Biography
Nikolay Copernicus is an outstanding Polish astronomer of the Renaissance, Mathematics, theologian, Medic. The scientist denied the theory, according to the ancient Greeks, according to which the planets and the sun rotate around the Earth, created and substantiated a new, heliocentric theory of the world order.
Nikolay Copernicus was the fourth child in the family of German Barbara Watzenrod and Nikolai Copernicus, a merchant from Krakow. Before the limit of time, the boundaries of states and names were repeatedly changed, so the question of where the scientist was born in which country, it often occurs. It happened in the Prussian city of Torn on February 19, 1473. Today the town is called Thorun and is located on the territory of modern Poland.
Nicholas had two senior sisters, one later kneaded the nuns, and the other got married and left the city. Angey's older brother became the faithful companion and companion of Nicholas. Together they traveled the floor of Europe, studying in the best universities.
Copernists lived in prosperity and prosperity as long as the father of the family was alive. When Nicholas turned nine years old, an epidemic of plague broke out in Europe, tens of thousands of lives. He became a victim of terrible illness and Copernicus-senior, and in a few years, in 1489, the mother died. The family was left without livelihood, and children were orphans. Everything could have ended the deplorable, if it were not for uncle, Barbara's brother, Lukas Vatzenrod, the canonik of the local diocese.
Being educated at the time of the person, Luka had a master's degree of Master of Krakow Jagiellonian University and Doctor of Canonical Right of the University of Bologna, subsequently held the position of bishop. Luke took over the care of the children of the deceased sister and tried to give education to Nikolai and Angeu.
After graduating from Nicholas of the local school in 1491, the brothers in protection and at the expense of uncle went to Krakow, where they received training at the University of Yagellona at the Faculty of Arts. This event marked the beginning of a new stage of the biography of Copernicus, the first on the way to the future great discoveries in science and philosophy.
The science
At the end of Krakow University in 1496, the Coperniki brothers went on a trip to Italy. Funds for the trip initially planned from uncle, bishop of Emerch, however, there was no free money. Luka offered her nephews to become the canonons of his own diocese and to go to learn abroad for the resulting salary. In 1487, Angeya and Nikolai became absent to the position of canonikov with the issuance of a pity and the provision of three years of vacation for training.
The brothers entered the University of Bologna at the Faculty of Law, where the church canonical right was studied. In Bologna, the fate of Nikolay's fate with a teacher of astronomy, Domenico Maria Novara, and this meeting was decisive for young Copernicus.
Together with Novara in 1497, the future scientist conducted the first astronomical observation in the life. The result was the conclusion about the same distance to the moon in the square, under the new moon and full moon. This observation for the first time forced Copernicus to doubt the truth of the theory of Ptolemy, according to which all heavenly bodies rotate around the Earth.
In addition to the studio of work on the right, mathematics and exercise of astronomy in Bologna Nikolay studied the Greek language, he was fond of painting. The picture has reached this day, which is considered a copy of Copernicus autoportist.
Having studied in Bologna for three years, the brothers left the university and for a while returned to their homeland in Poland. In the city of Frauenburg, at the place of service, Copernists asked for a deferment and a few more years on continued learning. According to some reports, during this period, Nikolai lived in Rome and read lectures on mathematics to noble dignitaries from the highest society, and Pope Alexander VI Borgola helped to develop the laws of astronomy.
In 1502, the Copernists brothers arrived in Padu. In Paduan University, Nikolay acquired fundamental knowledge and practical experience in medicine, and at the University of Ferrara received the degree of Dr. Bologovia. As a result of such large-scale learning in 1506, Copernicus returned home comprehensively educated adult man.
By the time of returning to Poland, Nikolai was already 33 years old, and Brother Angehe - 42 years. At the time, this age was considered generally accepted to receive university diplomas and completion of education.
The further activities of Copernicus are connected with his position canonika. A brilliant scientist managed to make a clergy career, simultaneously engaged in scientific research. He was lucky that the works were finished only at the end of life, and books were published after death.
Copernicus happily escaped the persecution of the church for radical views and the doctrine of the heli-centered system, which was not able to his successors and followers, Jordan Brune and Galileo Galileo. After the death of Copernicus, the main ideas of the scientist, reflected in the work "On the rotations of the heavenly spheres", were unimpeded in Europe and the world. Only in 1616, this theory was declared heresy and prohibited by the Catholic Church.
Heliocentric system
Nikolai Copernicus one of the first challenged over the imperfection of the Ptolemoy system of the universe, according to which the sun and other planets rotate around the Earth. Using primitive astronomical instruments, partially homemade, the scientist managed to withdraw and substantiate the theory of heliocentric solar system.
At the same time, Copernicus, until the end of his life, believed that distant stars and shining, visible from the ground, were fixed on a special sphere surrounding our planet. This error was caused by the imperfection of technical equipment of that time, because in Europe the Renaissance did not even exist even the simplest telescope. Some details of the Copernicus theory, in which the opinions of ancient Greek astronomers adhered to, were subsequently eliminated and improved by Johann Kepler.
The main work of the scientist's life became the fruit of thirty-year-old work and was published in 1543 with the participation of his favorite student of Copernicus, Retikus. Astronomer himself had happiness to hold the book in his hands on the eve of death.
Labor dedicated to Pope Paul III was divided into six parts. In the first part, it was said about the softenness of the Earth and the whole of the universe, the second narrate on the basics of spherical astronomy and the rules for calculating the location of stars and planets on the heavenly arch. The third part of the book is devoted to the nature of the equinox, the fourth - the moon, the fifth - all the planets, the sixth - the reasons for changing the latitude.
Copernicus's teachings are a great contribution to the development of astronomy and the science of the universe.
Personal life
From 1506 to 1512, during the lifetime of uncle, Nikolai served the canonik in the fromlection, then became an adviser to the bishop, and after - the Chancellor of the Diocese. After the death of the bishop, Luke Nikolai moves to Franburg and becomes the canonik of the local cathedral, and the brother, sick of leprosy, leaves the country.
In 1516, Copernicus receives the position of Chancellor of the Varmy Diocese and for four years she moves to the city of Olsztyn. Here, the scientist found the war, which Prussia led with the Knights of the Teutonic Order. The clergy showed himself surprisingly by the competent military strategist, sowing to ensure proper defense and protection of the fortress, which survived under the onslaught of the Tutons.
In 1521, Copernicus returned to frombrok. He did medicine and heard a skillful healer. According to some reports, Nikolai Copernicus got rid of the ailments and facilitated the fate of many patients, for the most part, his fellow canonikov.
In 1528, on the slope of years, the astronomer fell in love for the first time. The chief of the scientist was the young girl Anna, the daughter of a cooper friend, a carver for metal Matz Shilling. Acquaintance occurred in the hometown of the scientist, Toruni. Since the Catholic priests were forbidden to marry and have connections with women, Copernicus settled Anna in himself as a far-relative and housekeeper.
However, soon the girl had to leave first from the homes of the scientist, and then leave the city at all, because the new bishop clearly made it clear to the subordinate, which is the situation of the church not welcoming.
Death
In 1542, the book of Copernicus "On the sides and corners of the triangles of both flat and spherical" was published in Wittenberg. The main work was published in Nuremberg a year later. The scientist was at death when students and friends brought the first printed copy of the book "On the rotation of heavenly spheres". The great astronomer and mathematician died at home, in fromborg, surrounded by the closest 24 May 1543.
The posthumous fame of Copernicus meets the merits and achievements of the scientist. Thanks to the portrait of the Astronomer's face, each schoolboy is known, monuments are in different cities and countries, and the University of Nikolai Copernicus is named in Poland in his honor.
Opening Copernicus
- the creation and substantiation of the theory of the heliocentric system of the world, which marked the beginning of the first scientific revolution;
- Development of a new coin system in Poland;
- Construction of a hydraulic machine that has been equipped with water all houses in the city;
- co-author of the economic law Copernicus-Sin
- Calculation of the real movement of the planets.