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European astronomers:
Realized Earth Is Not The Center

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Portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus from Jan Matejko's painting at the end of the 19th century - Courtesy of Nicholaus Copernicus Museum in Frombork
Nicolaus Copernicus
click to enlarge Jan Matejko painting
Nicholaus Copernicus Museum Frombork
Astronomy is known as the oldest of all natural sciences because mankind from the earliest times has been fascinated by the rising and setting of the Sun, phases of the Moon, and movements of the Sun and planets.

In fact, our concept of time as a passing phenomenon was derived from those celestial phenomena.

The ancient Babylonians practiced astronomy. The ancient Greeks and then the Arabs developed it. Eventually it came to Europe.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, European scientist realized that the Sun, not the Earth, was at the center of the Universe. Subsequently, at the beginning of the 20th century, they discovered the Sun also was not at the center of the Universe. They realized that the Sun is an ordinary star among billions.

Famous European names in the history of astronomy include:

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