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Nicolaus Copernicus Facts & Worksheets

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who put forth the theory that the Sun is at rest near the center of the Universe, and that the Earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves annually around the Sun.

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Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who put forth the theory that the Sun is at rest near the center of the Universe, and that the Earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves annually around the Sun. This is called the heliocentric, or Sun-centered system.

See the fact file below for more information on the Nicolaus Copernicus or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Nicolaus Copernicus worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BIOGRAPHY

  • Nicolaus Copernicus was born in the city of Torun, in the Prince-Bishopric of Warmia, northern Poland on February 19, 1473. He died on May 24, 1543 at the age of 70 at Frombork, Poland.
  • Nicolaus was born into a wealthy family. He was named after his father, Mikolaj Kopernik, who was a prosperous copper trader. His mother, Barbara Watzenrode, also came from a wealthy, upper-class family of merchants. Nicolaus was the youngest of their four children.
    When Nicolaus was 10 years old, his father died. Nicolaus’ nobleman uncle, Lucas Watzenrode, became his guardian.

EDUCATION

  • Copernicus studied mathematics and astronomy at the University of Krakow.
  • Through his uncle’s influence. Copernicus was appointed a canon (church official) of the Catholic Church. He used the income from the position to help pay for additional studies.
  • Copernicus studied law and medicine at the universities of Bologna, Padua, and Ferrara in Italy.
  • While he was studying at the University of Bologna, his interest in astronomy was stimulated.

THEORY

  • The heliocentric model is Copernicus’ theory that places the SUN as the center of the universe, and the planets orbits around it. It can be summarized into five main points:
    • The earth revolves around the sun along with the other planets, instead of the sun revolving around the earth.
    • The moon is the only celestial object that revolves around the earth.
    • The earth completes one full rotation on its axis every day, giving us daytime and nighttime.
    • Other planets’ revolutions around the sun take significantly longer than the earth.
    • The universe is actually overwhelmingly larger than it was originally believed to be. Sometime between 1507 and 1515, he first circulated the principles of his heliocentric or Sun-centered astronomy.
  • Copernicus’ observations of the heavens were made with the naked eye.

BOOKS

  • These are the books that was originally written by Nicolaus Copernicus:
    • De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) published in 1543
    • Three Copernican Treatises published in 1939
    • Commentariolus 1543
    • The Gradual Acceptance of the Copernican Theory of the Universe published in 1939.
  • It was in De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) Copernicus first suggested the SUN, not the EARTH, is the center of the universe. Up until now, it is the most influential scientific work of all time. It made this book the best seller among the books of Nicolaus Copernicus.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • The major accomplishments of Nicolaus Copernicus were as follow:
    • He was the leading physician in Warmia. He organized the Polish defence during the siege of Allenstein.
    • He was the chancellor of the Frombork Cathedral Chapter. Copernicus served as an administrator in Allenstein.
    • He independently arrived at the Gresham’s theory of money.
    • Copernicus is considered the founder of modern astronomy. His work established the Heliocentric model. The Heliocentric model of Copernicus laid the foundation of the scientific revolution.
    • He achieved expertise in a wide variety of fields.

LEGACY

  • Copernicus reached a great milestone when it comes to legacy. He began the Scientific Revolution with his important and famous Heliocentric System which changed the way the world was viewed. It took a long time before everyone accepted his theory.
  • Some of the major scientists that followed Copernicus’ footsteps and proved him right were Tyson Brahe, Johannes Kepler, Rene Descartes, Isaac Newton, and Francis Bacon. Galileo Galileo was able to confirm Copernicus was right about his theory using his telescope.

Nicolaus Copernicus Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Nicolaus Copernicus across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Nicolaus Copernicus worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Nicolaus Copernicus who was a Polish astronomer who put forth the theory that the Sun is at rest near the center of the Universe, and that the Earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves annually around the Sun. This is called the heliocentric, or Sun-centered system.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Nicolaus Copernicus Facts 
  • Word Hunt
  • Bookworm
  • The Heliocentric
  • Pedagogy
  • Good or Trash
  • The Achievements
  • Copernicus’ Theory
  • Fave Scientist 
  • Significant Terms
  • Collage Making

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