De revolutionibus orbium coelestium facts for kids
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium means On the revolutions of the heavenly spheres. It is a very important book by the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543).
The book was first printed in 1543 in Nuremberg, a city in what was then the Holy Roman Empire. It showed that the Earth goes around the Sun. Before this, most people believed the Sun and planets went around the Earth.
This new idea was very different from the old model by Ptolemy. Ptolemy's model, which put Earth at the center, had been accepted for a very long time.
Copernicus had developed his ideas many years earlier. However, he was worried about publishing them. He feared how the powerful Catholic Church might react to such a new idea. The book was finally published just before he passed away.
Contents
What is in Copernicus's Book?
De revolutionibus is divided into six main parts, often called "books." It also contains many tables and numbers that explain his ideas.
Dedication and Main Idea
Copernicus dedicated his book to Pope Paul III. In the introduction, he explained that mathematics was the best way to understand his new theory. He believed that math could prove his ideas about the universe.
Exploring the Universe: Book by Book
Each "book" or section of De revolutionibus covers different parts of Copernicus's theory:
- Book I: This part gives a general overview of the heliocentric theory. This is the idea that the Sun is at the center of our Solar System. It also explains his view of the universe.
- Book II: This section is more about the science behind his ideas. It describes how to understand the positions of stars and planets in the sky. It also includes a list of stars.
- Book III: This part focuses on the Sun. It explains how the Sun appears to move in the sky and other related events.
- Book IV: This section is similar to Book III but focuses on the Moon. It describes the Moon's movements around the Earth.
- Books V and VI: These last two books explain Copernicus's new system in detail. They show how to calculate where astronomical objects should be based on the Sun-centered model.
This book is often seen as the beginning of modern science. It changed how people thought about Earth's place in the universe.
Images for kids
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Latin: In medio uero omnium residet Sol. This means: But the Sun resides at the centre of everything. This quote is from the book page with the diagram.
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Title page of the 2nd edition, printed in Basel in 1566.
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Title page of the 3rd edition, printed in Amsterdam in 1617.
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See also
In Spanish: De revolutionibus orbium coelestium para niños
