Finding the remains of astronomer Copernicus

Polish archaeologists found Corpernicus' grave in a Christian church since 2005, but they had to wait for three years to confirm that it was a genius astronomer's resting place.

This finding concludes centuries-old speculations about the astronomer's resting place that has proposed the first modern form of heliocentric theory, whereby the Sun, not Earth, is the center. of the universe.

Photo of Nicolaus Copernicus built by the computer.Photo: AP.

Jerzy Gassowski, director of the Institute of Anthropology and Archeology in Pultusk, Poland, said he and his colleagues found Copernicus' body at a Christian church in Frombork, Poland. They used muscle regeneration techniques on the skull and found the computer-generated face very similar to Copernicus' portraits, especially the broken nose and scar above the left eye.

In addition, the skull belonged to a man in his 70s. Copernicus died in 1543 and also aged 70. 'We think the skeleton belongs to Copernicus, but there are still many questions that need to be answered,' Jerzy said.

To find out more, Marie Allen, Swedish genetic expert, analyzed DNA from the spine, a tooth and femur of the skeleton. She then analyzed the DNA of four strands of a Polish astronomer in the library of Uppsala University, where she worked.

'Two of the four hairs have the same DNA structure as the bones', Marie announced.

A portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus was painted in the 16th century. Photo: uqam.ca.

Copernicus is buried in the Frombork Church, where he serves as a missionary, but the grave is not marked. The bones that Jerzy's group found lie beneath a piece of paving stone. The expert group of the Polish Institute of Anthropology and Archeology began searching Copernicus's remains since 2004 at the request of Jacek Jezierski, a Polish bishop.

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1,473 in the city of Toruri, Poland. He studied in Poland, Italy and spent most of his life working at Frombork. Copernicus understood mathematics, astronomy, law, psychology, and politics. He was a soldier, administrative officer, ruler, diplomat, economic scholar and cleric before focusing on astronomical research.

The heliocentric theory he studied during the period of 1508-1514 is considered the most important hypothesis in history. However, Copernicus only published the theory in 1543 before his death. It is presented in the book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (About the rotation of celestial bodies). His theory contrasts with previous Biblical, ecclesial, and astronomical theories. They have an important influence on later scientists, including Galileo, Descartes and Newton.