Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) was a Polish astronomer and mathematician who is best known for his revolutionary theory of heliocentrism, which proposed that the Sun, rather than the Earth, was the center of the universe. This theory challenged the prevailing geocentric model, which placed the Earth at the center of the universe.
Copernicus' major work, "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), published in 1543, presented his heliocentric model. According to his theory, the Earth rotated on its axis once a day and orbited the Sun once a year, along with the other known planets. This model provided a simpler explanation for the observed movements of celestial bodies and helped to lay the foundation for modern astronomy.
In this video I explore the origins of heliocentrism, the Ptolemetic model Copernicus was reacting too, and the debate surrounding the nature and status of mathematics in the early astronomy.
