COPERNICUS

Astronom (ahli perbintangan) berkebangsaan Polandia yang bernama Nicolaus Copernicus (nama Polandianya: Mikolaj Kopernik), dilahirkan tahun 1473 di kota Torun di tepi sungai Vistula, Polandia. Dia berasal dari keluarga berada. Sebagai anak muda belia, Copernicus belajar di Universitas Cracow, selaku murid yang menaruh minat besar terhadap ihwal ilmu perbintangan. Pada usia dua puluhan dia pergi melawat ke Italia, belajar kedokteran dan hukum di Universitas Bologna dan Padua yang kemudian dapat gelar Doktor dalam hukum gerejani dari Universitas Ferrara. Copernicus menghabiskan sebagian besar waktunya tatkala dewasa selaku staf pegawai Katedral di Frauenburg (istilah Polandia: Frombork), selaku ahli hukum gerejani yang sesungguhnya Copernicus tak pernah jadi astronom profesional, kerja besarnya yang membikin namanya melangit hanyalah berkat kerja sambilan.

Selama berada di Italia, Copernicus sudah berkenalan dengan ide-ide filosof Yunani Aristarchus dari Samos (abad ke-13 SM). Filosof ini berpendapat bahwa bumi dan planit-planit lain berputar mengitari matahari. Copernicus jadi yakin atas kebenaran hipotesa "heliocentris" ini, dan tatkala dia menginjak usia empat puluh tahun dia mulai mengedarkan buah tulisannya diantara teman-temannya dalam bentuk tulisan-tulisan ringkas, mengedepankan cikal bakal gagasannya sendiri tentang masalah itu. Copernicus memerlukan waktu bertahun-tahun melakukan pengamatan, perhitungan cermat yang diperlukan untuk penyusunan buku besarnya De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (Tentang Revolusi Bulatan Benda-benda Langit), yang melukiskan teorinya secara terperinci dan mengedepankan pembuktian-pembuktiannya.

Di tahun 1533, tatkala usianya menginjak enam puluh tahun, Copernicus mengirim berkas catatan-catatan ceramahnya ke Roma. Di situ dia mengemukakan prinsip-prinsip pokok teorinya tanpa mengakibatkan ketidaksetujuan Paus. Baru tatkala umurnya sudah mendekati tujuh puluhan, Copernicus memutuskan penerbitan bukunya, dan baru tepat pada saat meninggalnya dia dikirimi buku cetakan pertamanya dari si penerbit. Ini tanggal 24 Mei 1543.

Dalam buku itu Copernicus dengan tepat mengatakan bahwa bumi berputar pada porosnya, bahwa bulan berputar mengelilingi matahari dan bumi, serta planet-planet lain semuanya berputar mengelilingi matahari. Tapi, seperti halnya para pendahulunya, dia membuat perhitungan yang serampangan mengenai skala peredaran planet mengelilingi matahari. Juga, dia membuat kekeliruan besar karena dia yakin betul bahwa orbit mengandung lingkaran-lingkaran. Jadi, bukan saja teori ini ruwet secara matematik, tapi juga tidak betul. Meski begitu, bukunya lekas mendapat perhatian besar. Para astronom lain pun tergugah, terutama astronom berkebangsaan Denmark, Tycho Brahe, yang melakukan pengamatan lebih teliti dan tepat terhadap gerakan-gerakan planet. Dari data-data hasil pengamatan inilah yang membikin Johannes Kepler akhirnya mampu merumuskan hukum-hukum gerak planet yang tepat.

Sistem alam semesta Copernicus

Meski Aristarchus lebih dari tujuh belas abad lamanya sebelum Copernicus sudah mengemukakan persoalan-persoalan menyangkut hipotesa peredaran benda-benda langit, adalah layak menganggap Copernicuslah orang yang memperoleh penghargaan besar. Sebab, betapapun Aristarchus sudah mengedepankan pelbagai masalah yang mengandung inspirasi, namun dia tak pernah merumuskan teori yang cukup terperinci sehingga punya manfaat dari kacamata ilmiah. Tatkala Copernicus menggarap perhitungan matematik hipotesa-hipotesa secara terperinci, dia berhasil mengubahnya menjadi teori ilmiah yang punya arti dan guna. Dapat digunakan untuk dugaan-dugaan, dapat dibuktikan dengan pengamatan astronomis, dapat bermanfaat di banding lain-lain teori yang terdahulu bahwa dunialah yang jadi sentral ruang angkasa.

Jelaslah dengan demikian, teori Copernicus telah merevolusionerkan konsep kita tentang angkasa luar dan sekaligus sudah merombak pandangan filosofis kita. Namun, dalam hal penilaian mengenai arti penting Copernicus, haruslah diingat bahwa astronomi tidaklah mempunyai jangkauan jauh dalam penggunaan praktis sehari-hari seperti halnya fisika kimia dan biologi. Sebab, hakekatnya orang bisa membikin peralatan televisi, mobil, atau pabrik kimia modern tanpa mesti secuwil pun menggunakan teori Copernicus. (Sebaliknya, orang tidak bakal bisa membikin benda-benda itu tanpa menggunakan buah pikiran Faraday, Maxwell, Lavosier atau Newton).

Tetapi, jika semata-mata kita mengarahkan perhatian hanya semata-mata kepada pengaruh langsung Copernicus di bidang teknologi, kita akan kehilangan arti penting Copernicus yang sesungguhnya. Buku Copernicus punya makna yang tampaknya tak memungkinkan baik Galileo maupun Kepler menyelesaikan kerja ilmiahnya. Kesemua mereka adalah pendahulu-pendahulu yang penting dan menentukan bagi Newton, dan penemuan merekalah yang membikin kemungkinan bagi Newton merumuskan hukum-hukum gerak dan gaya beratnya. Secara historis, penerbitan De Revolutionobus Orbium Coelestium merupakan titik tolak astronomi modern. Lebih dari itu, merupakan titik tolak pengetahuan modern.

Sumber : Berbagai Sumber

English Version

Astronomers (astrologers) Polish nationals named Nicolaus Copernicus (name Polandianya: Mikolaj Kopernik), was born in 1473 in the city of Torun on the river Vistula, Poland. He comes from a family resides. As a young teenager, Copernicus studied at the University of Cracow, as a student with an interest greatly to astrology happenings. In his twenties he went to Italy, studying medicine and law at the University of Bologna and Padua, and later received a doctorate in canon law from the University of Ferrara. Copernicus spent most of his time when adult on the staff of the cathedral in Frauenburg (Polish: Frombork), as the true canon law expert Copernicus was never a professional astronomer, the amount of work which has made him just skyrocketed thanks to the sideline.
During his stay in Italy, Copernicus was acquainted with the ideas of the Greek philosophers Aristarchus of Samos (13th century BC). Philosophers, that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun. Copernicus became convinced of the truth of the hypothesis "heliocentric", and when he was about forty years of age he began to circulate among his friends writing in the form of writing concise, forward embryo own ideas on the matter. Copernicus takes years of observation, careful calculations required for preparation of magnitude De Revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On Revolution Rounded sky objects), which describes in detail his theory and promote evidence-proof.
In the year 1533, when he was sixty years old, Copernicus send file records lectures in Rome. In which he presented his theory of the fundamental principles of the pope without causing disagreement. Recently when he was already approaching seven decades, Copernicus decided to publication of his book, and just in time to death he sent the first printed book from the publisher. It is dated May 24, 1543.
In his book, Copernicus rightly say that the earth rotates on its axis, the moon revolves around the sun and the Earth, and other planets all revolve around the sun. But, like his predecessors, he made a reckless calculation of the scale circulation of the planet around the sun. Also, he made a big mistake, because he believes that the orbits consist of circles. So, not only mathematically complex theory, but also incorrect. Even so, the book quickly received great attention. Other astronomers were intrigued, especially astronomers nationality Denmark, Tycho Brahe, who perform more thorough and precise observations of the planetary movements. From these data that make these observations Johannes Kepler was finally able to formulate the laws of planetary motion right.
Copernican system of the universe
Although Aristarchus more than seventeen centuries before Copernicus had raised issues regarding the hypothesis distribution of celestial objects, it is worth consider Copernicuslah people who earn big rewards. Because, no matter how Aristarchus had put forward various issues that contain inspiration, but he never detailed enough to formulate a theory that has the benefits of scientific spectacles. When Copernicus worked out the mathematics of the hypothesis in detail, he transformed it into a scientific theory that has meaning and purpose. Can be used for prediction, can be proved by astronomical observations, can be useful in other appeals earlier theory that the earth was the center of the space.
Clearly therefore, the Copernican theory has revolutionized our concept of space and also have revolutionized our philosophical outlook. However, in terms of evaluating the importance of Copernicus, it must be remembered that astronomy does not have the great range of practical applications that physics, chemistry and biology. In principle, one can make the television equipment, automobile, or a modern chemical plant without necessarily secuwil was using the theory of Copernicus. (By contrast, people are not going to be able make the objects without applying the ideas of Faraday, Maxwell, Lavosier or Newton).
However, if we merely draw attention solely to the direct influence of Copernicus in the technology, we will miss the real significance of Copernicus. Books Copenicus seemingly allows both Galileo and Kepler completed his scientific work. All of them are important predecessors and determine for Newton, and their discoveries that make possible to formulate Newton's laws of motion and gravity. Historically, the publication of De revolutionibus orbium coelestium was the starting point of modern astronomy. Moreover, the starting point of modern science.