jan 1, 1543 - Copernicus, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres

Description:

This piece was hesitantly published by Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543 for expected controversy and scorn. The theory of a heliocentric universe was such a new and unexplored topic and many church officials felt it took away from what God planned/made (the Earth being the center of the universe). Expansion as far as knowledge goes was limited especially in the sense of space and the universe. As Copernicus came out with this, there was very little proof that the Earth even moved which his theory stated that the Earth orbited around the sun and was widely disputed. The greatest advantage offered by Copernicus which sparked future discoveries was a vision that the universe operated as an integrated system, where all of the planets orbit together in a complex way.