Nicolaus Copernicus

Copernicus specialized in astronomy, mathematics, and cosmology. His greatest contribution was the heliocentric model of the universe, formally presented in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. This model explained planetary motions more coherently than earlier systems and profoundly influenced later scientists such as Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler.

He studied at the University of Kraków, where he developed an interest in astronomy and mathematics, and later continued his education in Italy at the Universities of Bologna, Padua, and Ferrara. There he studied law, medicine, and astronomy, gaining a broad humanist education that informed both his scientific and administrative work.