Born in 1473 in Poland, Nicolaus Copernicus lost his parents at an early age and was reared by his uncle. His uncle’s position within the Church helped Copernicus into the Church, which allowed him to study astronomy in great detail. In 1491, he attended Krakow University, where he studied astronomy for four years, then moves into law and medicine at the universities in Bologna and Padua. While in Bologna, he attended a seminar given by Domenico Maria Novara da Ferrara, and with da Ferrara, he made his first astronomical observations in 1497, which produced his first epochal book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium.
In 1500, after being elected the title and position of canon and while in Rome, Copernicus views his first lunar eclipse. The following year he went to Padua to continue his medical studies and received his doctorate in canon law in 1503. After receiving his doctorate, Copernicus began to gather information that would help solidify his growing heliocentric theory. Eventually he was given a position at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross in Breslau. IN 1514, he composed the Little Commentary, in which he explains his heliocentric theory. Nineteen years later, Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter gave a lecture outlining Copernicus’ theory, which grabbed the attention of Pope Clement I. Three years later, he was urged to publish his heliocentric theory, but held off until 1539. Three years later, his treatise on trigonometry was published.
Not only was Copernicus known for his scientific endeavors, but in 1523, he composed a study of coins, the value of money and the quantity theory of money. He served as a tax collector during this time.
