MCQ Detailed View

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, focusing on the study of the Sun, Moon, stars, planets, and the entire universe. For centuries, people believed in the geocentric model, where Earth was thought to be the center of the universe and all celestial objects revolved around it. This belief continued until a Polish scientist named Nicolas Copernicus (1473–1543) introduced a revolutionary idea that changed astronomy forever.

Copernicus is called the founder of modern astronomy because he proposed the heliocentric model, stating that the Sun is at the center of the solar system, and Earth, along with other planets, moves around it. This was a major breakthrough that challenged old ideas and laid the foundation for the modern understanding of space.In his famous book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium ("On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres"), Copernicus explained that planetary movements could be understood better if the Sun, not Earth, was at the center. His theory provided a scientific explanation for the motion of planets and started a new era of observation-based astronomy.

The other options in this question are scientists from different fields:

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  Archimedes was a mathematician and engineer known for principles of levers and fluid mechanics.

  
  


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  William Gilbert studied magnetism and is called the father of electrical engineering.

  
  


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  Michael Faraday made important discoveries in electromagnetism and chemistry.

  
  

Copernicus’s model changed the way humans understood the universe, paving the way for later astronomers like Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton, who expanded on his ideas. His work marked the beginning of modern, scientific astronomy, transforming it from philosophy into a precise science based on observation and mathematics.

Therefore, the correct answer is Nicolas Copernicus, honored as the founder of modern astronomy for introducing the heliocentric model that reshaped human knowledge of space.