Actually, Nicolaus Copernicus didn’t do much of anything with his experiments and findings.
It took tremendous courage for him to conduct his experiments.
He was defying Ptolemy, the church, and common sense.
He did not want his discovery to cause any conflict, so when he had finished writing a book on his findings, he kept it hidden for years in one of his desk drawers.
In 1540, the German astronomer Rheticus visited the aging Copernicus and read his book.
He realized the importance of it and pleaded with Copernicus to have it published. Copernicus resisted for two more years before relenting.
A copy of his Revolutions was brought to him on his deathbed, but he was right: the Copernican system would not be completely accepted for another 150 years.
