NICHOLAS COPERNICUS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 109, 9 May 1923, Page 14

NICHOLAS COPERNICUS

POLAND PLANS MEMORIAL

TO DISCOVERER OF PLANETARY

MOTION

A REVOLUTION IN THOUGHT.

Monday, 19th February, 1923, marked the four hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Copernicus, whose studies revolutionised astronomy in the sixteenth century.

The four hundredth anniversary of liia birth was celebrated by the Poles in 1873, while they were still under foreign domination. Now, more free to express themselves, they are forming plans to erect an observatory, ''which is to commemorate for future generations our free and independent country's gratitude to Nicholas Copernicus." A grant of land has been obtained, says the "Christian Science Monitor," and recently, an appeal has been made for contributions, instruments, books, and astronomical periodicals to organise a fitting memorial. The cause indeed is a worthy one, but in any case the reputation of Copernicus is secure. Any memorial or commemorative words can neither enhance nor dim the lustre of his great achievement. .

Copernicus was born at Thorn, a Polish town located on the Vistula. Adopted later by a bishop uncle, he was placed at the University of Cracow, where he showed his bent by his studies in mathematics and astronomy. A bronze statue was erected in his honour in the beautiful courtyard of the ancient University Library. Going to Italy when he was 23, his interests were divided between canonical law and medicine. He acquired degrees in both, but meanwhile his love of the stars was sharply whetted by a close association with a practical astronomer. Here it was that he made his first recorded astronomical observation. It was of an occultation of Aldebaran by the moon, which happened on 9th March, 1497, a phenomenon such as was witnessed by many in the United States on 27th January of the present year. When he returned to his native land, lie welcomed an appointment as canon in the Cathedral of Frauensbiirg, where his ecclesiastical duties permitted ample time for his beloved astronomical studies. Thirty-six years of labour, he devoted to the crowning work of his life, culminating in his book, "Be Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium." Let us briefly survey astronomical beliefs as Copernicus found them. From ancient times the earth had been considered as the centra of the visible universe. This was the doctrine of Ptolemy. Although Ptolemy could imagine a spherical earth hung on nothing, it was an immovable earth. Who could doubt this when one could actually feel the stability of this terrestrial ball under his feet? To explain the diurnal motion of the stars as they rise and set they were supposed to be united to a great encircling sphere or shell, which turned once in 24 hours and carried all the stars with it. The sun and planets were carried by spheres of transparent crystal, which left the view of the stars unobstructed. To explain the seemingly erratic movement of the planetß, each planet, according to the Ptolemaic system, revolved around a centre, which in turn revolved around the earth, just as if the planet were placed at the end of a "crank-arm." The resulting path is called an epicycle. Although erroneous, this represented fairly well the motions in the sky, when crudely observed. Soon discrepancies were found, and other epicycles were added until the whole heavens were, in Milton's words, "With centric and eccentric scribbled o'er with cycle and epicycle, orb on orb."

So complicated became the system with these additions that, when it was explained to Alphonso X. of Spain, a patron of astronomy in the thirteenth century, he made the remark that if he had been present at the creation he would have advised something less complex. This was the great work of Copernicus to show the simplicity of the real planetary relations.

Although Pythagoras and others in ancient times hinted at the supremacy of the sun as the central body, yet no one brought forth the proof. There is great difference in speculating what might be, and is proving what must be. Copernicus furnished the proof. With great frankness he tells his story, how he became dissatisfied with the Ptolamaic system, and how the great variations in the light of the planet 'Mars seemed impossible under that hypothesis. As he writes, "I began to grow disgusted that no more consistent scheme of the movements of the mechanism of the universe, set up for our benefit by that best and most law-abiding Architect of all things, was agreed upon by philosophers who otherwise investigate so carefully the most minute details of this world. He sought the ancient philosophers and there found suggestion, as he quotes, that possibly the earth itself is the moving body. The tenor of the quotation is slightly uncertain, and it may have been used as a cover to his modesty, or his desire to avoid criticism.

At any rate, there must have come a moment when the thought flashed upon him that the oscillations of the planets corresponded to the year, and were only apparent effects due to the relativity of motion. The annual motion of the earth had been ascribed.!to the other,planets, just as it is difficult in a railway station to tell whether our train or the one on the adjoining track has started to move. What must have been his emotions at such a discovery! .What a picture for, a painter! Most young men would have rushed into print; not so Copernicus. He mulled over the proposition, putting all bits of evidence together, perfecting his tables of planetary motions, and weaving the threads of argument to convince any open-minded man. He could not help mentioning and discussing the matter with his friends. Finally, the insistence to publish became too great to resist. Copernicus could forsee the difficulties that publication might bring him. He was not aggressive. He did not love controversy. He was quite willing to let the matter simmer, feeling that in the end truth would prevail. At last the book was brought out, dedicated to the Pope, and the expense defrayed by a friendly cardinal. It all seems so plain now, when we have had the idea presented so long to our minds. Copernicus first had to consider whether it was more probable that all the stars whirled around the circle of the heavens in a day, or that our little earth, which seemed larger then, simply turned over on its axis. His arguments were cogent. The ancient objection that a rotating earth would cause the air to sweep in devastating violence, he answered in a homely way, proving that the earth carried the air with it, quite the same as a man does not lose his coat by walking down the street. We cannot go into further detail as to the arguments. Nor can we treat of the storm of disapproval which finally broke. He showed that the rotation of the earth on its axis caused night and day, as well aB the rising and setting of the stars; and proved that

the earth went around the sun instead of the sun going around the earth. His work removed the earth from its proud position as the centre of all, and reduced it to the ranks of the other planets. We must, in estimating the work of Copernicus, remember that it was before the day of telescopes. His vision into the future was great. When it was objected that if Mercury and Venus revolved around the sun according to his system, they would have phases like the moon, Copernicus replied, "God will cause instruments to be invented to improve the sight and then you will see them." This prophecy was fulfilled by Galileo, who with his newly-invented telescope first saw the phases of Venus in 1610.

The attitude of Copernicus was that the truth shall make you free. Give it time and the truth will prevail. The Copernican System has triumphed according to his faith. How can we describe the influence of this Polish monk on our civilisation? It haa taught man to centre less in himself, and to have a broader outlook on the universe. His work showed the simplicity of the true system of the planets over the artificial systems prior to his time. It led to the careful observations of Tycho Brahe, the patient deduction by Kepler of the laws governing the motion of the planets in their orbits; and to the law of universal gravitation which Newton showed to unite all into a harmonious whole.

The thought of founding an observatory in his honour in the land of his birth at this time is a happy one, and we sincerely hope it will attain fruition.