De revolutionibus orbium coelestium

De revolutionibus orbium Coelestium ( German About the swings of the celestial circles) is the main work of Nicolaus Copernicus, which was printed in 1543 in Nuremberg for the first time. He described it as a mathematical- philosophical model, move according to the planets, including the earth around the sun and the earth rotates on its own axis. The work is one of the milestones of Astronomy of the modern era. It is a key work of the Copernican Revolution and was used by Thomas S. Kuhn as a prime example of a scientific revolution.

  • 4.1 Modern German editions
  • 4.2 On the Reception

Genesis

Copernicus had made his ideas as early as 1509 with the Commentariolus a small circle of specialists available. He wrote that the mathematical details would need to be worked out.

To Pope Leo X in 1512 presented the possible reform of the calendar for discussion. Since the average length of a year had not corresponded precisely with that of a solar year in the Julian calendar, the date of the winter solstice was deferred for ten days in the course of the centuries. The woman Burger canon Nicolaus Copernicus expressed in this regard that the first astronomical theory must be corrected before we can turn to the question of calendar reform.

The manuscript of De revolutionibus Copernicus held back for long. It is believed that he was afraid either to make themselves ridiculous with such a preposterous theory, or that he was of the opinion that it is not opportune to reveal such secrets. Johannes Schoner and John Petreius commissioned Georg Joachim Rheticus in 1538, who was on an internship in Nuremberg, Copernicus seek in women Castle and persuade him to let print his work. Rheticus stayed from 1539 to 1541 at Copernicus. 1540 he was in the Narratio Prima the ideas of Copernicus known in advance. Finally, he managed to persuade Copernicus to the pressure and thus the publication of De revolutionibus.

The manuscript added Andreas Osiander, a Lutheran clergyman, for printing on its own motion an anonymous preface added, after which the heliocentric world view must be neither true nor plausible, but only have the benefit to simplify astronomical calculations. Johannes Kepler exposed Osiander's " fake " the basis of notes in the copy of the Nuremberg astronomer Jerome Schreiber. After this had died in 1547 in Paris, the book about Michael Maestlin had come to Kepler.

The first two issues had a circulation of 400 to 500 copies, of which about 258 and 290 are still preserved.

After the first edition in 1543 in Nuremberg by John Petreius a few modified second edition 1566 in Basel by Sebastian Henric Petri, a relative Petreius ' printed. A first German translation made ​​Nicolaus Reimers ( Raimarus Ursus ) 1587 in Kassel for the instrument maker Jost Bürgi, which is obtained as a so-called Graz manuscript. Also Brahe and Kepler knew this. 1617 was published in Amsterdam by Nicolaus Mulerius a third edition.

Content

Copernicus wrote De revolutionibus orbium Coelestium expressly not for a general circle of scholars, but only for mathematicians and astronomers. A quote from his book is " Astronomy is written for astronomers ," and on the title page is in Greek the alleged motto of the Platonic Academy Ἀγεωμέτρητος μηδεὶς εἰσίτω ( Ageōmétrētos mēdeìs eisítō ), that is: ". Without knowledge of the geometry not to occur "

At that time it was thought that the planets and the sun were on spherical shells, which revolved around the Earth. Copernicus found that the assumption that the planets, including the earth are on spherical shells that rotate around the sun, a simpler understanding of the observed planetary positions allowed.

This model allows a direct understanding of retrograde planetary motion and the fact that never further away than Mercury and Venus up to an angular distance of 28 ° or 48 ° from the sun. It requires the assumption that the earth is a sphere which rotates once on its axis a day.

The Pope Paul III. work devoted consists of six parts. In its English translation, it comprises 330 pages of text, 100 table pages and over 20,000 tabulated values ​​.

In the first part, he outlines the heliocentric world view in general terms and modifies the Aristotelian natural philosophy at the points where it is contrary to this.

According to Copernicus, the universe consists of eight concentric spherical shells ( "spheres" ), which focuses the sun is motionless. The outermost shell is also motionless and contains the fixed stars. The planetary spheres are arranged around the sun in the order Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The moon orbits the earth and the apparent motion of the heavenly bodies around the earth arises in reality by a rotation of the earth around its own axis.

The fact that objects fall toward the earth, Copernicus led back to the fact that naturally combine to form bodies of matter.

That was no known stellar parallax, Copernicus explained with the fact that the fixed stars themselves were in a least twenty times greater distance from the Earth than it had previously thought. What Copernicus could not explain was the fact that falling bodies are obviously not left behind by the rotating and moving Earth.

In the remaining five parts Copernicus formulated the mathematical calculation methods, which result from the adoption of heliocentrism. The deviations of the observed planetary orbits considered by the orbits of Copernicus by auxiliary circuits and eccentricities as Ptolemy in his Almagest. So the sun is not exactly in the center of the circles, but slightly offset, according to Copernicus. Overall, the volumes to be two to six dargelegter formalism so complex that a simplification over Ptolemy can not be spoken.

The second part represents a fundamental section that describes the principles of spherical astronomy and contains a star list. The third part deals with the apparent movements of the sun, the fourth with those of the moon. The last two parts finally treat the planetary motions.

The work is steeped in medieval tradition of magic and mysticism. The following quote is often given:

"In the midst of all but the sun has its headquarters Because who wants to put them in this magnificent temple as a light on a different or even better place than the place from where it can illuminate the whole at the same time? To name a few but they all fit the light of the world, the other world spirit, others their handlebars, Trismegistus calls the visible God, Sophocles ' Electra the all seeing. Thus the sun as it draws sitting on a royal throne, in fact they orbiting family of the stars. [ ... ] Meanwhile, the earth receives from the sun and is blessed with annual fruit. "

Reception

Contemporary reception

It is believed that Copernicus afraid of being ridiculed for his theory and to lose reputation, and that he therefore waited with the publication so long. It makes this assumption, among others, the following quote that:

"If there will be empty babblers who, although they are all ignorant of mathematics, nevertheless presume an opinion on this, should dare because of some of its purpose evil twisted passage of Scripture, this to blame my project and denigrate, I 'm not into them, but will rather despise their judgment as shameful. It's not unknown that Lactantius, in other respects, a famous writer, but not sonderlicher mathematician, downright childish talks about the shape of the earth, when he mocked those who have taught that the earth possessed a spherical shape. Therefore it does not surprise educated, if such people will make fun about us. Mathematics is written for mathematicians ... "

With the actual historical impact, Owen Gingerich has received substantial attention.

In scholarly circles, the book was received with interest and the new way found numerous followers. Erasmus Reinhold used the calculation method specified by Copernicus to create the Prutenischen panels, which for the recognition of Copernicus contributed much as an astronomer, as they were often little more closely than the outdated Alfonsine Tables. For contemporaries, the showed particular ephemeris computed from these boards and that were important for astrological predictions. They were was important both in the Gregorian calendar reform in 1582, led the effort to Christoph Clavius ​​and the specially Copernicus ' determination of the length of the year, as used by sailors. Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler developed the Copernican world view on. Since Kepler's discoveries De revolutionibus was overtaken as the basis for new astronomical research.

Theologians rejected the new world view, as it stands in some places in contradiction to the Bible. In this context, an after-dinner speech by Martin Luther is often quoted, the Copernicus for a smooth translation called the " fool " who assert an absurd idea of ​​the movement of the earth, of the scripture Joshua 10, 12-13 would conflict.

Luther interested but hardly for Copernicus and his views, unlike his fellow Philipp Melanchthon, who was interested in astronomy because of its importance for astrology. At the first note of the Copernican theory he wished any action by the authorities against these " spirits of the licentiousness " weakened his criticism but from later. He maintained, for example, continue good relations with his pupil Rheticus and Reinhold Erasmus Prutenische boards originated in Wittenberg, where Reinhold was a professor. Because of the rejection of the interpretation, but not the mathematical work of Copernicus, in the Wittenberg Protestant circles of science historian Robert Westman also spoke of a " Wittenberg instrumentalist interpretation " of the Copernican doctrine. The Protestant pastor Osiander, a confidant of Melanchthon, who oversaw the printing of the book in Nuremberg, therefore also saw caused in this sense, an anonymous, however, clearly insert as not to arise recognizable by the author foreword. Copernicus ' confidant Tiedemann Giese 1543 complained in letters to Petreius and Rheticus about this crime which must be punished. Even Kepler was known the true author; later, however, this was forgotten and astronomers from the 17th century saw this as a sign of timidity of Copernicus, who to his main work in the passage quoted above, however, on the contrary asked in its actual introduction from Pope Protection against annoying, scientifically uneducated critics.

On the part of the Catholic Church represented the Dominican friar Giovanni Maria Tolosani ( 1470/1-1549 ) considered Copernicus ' views are contrary to the Bible and are therefore heretical. The Spanish Augustinian Diego de Zuñiga (1536-1598? ) Put 1584 in his commentary Job In Job Commentaria is that certain passages would result in a sense only on the assumption of a moving earth. In 1597 appeared font Philosophia Prima Pars, he was then, however, convinced of the impossibility of moving earth. However, the official church was initially not active.

It was not until Galileo Galilei advocated the heliocentric world view, the Inquisition employed under the direction of Robert Bellarmine with the work. This considered it dangerous to make the human mind about the divine power and the text of the Bible, as long as it is not proved that the Bible 'm wrong. However, it was a letter published in 1615 the Carmelite theologian Paolo Antonio Foscarini ( 1565-1616 ) in which this worldview Copernicus tried to agree with the views of the Church, which meant that De revolutionibus orbium Coelestium in a decree dated March 5, 1616 was suspended from the Congregation of the Index. In 1620, the Congregation of the Index demanded twelve corrections to the work, in the sense that the hypothesis character of the theory was emphasized. If these corrections were made, the use of the work but was still allowed. This commandment had an impact, especially in Italy, libraries north of the Alps had their copies mostly unchanged. Many astronomers Italy - inter alia Clavius ​​and Riccioli - favored the newer Tychonische world model in which the planets orbited the sun moves around the earth.

Modern reception

On September 11, 1822 the Congregation for the Doctrine decided " that the printing and publication of works which act on the motion of the earth, and resting the sun by the common opinion of modern astronomers, is permitted in Rome." Pope Pius VII ratified a fortnight later that decision. From the list of banned books De revolutionibus orbium Coelestium only disappeared with the new edition of the list in 1835.

In the 19th century the historical interest rose in his work. Appeared in 1854 in Warsaw (then in Congress Poland), edited at government expense deluxe edition with parallel Polish translation of his principal work, some letters and other works, as well as the real preface of Copernicus, which was taken from the manuscript. The preparatory work of the Polish translation, the name Mikołaj Kopernik was born. In a review of this letter will be translated into German and praised the work as a whole, but is criticized, the author of the preface wanted to " Copernicus completely vindicate the poles " ( avail ). Also the Torinensis in the title of the original edition has been changed to Torunensis, according to the modern Polish name of the city Thorn. The local Copernicus Club chose Thorunensis in the title of the published for the 400th anniversary in 1873 edited Latin edition, in the original manuscript was considered for the first time. A German translation of Menzzer was submitted in 1879.

Rheticus had had as a basis for the print only one copy available. The original manuscript was inherited by Tiedemann Giese Copernicus. From this it got to Rheticus. Valentin Otho brought it to Heidelberg, where it signed Jakob Christmann, and Comenius acquired it in 1614. After the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War it was in the library of the Earl of Nostic Rieneck in Prague. In the 19th century it was evaluated, in particular the original preface was extracted. After the nationalization of the library it came from 1945 to 1956, first in the State Museum Library, after settlement Czech- Polish differences over suitable Czechoslovakia in 1956 the manuscript of the Polish state, which has since kept it in the Jagiellonian Library in Krakow, where Copernicus once at the had studied Cracow Academy.

In 1999, the original manuscript was included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage list.

A copy of the first edition of the book was auctioned in 2008 at Christie's in New York for 2.2 million U.S. dollars. It is thus considered one of the most expensive and valuable books.

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