Copernicus: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #487

by Owen Gingerich

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) is a pivotal figure in the birth of modern science, the astronomer who "stopped the sun and set the earth in motion." Born in Poland, educated at Cracow and then in Italy, he served all of his adult life as a church administrator. His vision of a sun-centered universe, shocking to many and unbelievable to most, turned out to be the essential blueprint for a physical understanding of celestial motions, thereby triggering what is commonly called "the Copernican revolution." A first edition of his world-changing treatise, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium , has most recently been auctioned for more than $2 million.

In this book, leading historian of science Owen Gingerich sets Copernicus in the context of a rapidly changing world, where the recent invention of printing with moveable type not only made sources more readily available to him, but also fueled Martin's Luther's transformation of the religious landscape. In an era of geographical exploration and discovery, new ideas were replacing time-honored concepts about the extent of inhabited continents. Gingerich reveals Copernicus' heliocentric revolution as an aesthetic achievement not dictated by observational "proofs," but another new way of looking at the ancient cosmos.

Deftly combining astronomy and history, this Very Short Introduction offers a fascinating portray of the man who launched the modern vision of the universe. Out of Gingerich's engaging biography emerges the image of a scientist, intellectual, patriot, and reformer, who lived in an era when political as well as religious beliefs were shifting.

Genres: Science, History, Biography, Nonfiction, History Of Science, Astronomy

120 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2016

About the author

Professor Owen Gingerich was a US astronomer. He served at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and as Professor of Astronomy and History of Science at Harvard University. He held memberships with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the International Academy of the History of Science. Gingerich published over 500 technical or educational articles and reviews, along with writing more popularly on astronomy and the history of astronomy in books, encyclopedias, and journals.

Gingerich taught at Harvard University until his retirement in 2000. He continues to be a widely recognized authority on the Renaisannce astronomers Johannes Kepler and Nicolaus Copernicus, and on the French astronomer Charles Messier.

Asteroid 2658: Gingerich, discovered on February 13, 1980, at the Harvard College Observatory, was named in his honor.

Reviews

[Roy Lotz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as a companion to Copernicus’s De revolutionibus, hoping for some guidance in my bewilderment. It was a good choice. Gingerich, a physicist by training, has been researching Copernicus for decades, and he packs a lot into this very short book—Copernicus's life and times, his intellectual development, and the the story of how he finally published his magnum opus. He even includes two appendices on more technical aspects of Copernicus’s system: the first on how Copernicus replaced Ptolemy’s equant, and the second on how to use De revolutionibus to calculate planet locations.

The biggest chapter, however, is on the posthumous history of Copernicus’s book. (Copernicus died almost as soon as it was published.) Gingerich is something of an expert in this, since he spent much of his working life traveling all over the world, tracking down individual copies of the first edition. While this space could arguably have been dedicated to Copernicus himself, it was quite interesting to read about.

As is the nature with this series, anyone looking for any depth will come away disappointed. The coverage is, of necessity, sketchy and spotty. But given the severe space constraints, I think that Gingerich did an admirable job.

[Tarek Zaher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully small read, but filled with a densely dramatic and important story. Owen Gingerich does a good job of explaining how what is today so obvious to us was once opposed by all developed methods of reason and scholarship. Namely that the earth and planets revolve around the sun. The man who took it upon himself to question the long-established tradition that the earth was the center of the universe was the careful yet revolutionary man Nicolaus Copernicus. His life, described in detailed yet succinct prose by Gingerich, stands as a noble example of someone willing to question the status quo for the sake of bettering the world and for truth itself. For this reason his example should be learned by everyone, regardless of their interest in astronomy, and Gingerich has done a commendable job in making this text as easy as possible for the common man or scholar alike to get through in as little as one afternoon.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfactorily short historical look at Copernicus and the creation of his astrological magnum opus. It was long on math, short on familial details.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too much physics but a fun way to learn a few facts

[Hel Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It did what it said on the tin-A short and thorough introduction to the man and his work.

[Shane Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, if a little short and sparse.

[Steven Peck · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit scattered and meandering.