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    Home » Who was Nicolaus Copernicus? – Theory of Heliocentrism

    Who was Nicolaus Copernicus? – Theory of Heliocentrism

    November 19, 2017 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

    Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer born in February 1473 who realised that the Earth orbits the Sun. This idea was strongly opposed at the time as many people believed objects orbited around the a central Earth.

    The model proposed by Copernicus was called Heliocentrism.

    What is Heliocentrism?

    Heliocentrism ( helios means Sun ) is where the Sun is motionless at the centre with other planets rotating around it in circular paths. We now know that this is absolutely how things work and it seems very obvious but Copernicus didn’t have the tools we have today and so his ideas marked the beginning of modern astronomy.

    statue of Nicolaus Copernicus

    Facts about Nicolaus Copernicus

    • Copernicus was also a physician, scholar, economist, translator, mathematician and artist!
    • Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19th 1473.
    • His theory of Heliocentrism was proposed in his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium
    • The chemical element Copernicum (symbol Cn and atomic number 112 ) is named after Copernicus.
    • Nicolaus Copernicus was one of the great polymaths of his time. Polymath means someone who is good at lots of difference things. Aristotle, Archimedes and Leonardo Da Vinci were also great polymaths.

    We’ve got an easy activity to help children visualise how the Sun, Earth and Moon move around each other to demonstrate Nicolaus Copernicus’s theory.

    Heliocentrism Activity for Kids

    Materials

    Black cardboard

    Yellow, blue and grey paper or card

    Stapler

    Child with a cardboard hat with a picture of the sun for an activity learning about Copernicus and Heliocentrism.

    Instructions

    You’ll need three children to take part in the demonstration. One will be the Sun, one the Moon and one the Earth.

    Make three hats to represent the Sun, Earth and Moon using cardboard and a stapler or glue.

    Ask the Sun to stand in the centre and the Earth to walk around the Sun in a circle. The Moon should then walk around the Earth in a circle as the Earth circles the Sun.

    More Heliocentrism Ideas

    How many other planets can you add to your demonstration?

    Try thinking about how long it takes the Moon to orbit the Earth and how long for the Earth to orbit the Sun and ask the children to change their walking speed to reflect this.

    Create a moving model of the Sun and Earth to show how the Earth orbits around the Sun.

    Image of a cardboard model of the sun using a split pin with a cardboard connector and a small Earth to show how the Earth orbits the Sun.

    We’ve got lots more solar system activity ideas to share if you enjoyed this.

    If you want to discover more science activities based around the discoveries of famous scientists we have those too!

    Fun activity to teach kids about Nicolaus Copernicus and his theory of Heliocentrism #copernicus #heliocentrism

    Last Updated on June 23, 2022 by Emma Vanstone

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    Safety Notice

    Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

    These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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