Nicolaus Copernicus Quotes About Earth

Quotes about: Earth

• Those who know that the consensus of many centuries has sanctioned the conception that the earth remains at rest in the middle of the heavens as its center, would, I reflected, regard it as an insane pronouncement if I made the opposite assertion that the earth moves.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Moving, Opposites, Heaven

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• The massive bulk of the earth does indeed shrink to insignificance in comparison with the size of the heavens.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Heaven, Doe, Earth

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• Among the authorities it is generally agreed that the Earth is at rest in the middle of the universe, and they regard it as inconceivable and even ridiculous to hold the opposite opinion. However, if we consider it more closely the question will be seen to be still unsettled, and so decidedly not to be despised. For every apparent change in respect of position is due to motion of the object observed, or of the observer, or indeed to an unequal change of both.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Science, Opposites, Earth

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1976). “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”, David & Charles Publishers

• In the first book I shall describe all the positions of the spheres, along with the motions which I attribute to the Earth, so that the book will contain as it were the general structure of the universe. In the remaining books I relate the motions of the remaining stars, and all the spheres, to the mobility of the Earth, so that it can be thence established how far the motions and appearances of the remaining stars and spheres can be saved, if they are referred to the motions of the Earth.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Stars, Book, Science

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1976). “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”, David & Charles Publishers

• Since, then, there is no objection to the mobility of the Earth, I think it must now be considered whether several motions are appropriate for it, so that it can be regarded as one of the wandering stars. For the fact that it is not the centre of all revolutions is made clear by the apparent irregular motion of the wandering stars, and their variable distances from the Earth, which cannot be understood in a circle having the same centre as the Earth.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Stars, Distance, Science

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1976). “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”, David & Charles Publishers

• The two revolutions, I mean the annual revolutions of the declination and of the centre of the Earth, are not completely equal; that is the return of the declination to its original value is slightly ahead of the period of the centre. Hence it necessarily follows that the equinoxes and solstices seem to anticipate their timing, not because the sphere of the fixed stars moves to the east, but rather the equatorial circle moves to the west, being at an angle to the plane of the ecliptic in proportion to the declination of the axis of the terrestrial globe.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Stars, Moving, Mean

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1976). “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”, David & Charles Publishers

• The earth together with its surrounding waters must in fact have such a shape as its shadow reveals, for it eclipses the moon with the arc of a perfect circle.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Moon, Circles, Perfect

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• Moreover, since the sun remains stationary, whatever appears as a motion of the sun is really due rather to the motion of the earth.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Earth, Sun, Remains

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• I can easily conceive, most Holy Father, that as soon as some people learn that in this book which I have written concerning the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, I ascribe certain motions to the Earth, they will cry out at once that I and my theory should be rejected.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Father, Book, People

  William Caxton, Jean Calvin, Nicolaus Copernicus, John Knox, Edmund Spenser (1938). “Prefaces and prologues to famous books”

• Accordingly, since nothing prevents the earth from moving, I suggest that we should now consider also whether several motions suit it, so that it can be regarded as one of the planets. For, it is not the center of all the revolutions.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Moving, Earth, Suits

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• I therefore took this opportunity and also began to consider the possibility that the Earth moved. Although it seemed an absurd opinion, nevertheless, because I knew that others before me had been granted the liberty of imagining whatever circles they wished to represent the phenomena of the stars, I thought that I likewise would readily be allowed to test whether, by assuming some motion of the Earth's, more dependable representations than theirs could be found for the revolutions of the heavenly spheres.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Stars, Science, Opportunity

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1976). “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”, David & Charles Publishers

• We are taught all this [the motion of the earth on its axis and around the sun] by the order of succession, in which those phenomena (various planetary happenings) follow each other, and by the harmony of the world, if we will only, as the saying goes, look at the matter with both eyes.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Eye, Axes, Order

  "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (Book 1)". Book by Nicolaus Copernicus, 1543.

• Hence I feel no shame in asserting that this whole region engirdled by the moon, and the center of the earth, traverse this grand circle amid the rest of the planets in an annual revolution around the sun. Near the sun is the center of the universe. Moreover, since the sun remains stationary, whatever appears as a motion of the sun is really due rather to the motion of the earth.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Moon, Circles, Earth

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “Nicholas Copernicus on the revolutions”

• In so many and such important ways, then, do the planets bear witness to the earth's mobility.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Important, Mobility, Earth

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• Therefore, having obtained the opportunity from these sources, I too began to consider the mobility of the earth.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Opportunity, Mobility, Earth

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “Nicholas Copernicus on the revolutions”

• We regard it as a certainty that the earth, enclosed between poles, is bounded by a spherical surface.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Earth, Surface, Certainty

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• Pouring forth its seas everywhere, then, the ocean envelops the earth and fills its deeper chasms.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Ocean, Sea, Pouring

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “On the revolutions”

• Therefore, in the course of the work I have followed this plan: I describe in the first book all the positions of the orbits together with the movements which I ascribe to the Earth, in order that this book might contain, as it were, the general scheme of the universe.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Book, Order, Together

  William Caxton, Jean Calvin, Nicolaus Copernicus, John Knox, Edmund Spenser (1938). “Prefaces and prologues to famous books”

• For when a ship is floating calmly along, the sailors see its motion mirrored in everything outside, while on the other hand they suppose that they are stationary, together with everything on board. In the same way, the motion of the earth can unquestionably produce the impression that the entire universe is rotating.

  Nicolaus Copernicus

  Hands, Together, Ships

  Nicolaus Copernicus (1978). “Nicholas Copernicus on the revolutions”

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