Google celebrates Nicolaus Copernicus' 540th birthday with heliocentric model doodle

NEW DELHI: Google today celebrates Nicolaus Copernicus' 540th birthday, a Renaissance scholar, physician, mathematician and astronomer, with an animated heliocentric model doodle.

Copernicus' is remembered for his heliocentric theory that proved Sun as the centre of the solar system and not Earth. His theory put an end to the notion that the Sun revolves around the Earth.

Born on February 19, 1473, in the province of Royal Prussia, in the Kingdom of Poland, the Renaissance astronomer and mathematician pursued his education with mathematical achievements.

Copernicus in his seminal work De revolutionibus orbium coelestium publicly expressed his views about the heliocentric hypothesis. The work argued that the solar system is comprised of eight spheres in which the Sun stood at the centre motionless. And the other planets each in its own sphere revolved around the Sun.

His epochal book created controversy and raised the fear of accusations of blasphemy as it was not understandable to most of the astronomers of his time. His work was not published for many years until before his death in 1543.

Today's Google doodle celebrates his proven theory that revolutionised the astronomical science.

The doodle features the Sun at the centre of the solar system and the other planets revolving around it. It also features the moon revolving around the Earth.

Google's logo is clearly visible in the doodle. The third letter of Google's logo 'O' is replaced by the Sun.