Astronomer · 1473 – 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
Proposed the heliocentric model of the cosmos in On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, displacing the Earth from the center of the universe and launching the Copernican Revolution that founded modern astronomy.
Scientific Breakthroughs
- Formulated the heliocentric model of the solar system.
- Reordered the known planets around the Sun.
Major Works
- De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres)
Impact Analysis
Copernicus triggered a revolution not just in astronomy but in humanity's sense of its place in the universe, opening the path for Galileo, Kepler and Newton and the whole of modern science.
Historical influence score: 93/100