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Center Of Attention
The universe was a curious place before Nicolaus Copernicus: The earth stood
still and around it revolved the sun, the planets, and all the stars. No one doubted
that man lived at the center of creation.
Next Friday, February 19, marks the 509th anniversary of the birth of the
Polish astronomer who challenged these ancient assumptions. Other leading
astronomers of the time, such as Tycho Brahe, found it difficult to believe that the
earth could move about the sun. "How could the fat and lazy earth be capable of
motions ascribed to it by Copernicus?" Brahe asked.
Bertrand Russell wrote in History of Western Philosophy (1945) that
Copernicus' theory--for which the astronomer offered no hard proof-had a
"revolutionary effect on the cosmic imagination." It was an era of great discovery
in many fields. Copernicus was 20 years old when Columbus discovered America,
25 when Vasco da Gama sailed around Africa to reach India, and 49 when
Magellan's last ship returned from a voyage around the world, dispelling forever
the notion that the earth was flat.
Today, Copernicus is hailed as a leading figure of the Renaissance. In addition
to being an astronomer, he was a physician, a cartographer, and an expert on the
circulation of money. He received most of his education in Italy, where he studied
canon law, mathematics, medicine, and astronomy. The Ptolemaic doctrines of the
day soon began to conflict with Copernicus' own observations.
From 1513 to 1530, Copernicus compiled his findings and refined the theory
toward which they led. The result was his study, titled "On the Revolution of the
Heavenly Bodies." It began by praising the "godlike circular movements of the
world, the course of the stars, their magnitudes, distances, risings and settings,
and the causes of other celestial phenomena.. .
But it was not until March 1543 that this treatise--privately circulated for
years in manuscript form--appeared in print in Nuremberg. A copy reportedly
reached the aged astronomer as he lay on his deathbed.
Copernicus' work was dedicated to Pope Paul 111 (1534-1550), and at first it
escaped pontifical condemnation. Protestant leaders, however, jumped on it
immediately. John Calvin asked, "Who will venture to place the authority of
Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?" Martin Luther thundered, "This fool
will turn the art of astronomy upside down, but the Scripture shows and tells
another lesson, where Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and not the
c.c. reader
Volume 16, No. 2
Published by the students of the Capitol Campus of the Pennsylvania State
University in Middletown, Pennsylvania.
The C.C. Reader serves the following four-fold purpose: (1) To keep students
informed about their campus community; (2) To provide editorial comment on
issues facing the campus community; (3) To serve as a forum for student poetry,
photographs, graphics, cartoons, and other creative endeavors; (4) To serve as a
learning mechanism for all students interested in the journalistic process. This
includes reporting, editing, layout, typesetting, and paste-up.
Film Critic—Rick Morrison
Photography Editor--Mark W. Clauser
Executive Consultant-Matthew Smith
Sports Editors--Darrell Reider, Kevin Spiegel
Staff--Gary Pellett, Sue Brown, Kathy Kern, Yvonne Harhigh, Neil Gussman
Jack Badstibner, Mark Bruker,
Faculty Advisor--Monica O'Reilly
The opinions reps ebseu in this paper are those of the author(s) and are not
necessarily the opinions of the students, faculty, staff, or administration of The
Pennsylvania State University.
The C.C. Reader welcomes letters from readers. Letters intended for
publication should indicate the writer's college affiliation, if any. All letters MUST
be signed by the writer. Unsigned letters cannot be printed. However, a writer's
name may be withheld upon request. Letters should be legible (preferably
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Editorial/Opinion
Pennsylvania State University
Capitol Campus
Middletown, Pa. 17057
Office—W-129
Ph0ne—(717)944-4970
Editor in Chief
William J. Neil
Music Critic--Eugene T. McGovern
Darkroom Technician--Steve Myers
Circulation 2,500
Thursday, February 18, 1982
February 18, 1982
earth." Even after proof to the contrary by Galileo Galilei in 1616, the Vatican
judged the views of Copernicus to be "foolish and absurd, philosophically false and
formally heretical." Copernicus' book remained on the Papal Index of forbidden
literature until 1835.
By replacing the earth with the sun as the focus of the solar system,
Copernicus laid the foundations of modern science. Not only astronomy, but
physics and philosophy were transformed by the new order of the universe. Half a
millenium later, on his 509th birthday, it is beyond dispute that Copernicus
speeded the transition from the religiosity of the Middle Ages to the rationalism
and modern science of today.
Overs hadowing
Mr. Groundhog
Except for residents of bona fide snow country, winter is a season to be
endured, not enjoyed. But the suffering need not last three full months; when
winter is halfway, it is permissible to dream of spring.
That, certainly, is one purpose of Groundhog Day, observed annually on
February 2. Legend has it that winter will continue for six more weeks if the
groundhog, or woodchuck, sees his shadow and scurries back to hibernate. If he
doesn't, we can all look forward to a mild tailing off of winter and an early spring.
Actually, though, it is a rare groundhog that is up and about in early February
of any year. The species usually goes underground in September and hibernates
until March. But the original American
colonists didn't know that when they chose
the woodchuck as a substitute for the
European hedgehog, which was up and
about in early February, and which did its
shadow-casting on Candelmas Day, Feb
ruary 2. The hedgehog is a lighter sleeper
and may venture from his burrow on any
unseasonably warm winter day.
But perhaps the most heartfelt mid
winter observance of them all takes place
in the Arctic region of Norway. Last
Monday, February 8, the town of Narvik
mounted its annual Sun Pageant to mark
the sun's reappearance in the far-northern
skies after two months of total darkness.
From that day forward the period of light
will gradually increase until, in midsummer, there will be 24 hours a day of
sunshine.
Area residents would be well-advised to keep our Norwegian friends in mind
as we bundle up and prepare for yet another month or so of frosty conditions.
Because while we are often quick to complain of the biting winds, bitter
temperatures, and annoying snowfalls which frequent the area, we are often just
as quick to overlook that one great gift of spiritual and emotional warmth which
we take for granted nearly every day of the year—the sun.
For no matter how dismal or bleak the winter season may seem to us
Pennsylvanians, its dreariness would be intensified thousandfold if we had to
endure it in a cold, uninterrupted darkness which descended upon us for half the
year.
C.C. Reader
--William J. Neil
--William J. Neil