Video of my statement

Post Trial Thoughts

 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rightfully so, Galileo was aquitted of all charges. I was unable to defend galileo to my fullest extent due to time constraints, so I am contemplating a youtube video just for kicks. It will be up tomarrow for sure.

The Trial

  I am Nicolaus Copernicus. I am a Polish Mathematician ,astronomer, physician, scholar, translator, artist, Catholic cleric, jurist, governor, military leader, diplomat and economist. Even though astronomy is not my largest priority, I was disturbed by the failure of Ptolemy's geocentric model of the universe to follow Aristotle's requirement for the uniform circular motion of all celestial bodies. This is why i decided to form a heliocentric model, meaning that the sun, in fact, is the center of the universe. Galileo is also an advocate of the heliocentric model of the universe. Being the perfectionist that I am, I offer him my praise that he defends Copernican ideals in this court today! I only came to my conclusions through mathematical calculation. With technological advances such as that amazing device called the telescope, he was able to in fact observe that this was indeed true. I know that I am right, and I know that Galileo is right as well. Although I am Catholic, the pursuit of understanding and knowledge is far more important. His and my proposal of the heliocentric model do not challenge how the universe was created because I do believe that God is the supreme creator. He is only offering an alternate theory that explains how the lord's universe is constructed and operated.  This is why Galileo should not be harassed by the Catholic church. Galileo is not guilty of hearsay!

On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres

I praise Galileo on his bravery to publish his work. I published this book with the help of my pupil Georg Joachim Rheticus in 1543  the same year of my death, in fear of persecution like Galileo. I refused to publish earlier because of fear  of contempt and persecution from the catholic church. Also, I was a perfectionist. I always thought that my observations were always in need of  verification. Upon publication, protestants attacked my theories, claiming that a heliocentric universe was unbiblicial. When Rheticus took control of the publication, My revolutions fell into the hands of Andreas Osiander, a Lutheran theologian. He made many alterations without my knowledge. This man edited my work and lied to me even when I was on my death bed.  They were unable to accept that they were not the masters of nature, but just part of a natural order. Accepting a heliocentric universe was a great demand made towards society.

The Equant

While I do not wish to do away with Ptolemy's equant, It does bother me that it violates the idea of uniform circular motion. It appeared like this to Ptolemy because he was observing from earth


From My Commentariolus
"Yet the widespread [planetary theories], advanced by Ptolemy and most other [astronomers], although consistent with the numerical [data], seemed likewise to present no small difficulty. For these theories were not adequate unless they also conceived certain equalizing circles, which made the planet appear to move at all times with uniform velocity neither on its deferent sphere nor about its own [epicycle's] center…Therefore, having become aware of these [defects], I often considered whether there could perhaps be found a more reasonable arrangement of circles, from which every apparent irregularity would be derived while everything in itself would move uniformly, as is required by the rule of perfect motion."

A quote on Catholicism from my letter to the pope

"For I am not so enamored of my own opinions that I disregard what others may think of them. I am aware that a philosopher’s ideas are not subject to the judgment of ordinary persons, because it is his endeavor to seek the truth in all things, to the extent permitted to human reason by God. Yet I hold that completely erroneous views should be shunned. Those who know that the consensus of many centuries has sanctioned the conception that the earth remains at rest in the middle of the heaven as its center would, I reflected, regard it as an insane pronouncement if I made the opposite assertion that the earth moves."

–Nicholas Copernicus, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, dedicatory letter to Pope Paul III (1543)

Neither my system nor the system of Galileo's is in violation of the bible. Funny thing is, my system was brought to Pope Clement VII and he approved of it and actually urged me to publish it. I was a Canon in the Catholic church and I often referred to God in my works. My work never violated anything stated in the bible. If Galileo built off my work, surely he did not violate the bible.