Does Nicholas Copernicus have any famous quotes?

Answer 1

Nicolaus Copernicus was a mathematician and astronomer and, as such, his writings are not very "quotable." His 1542 book, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres, proposed the revolutionary idea that our Earth went around our Sun, but this book is somewhat ponderous to those outside of math and philosophy. For example: "At rest, however, in the middle of everything is the sun. For, in this most beautiful temple, who would place this lamp in another or better position than that from which it can light up the whole thing at the same time?"

Copernicus, for reasons he never made clear, repeatedly refused to publish this work despite urging from other philosophers. He died soon after it came out in print, and his work was studied (and disputed) for many decades afterwards. Not until 1616 did any official condemnation of this work occur.