Copernicus

Science

Nicolaus Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth orbits the Sun, directly challenging the Church-backed Ptolemaic system. His model triggers the Scien…

• 1543 CE

  Copernicus proposes heliocentric model

  Nicolaus Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth orbits the Sun, directly challenging the Church-backed Ptolemaic system. His model triggers the Scientific Revolution—a fundamental shift in how Europeans understand nature, authority, and the cosmos.