Moving Heaven and Earth (Icon Science) by John Henry

Author:John Henry
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781785782701
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd

• CHAPTER 4 •

WHAT WAS THE REACTION?

Small beginnings

The publication of Copernicus’s On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres did not make much of a splash, although it did send out ripples that were eventually to have a major effect, directly or indirectly, on the whole of Western culture.

There were two main reasons for the book’s initial lack of impact. The first was Osiander’s preface, which told readers not to take seriously the suggestion that the Earth is moving. The second was the pretty obvious fact that it was a book that very few people could read. The first ten chapters are fairly easy going, provided you can believe what you are reading (which, of course, would have been difficult for people at the time). It’s here that Copernicus provides an outline description of his system – stationary Sun at the centre, moving Earth, the works. After that, you need to be pretty hot on Ptolemaic astronomy and the sort of person who is undaunted by a bit – no, a lot – of advanced spherical geometry. In short, you need to be an astronomer.

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