Science biography

Astronomer and mathematician
1473-1543

For centuries, people incorrectly believed the Earth was the center of the universe.

Copernicus theorized otherwise, with the belief that the size and speed of a planet’s orbit depended on its distance from the centralized sun.

Rather than a breakthrough, however, Copernicus’ hypotheses were met with controversy as they deviated from the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church.

The church even outright banned his research collection, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, in 1616 long after the German scientist’s death.

Learn More About Nicolaus Copernicus

Physicist and astronomer
1564-1642

Galileo changed how we literally see the world by taking early telescopes and improving their design.

The Italian scientist made lenses capable of magnifying objects twenty-fold.

When Galileo used his tools to look toward