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Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543) was born in Torun, Poland and was an important mathematician, Doctor of Medicine, theologian and astronomer. His epochal book, “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium” (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), is often regarded as the starting point of modern Western astronomy and the defining epiphany that began the scientific revolution. The book led to the rejection of the geocentric theory of the sun’s motion and an understanding of the motion of planets around the sun. The model demonstrated that the observed motions of celestial objects can be explained without putting Earth in the center of the universe. It is important to honor Copernicus, a person who revolutionized man’s concept of the universe over 500 years ago. He was an original thinker who questioned the accepted concept of astronomy in which the earth was the center of the universe. The €1,25 postage souvenir sheet reproduces the painting ‘Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God,’ a work by Polish painter Jan Matejko (1838-1893). It was painted between 1871 and 1873 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus. The stamp release was jointly issued with Poland. REFERENCE Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1820-1820 Date Issued - 27 February 2023 Face Value - €1,25 Perforations - 11.5 Printing Process - Offset, 4 colors Printer - BPost (Belgium) Max Printed - 38,500 Joint Issue - Poland |
| (Vatican Notes, Volume 71, Number 396, pp. 4-6, 2023) |
