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Stargazing: Copernicus' Heavenly Spheres

Episode 1 of 5

Dava Sobel uncovers the brilliance of 16th century Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who revealed the Sun, not the Earth, was the centre of the Universe. Episode one of five.

Dava Sobel uncovers the brilliance of her hero, the 16th century Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who revealed the true model of the universe by putting the Sun, rather than the Earth, at its hub. Episode one of five.

In the Cathedral town of Frombork on the Baltic Sea in Northern Poland, we hear how he served his entire career in the church and how he kept his astronomical findings a secret, fearful of being denounced by the Catholic Church. On his deathbed, he published his life鈥檚 work, "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres".

(Photo: Monument of great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, Torun, Poland. Credit: Getty Images)

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 4 Mar 2018 09:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Wed 23 Aug 2017 02:32GMT
  • Wed 23 Aug 2017 03:32GMT
  • Wed 23 Aug 2017 04:32GMT
  • Wed 23 Aug 2017 06:32GMT
  • Wed 23 Aug 2017 12:32GMT
  • Wed 23 Aug 2017 21:06GMT
  • Sun 27 Aug 2017 08:06GMT
  • Wed 28 Feb 2018 00:32GMT
  • Wed 28 Feb 2018 03:32GMT
  • Wed 28 Feb 2018 04:32GMT
  • Wed 28 Feb 2018 05:32GMT
  • Wed 28 Feb 2018 13:32GMT
  • Wed 28 Feb 2018 20:06GMT
  • Wed 28 Feb 2018 21:06GMT
  • Sun 4 Mar 2018 09:06GMT

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