reprinted three times.

But this circumstance does not make Copernicus’s treatise less valuable - after his death it was included (finally the church decided to somehow punish the scientist who no longer cared) in the register of prohibited ones, although only for 4 years. Then the book was published again, but the heliocentric system was removed, leaving only mathematical calculations.

However, the fame of Nicolaus Copernicus as one of the leading astronomers of the Middle Ages lives on today. Along with other famous names.