Nicolaus Copernicus (astronomer)

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance-era astronomer who proposed that the Sun, not Earth, is at the center of our solar system—called heliocentrism. His groundbreaking idea challenged the long-held geocentric model, which placed Earth at the center. By carefully observing celestial movements and developing mathematical models, Copernicus demonstrated that planets rotate around the Sun. His work laid the foundation for modern astronomy and changed our understanding of the universe, influencing future scientists like Galileo and Kepler. Although initially controversial, his heliocentric theory eventually became the accepted view of our solar system.