Nikolaus Copernicus - Astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system

In this episode, we explore the transformative work of Nikolaus Copernicus, the 16th-century Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model, placing the Sun—not the Earth—at the center of the solar system. Challenging over a thousand years of accepted geocentric thought, Copernicus offered a simpler explanation for planetary motion, including retrograde movement. His groundbreaking book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, published in 1543, laid the foundation for the Scientific Revolution. Though controversial at the time, his ideas were later validated by astronomers like Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. Copernicus's work radically shifted humanity's view of its place in the universe and remains a cornerstone of modern science.