Found: The man who changed astronomy

[theblackalchemist]

Found: The man who changed astronomy

 

DNA studies on two strands of hair and a tooth have ended a centuries old hunt for the tomb Nicolaus Copernicus, the 16th century astronomer who shocked the world by declaring that the Earth was not the centre of the Universe.

 

The tests confirmed that remains found in Frombork Cathedral in northern Poland in 2005 are those of the man considered the father of modern astronomy, Polish archaeologist Jerzy Gassowski said.

 

Born in Torun, northern Poland, in 1473, the mathematician and clergyman is celebrated for his heliocentric theory of the universe which puts the Sun, rather than the Earth, at its centre.

 

Scientists compared genetic material from two strands of hair found in Calendarium Romanum Magnum – a book by Johannes Stoeffler, published in 1518 and owned by Copernicus – to a tooth from the skull found in Frombork.

 

 

Top: Computer reconstructions of Nicolaus Copernicus using the skull discovered in the cathedral in Frombork, northern Poland, in 2005. The reconstruction shows a broken nose and other features that resemble a self-portrait of Copernicus. Now DNA studies on two strands of hair and a tooth by Swedish genetics scientist Marie Allen (right below) have also allowed for a positive identification of the remains found in 2005 as those of Copernicus

 

 

“The two strands of hair found in the book have the same genome sequence as the tooth from the skull and a bone from Frombork,” said scientist Marie Allen from Uppsala University in Sweden.

 

The Calendarium Romanum Magnum and other books that once belonged to Copernicus were taken to Sweden during the 17th Century Polish-Swedish wars and are now held by Uppsala University.

 

Copernicus’ final resting place has until now remained a mystery. Polish, French and German researchers have tried for two centuries to find his tomb, Gassowski said.

 

“When the bishop of Frombork asked me to begin a search, I was sceptical. It seemed an impossible task. There are hundreds of remains buried in the cathedral,” he said.

Mumbai Mirror - Found: The man who changed astronomy, Tech - TechTalk,Mumbai Mirror