In existographies, Georg Rheticus (1514-1574) was German mathematician and astronomer noted for his desire to go meet the famed Nicolaus Copernicus, thereafter becoming the latter’s sole pupil, and whose 1540 First Report was the first published synopsis introduction to Copernicus' heliocentric theory..
First Report
In 1539, Rheticus travelled to meet the reclusive Nicolaus Copernicus; whom he eventually would stay with and study under for two years.
In 1540, Rheticus, in his First Report, a student’s review of Copernicus’ heliocentric model, about a quarter of the way into the booklet, reported the following two big picture of things bombshells:
“These phenomena of observed planetary motion – of annual direct, stationary, retrograde, near to and from the earth, etc. – can be explained, as my teacher shows, by a regular motion of the spherical earth (see: flat earth); that is, by having the sun occupy the center of the universe, while the earth revolves, instead of the sun, on the eccentric [about the sun], which it has pleased him to name the ‘great circle’. Secondly, the earth, like a ball on a lathe, rotates from west to east, as god’s will ordains; and that by this motion, the terrestrial globe produces day and night.”
In mid Feb, Rheticus sent a preliminary batch of pages of the First Report to Philipp Melanchthon, to inform the university rector about his activities, and to Andreas Osiander (Ѻ), the publisher.
Quotes | On
The following are related Rheticus quotes:
“[Some think it] a distinguished achievement to construct such a crazy thing as that Prussian astronomer [Copernicus] who moves the earth and fixes the sun. Verily, wise rulers should tame the unrestraint of men’s minds.” [1]
“Many hold it an excellent idea to praise an absurd matter, like that sarmatic [Polish] astronomer, who moves the earth and lets the sun stand still.” [4]
— Philipp Melanchthon (1541), "Letter to Correspondent", commentary on Rheticus’ 1540 First Account (Narratio Prima) (Ѻ), Oct
“The Narratio has made the name of Copernicus famous.”
— Cornelius Scepperus (1541), “Letter to Achilles Gasser”, from Brussels, Jul
“Rheticus’ First Report, to this day, is arguably the best primer on the heliocentric theory of Copernicus.”
— Jack Repcheck (2007), Copernicus’ Secret [3]
Quotes | By
The following are quotes by Rheticus:
“This man [Copernicus] whose work I am now treating is in every field of knowledge and in mastery of astronomy not inferior to Regiomontanus. I rather compare him to Ptolemy.”
— George Rheticus (c.1540) [2]
“From the time that I became a spectator and witness of the labors which my teacher performs with energetic mind and has in large measure already accomplished, I realize that I had not dreamed of even the shadow of so great a burden of work. And it is so great a labor that it is not any here who can endure it and finally complete it.”
— George Rheticus (c.1543) [2]
“I heard of the fame of master Nicolaus Copernicus in the norther lands, and although the University of Wittenberg had made me a public professor in those arts, nonetheless, I did not think that I should be content until I had learned something more through the instruction of that man. And I also say that I regret neither the financial expenses nor the long journey nor the remaining hardships. Yet, it seems to me that there came a great reward for these troubles, namely, that I, a rather daring young man, compelled this venerable man to share his ideas sooner in this discipline with the whole world.”
— Georg Rheticus (c.1545), retrospect commentary on his 1539 to 1541 sojourn with Copernicus and his On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres (1543) [2]
References
1. Crowther, James G. (1995). Six Great Scientists: Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Marie Curie, Einstein (pg. 36-38). Barnes & Noble.
2. Repcheck, Jack. (2007). Copernicus' Secret: How the Scientific Revolution Began (reward, pgs. 130-31; compare him, pg. 139, hero, pg. 140). Simon & Schuster.
3. (a) Rheticus, Georg. (1540). First Report (Narratio prima) (pdf). Publisher.
(b) Repcheck, Jack. (2007). Copernicus’ Secret: How the Scientific Revolution Began (pg. 149). Simon & Schuster.
4. Repcheck, Jack. (2007). Copernicus’ Secret: How the Scientific Revolution Began (pg. 160). Simon & Schuster.
External links
● Georg Joachim Rheticus – Wikipedia.
