"Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) was a Polish astronomer, mathematician and economist who developed the heliocentric theory of the solar system. His theory about the Sun as the center of the solar system, turning over the traditional geocentric theory (that placed Earth at the center of the Universe), is considered one of the most important discoveries ever, and is the fundamental starting point of modern astronomy." -- quoted source: Ricardo Abdelnoor, TrekEarth.com