Introduction
Nicholas Copernicus was an astronomer and mathematician who was able to make a model of the universe during the Renaissance. Copernicus wrote his theory in the work De revolutionibus orbium coelestium 1543 (On the rotation of the celestial spheres), where he proposed many hypotheses that revealed the universe’s structure and function. That book by an astronomer at that time became a significant impetus in science and caused a revolutionary development of astronomy as a science. The statements of Copernicus were extreme and had a lot of novelty, but they were based on the findings of all predecessors.
Innovative Ideas
Firstly, Copernicus displaced the geocentric model of Ptolemy; in this model, the Sun begins at the center of the system and not the Earth, as it was before. Similarly, Copernicus argued that the Sun is the center, which is why all the other planets move around it. The novelty was exact because it was essentially an alternative model at the time, which explained the universe and its structure differently.
Second, Copernicus proposed a precise definition of the solar year. At that time, the year’s interpretation was different and perceived differently. Instead, Copernicus succeeded with mathematical calculations; in particular, he used already known systems such as Ptolemy, but the result was more accurate than before. That was also a significant contribution to the renaissance period and caused a resonance in society.
Third, the astronomer proposed a new theory about how the Earth moves. In his book, Copernicus prescribed that the Earth has three types of motion: diurnal rotation, annual rotation, and movement during which the tilt of the axis occurs. It has already been mentioned that before this, Ptolemy put forward the theory that the Earth is the center. Everything revolves around the planet, so Copernicus’ views were revolutionary. It is worth noting that Copernicus was able to more accurately calculate and give a precise estimate of the motion of the planets based on all known previous works and his calculations.
Significantly, the fourth part of the study in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium was about the distance from the Earth to the Sun. Copernicus introduced the theory that the distance from the Earth to the Sun is excellent but not as big as the distance from the Sun to other stars (Copernicus, 2018). Previously, this statement was not commented on or calculated in any way. That kind of theory was new and not sufficiently understood by the scientific community of that time.
Confirmation of Theories
An essential part of Copernicus’s research was using existing materials, including Ptolemy, Mu’ayyad al-Din al-‘Urdi, Bernhard Walther’s Observations of Mercury from Nuremberg, and many others. The basis for confirming one’s theories was mostly the research of Ptolemy. However, it is essential that from the very beginning of the writing of the book, the aim was only to describe better Ptolemy’s theories, in particular, from a mathematical point of view. As Copernicus himself argued, such a model was much more convenient, but when he began to develop new theories were used in many other astronomical works for his arguments.
In his book, the author relies on the statements of other scientists, confirming everything with mathematical calculations. In addition, the observations of Copernicus play an essential role and are also cited as important arguments in certain parts of the book. According to this, it is worth saying that much was not accurate in the study of astronomy. However, a large part of the argument offered in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium was essential and developed more and more in the future.
The Method of Circles
The statement that the Sun is at the center of the system and the Earth, together with other planets, revolves around the Sun is the leading and most important thing covered in the book. This statement is part of his heliocentric theory, which suggests using mathematical calculations. The results of Ptolemy are used, which are demonstrated in what approach was used by the author. In particular, that used the main idea of the mathematical regulation of the solar system only for the convenience of its calculation and qualitative confirmation of the theory.
The primary confirmation and argumentation of the theory of Copernicus are done with circles. Because Copernicus himself believed that circles govern the heavens and the whole universe, it was in this way, thanks to the calculation of processes and their projection into space, that the astronomer was able to calculate. In particular, it was the theory of circles, which is very ancient, that helped to determine the Sun itself is in the center of the system, and the Earth, on the contrary, moves around it. At the same time, orbital circles were also determined, although later, this theory was improved and acquired more accurate data.
It was this theory that Copernicus also used to calculate the exact number of days in a year; by determining where the Earth’s orbit is. That was calculated by how the Earth’s time of year passes and how long it would take for the planet to make a complete circle around the Sun. For this, the method of rings was also used, making it possible to determine how many days are needed for mathematical calculations.
Heliocentric Method
This method was developed by Copernicus, who placed the Sun at the center of the universe. It was this method that revealed precisely how the planet earth moves. According to this concept, the Earth has three types of motion: diurnal rotation, annual rotation, and movement during which the tilt of the axis occurs. According to this, all the previous studies of Aristotle or Ptolemy, which were society’s fundamental beliefs, began to change. Many people, especially Christians, were skeptical about this method of explaining the cosmos because it did not fit into the general concept of Christian teaching, where man is in the center.
This method is related to the previous one, i.e., The technique of circles, because they are associated with each other in both scenarios where the use of processes to prove their statements. The heliocentric approach allowed the science of astronomy to advance many steps forward and make a kind of scientific revolution. However, later that somewhat corrected this theory. Since the Sun is the center only in our solar system, everything can be calculated since other solar systems have their centers and the structure of their environment is partly different.
Mathematical Method
Copernicus mathematically substantiated the idea of the movement of the Earth and other planets around the Sun. However, all the mathematical methods and theories the astronomer applied were not his guess. All this was the use of already existing assumptions about space. In particular, there was an active use developed in the 13-14th centuries by Arab and Persian astronomers Mo’ayeduddin al-Urdu, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, and Ibn al-Shamir. Interestingly, such methods were ideally suited to the heliocentric process. In particular, mathematical calculations and calculations easily disprove Ptolemy’s theories.
However, this method is criticized by many modern researchers and those of that time. It is claimed that this calculation method confirmed Copernicus’ hypotheses. It is flawed that the mathematical process can also be considered a hypothesis that has been approved because it fits very well under the heliocentric method. In the same context, it is worth noting that mathematical calculations are correct and do not violate any laws of mathematics. That allowed future researchers to develop their astronomy theories using mathematical data. This method helped Copernicus determine that the Earth rotates around its axis daily. In particular, essential knowledge in mathematics helped, and the change in the Earth’s position will show people completely different things every time in the sky.
Conclusion
Nicholas Copernicus made a revolution in the scientific field, particularly in astronomy. His latest discoveries have led to a better understanding of the structure of the cosmos. A critical stage is a realization that Copernicus used existing materials for his research and added only part of his observations or research. His work consists of many methods, but the main ones remain the ring, mathematical, and heliocentric. Using such scenarios, the astronomer could complete his research and prove all his hypotheses.
Bibliography
Copernicus, Nicolaus. “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium.”. Web.