High School

True or False: Nicholas Copernicus defied the prevailing wisdom by affirming the heliocentric model of the solar system.

Answer :

Final answer:

Nicholas Copernicus indeed defied the common belief of his time by proposing the heliocentric model, placing the sun at the center of the solar system rather than Earth. This theory faced significant backlash from the Church but was later accepted and confirmed by following scientists and astronomers.

Explanation:

True, Nicholas Copernicus did defy the prevailing wisdom by affirming the heliocentric model of the solar system. In the period of Copernicus, most people, including the Catholic Church, upheld the geocentric model that was advocated by Aristotle and Ptolemy. This belief system placed Earth at the center of the universe and held that pure human thought combined with divine revelation represented the true path to truth.

It was a bold move when Copernicus proposed a different model, placing the sun at the center of the solar system, with all the planets, including Earth, in orbits around it. This was a major deviation from the accepted belief and despite backlash and resistance, particularly from the Church, his work laid the groundwork for scientists like Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei to further explore and prove the heliocentric model.

Even though his theory was dismissed as "false and absurd" by the Church in Copernicus's time, it was ultimately accepted due to the solid mathematical evidence provided by following astronomers and scientists, confirming Copernicus's courage and foresight in opposing the widespread notions of his time.

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