Space and Astronomy Atlas

How The Universe Works
Concepts

Heliocentrism

hee-lee-oh-SEN-triz-uhm
Also Known As Heliocentric model

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The model of the solar system in which the Sun, rather than the Earth, occupies the center, with the planets orbiting it. Formally proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543 and later confirmed by observational and theoretical work, it replaced the ancient geocentric model that had prevailed for over a thousand years.

Facts
Concept Domain
Cosmology and the history of astronomy 1
Formulated Year
1543 1
Proposed By
First proposed by Aristarchus of Samos around 270 BCE; revived and mathematically formalized by Nicolaus Copernicus in his 1543 work De Revolutionibus. 2
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationHeliocentrism, lead section
Quote, Heliocentrism, lead section
Heliocentrism (also known as the heliocentric model) is a superseded astronomical model that placed the Sun at the center of the universe.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationHeliocentrism, Classical antiquity section
Quote, Heliocentrism, Classical antiquity section
The first person known to have proposed a heliocentric system was Aristarchus of Samos (c. 270 BCE).
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Orbital Mechanics
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Orbital Eccentricity

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