THIS VOLUME IS the first edition of the work that set forth evidence that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun. Written by Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) and published just before his death, the work was met by tremendous opposition because it contradicted religious beliefs of the time. The Copernican views provided the basis for the later work of Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), Galileo (1564–1642), and Isaac Newton (1642–1727).
Nicolaus Copernicus. De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, Libri VI. Nuremberg: Ioh. Petreius, 1543. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
