Nicolaus Copernicus' 540 th birthday .

Nicolaus Copernicus becomes the centre of Google’s universe as the search giant marks astronomer’s 540th birthday
National Post Staff | Feb 19, 2013 3:26 PM ET | Last Updated: Feb 19, 2013 4:34 PM ET
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For all his efforts, Nicolaus Copernicus is at the centre of the space-exploration universe. The astronomer, born 540 years ago today, has a crater on the moon and a NASA trajectory system. In 2009, German scientists honoured Copernicus with his own element on the periodic table: copernicium.

Wikimedia CommonsCopernicus's heliocentric solar system.
U.S. and British scientists launched his namesake was launched into orbit by U.S. and British scientists in 1972 a Copernicus observatory (OAO-3) into orbit. And, the most tribute of all, Captain Kirk and Spock got a lift on the shuttlecraft Copernicus in Star Trek: The Final Frontier.

Tuesday, he added another one more tribute to his name as Google created a solar system-themed doodle to mark his 540th birthday.

Widely regarded as the father of modern astronomy, Copernicus made his most significant mark on science in his dying days with De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) — which disposed entirely of the belief that Earth is the centre of the universe.

He argued, persuasively, that the Earth rotates on its axis daily, it, along with the other planets he observed, orbit the Sun. Making it more impressive: he did this without the aid of a telescope.

Copernicus was born in Poland Feb. 19, 1473, and was raised by his uncle, who was determined to provide a good education. His wish was fulfilled, evidently; Copernicus studied law, medicine, geography and astronomy, the last of which he was encouraged to pursue by his University of Bologna mathematics professor Domenico Maria de Novara.
In 1530, Copernicus finished De Revolutionibus Orbin Coelestium, which was published in 1543. He died shortly afterward on May 24, 1543.

After his death, astronomers continued to build on his heliocentric theory. In the 1600s Johannes Kepler proposed orbits occurred in elliptical patterns. Galileo Galillei also backed up Copernicus in 1632 by claiming the Earth orbited the Sun, but was placed under house arrest for committing heresy against the Catholic church.
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Yea...., a real Polish space cadet .(smile)

Its hard to believe the church had that much influence over people in our world.
Then again look at the atrocities going on in the Middle East. It is really a
glimpse of what we were like a few hundred years ago. Society has at least
advanced some since those times.

Heard he was a no show. How rude.

You'd think that the world revolved around him...

A lot of people have that very same problem.

He doesn't look a year over 500. I wonder how he does it?

To arrive at his model, he used a zinc telescope to stare at the sun. Copernicus was bronzed.

Keeps away from the sun , works only at night .( smile)

This is how he looked at some point in his life.

Thanks #juan for placing the picture of Mikolaj Kopernik , it is one of his most popular ones.I do have an access to many of his pictures but am not able to place them here in CC or any where. I know it is only a matter of adjusting the computer but I truly don't know where to start . Perhaps someone can help ....?

china

What browser are you using?
Are you using Firefox?

I am using a Google Chrome browser #juan.

Ahhhhhh! He has no ears!