Copernicus

Copernicus' Life

Copernicus' education was typical of the main "thinkers" of the 15 - 18th century, he was well recognized in many different fields of academic achievement. When he was only 18 he left the polish school of St. John Torun, to continue his education and obtain a masters of art at the University of Krakow.

Many people from the twentieth century would think their schooling is now over and its time to get a job, However Copernicus was not like many people, he then went to the University of Bologna to get a Law Degree. After two degree's and ten years of his life later he decided it wasn't enough so he studied medicine at the University of Padua. If that wasn't enough, he finally got a doctorate in cannon law at Ferrara.

After his education was finished (I guess with people who have a love for learning its never finished) he moved on to become the private physician to the bishop, his uncle. He had been living with his uncle since he was ten years old, after the passing of his father. This new position as private physician granted Copernicus spare time, he used his time to write his first synopsis on his heliocentric view of the universe. He then sent it to persons via letters. In 1509 he left the Bishops Court at Lidzmark and moves to Frombork.

Copernicus was assistant to Novara, who was responsible for issuing annual astrological reports for the city. He would forecast all the different social groups, but he spent special attention on the fates of the Italian princes and their enemies. This is where Copernicus learned a lot about astrology from observing Novara's observations and conclusions. Copernicus on recorded 27 observations during his life, (he probably made mode then that)

Most of them were concerning eclipses, alignments, and conjunctions of planets and stars. The first known observation was on March 9, 1497, at Bologna. He reported he saw the moon eclipse "the brightest star in the eye of the bull" (Alpha Tauri). His theories were based on fixed stars, and through reason and some observation he determined where the planets would be with mathematical deduction.

Finally when Rheticus (Copernicus' close friend) went to Germany to get Copernicus' final copy of his book published, there were problems. Due to the churches power at the time, the publisher (Osainder) strongly urged Copernicus