WildMaven’s World

Copernicus went to the University of Krakow, where he studied many subjects, including astronomy. Astronomy, however, in those days, was used mainly for navigation at sea, setting holy days, and calculating a person’s horoscope. He completed four years of study, but never earned a degree. His uncle, in charge of young Nicholaus after his father’s death, decided that the child would have a career with the Church, and thus sent Copernicus to the University of Bologna, where he studied Canon law. In his spare time, he also studied Greek, math, and astronomy. He began renting a room from his astronomy professor and even assisted him in his observations of the heavens.
In 1500, Copernicus journeyed to Rome and stayed to lecture the local scholars. Still without a degree, he convinced his uncle, and the Church, to allow him to finish his law degree as well as obtaining education in medicine. Astronomy was considered a big part of medicine, since a person’s health was believed to be influenced by the stars, so Copernicus was allowed to continue his astonomy education as well. He eventually obtained his doctorate in law, but never received one in medicine.

His astronomy study was put on hold for over five years as he floundered here and there as a canon and physician. After the death of his maternal uncle, Copernicus became a canon in the Ermland Chapter at Frauenburg. This gave him a lot of free time to study his growing love of the sky. He wrote a small, hand-written book, which he gave to his friends. This book, the “Little Commentary” spelled out his theories, radical ideas at the time:

1. There is no one centre in the universe.
2. The Earth’s centre is not the centre of the universe.
3. The centre of the universe is near the sun.
4. The distance from the Earth to the sun is imperceptible compared with the distance to the stars.
5. The rotation of the Earth accounts for the apparent daily rotation of the stars.
6. The apparent annual cycle of movements of the sun is caused by the Earth revolving round it.
7. The apparent retrograde motion of the planets is caused by the motion of the Earth from which one observes.

His formal theories were not published for many years as war and unrest forced Copernicus into service for his country. His manuscript was published only shortly before his death. Controversy raged amongst the scholars, and it was not until the 17th century that his ideas were fully accepted. He received the final copy of his book while on dying in his bed. He died shortly thereafter of a cereberal hemorrhage May 24, 1543.