Early in the 16th Century, Nicholas Copernicus rediscovered the heliocentric theory of planetary motion, which is the belief -- now known to be fact -- that the planets revolve around the Sun. The foundation of modern astronomy was this theory and the meticulous scientific data collected by Copernicus in his OBSERVATORY, a small room in an East Prussian Cathedral spire. The methods of his research and observation that led to his correct conclusion were also a rebirth of the scientific method and an important step in the advance of knowledge.
