On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres - A Book That Influenced the Course of World History

Author: (Poland) Copernicus Ye Shihui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-06-01
Features: This is the work in which Copernicus expounds his heliocentric theory. Published in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1543. When the author submitted the manuscript, there was no title, and the publisher named it "Six Books on the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres," later shortened to "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres." The book is divided into six volumes. The first volume summarizes the key points of his heliocentric theory, the second volume applies trigonometry to explain the apparent motion of celestial bodies on the celestial sphere, the third volume discusses the apparent motion of the Sun and the precession of the equinoxes, the fourth volume elaborates on the motion of the Moon, and the fifth and sixth volumes discuss the motion of the planets. The book not only proposes a new cosmic model but also provides rigorous mathematical arguments and quantitative discussions of the motion of the Sun, Moon, and planets. The publication of this book revealed that Earth is just an ordinary planet orbiting the Sun, refuting the religious doctrine that "Earth was specially placed at the center of the universe by God" and shaking the theoretical pillars of the church's doctrine of divine creation. It played a significant role in advancing the liberation of natural science from theological constraints and the development of astronomy.