While the ancient Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos had proposed a heliocentric model centuries before, it was Copernicus who revived and expanded upon this theory in his groundbreaking work, *De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium* (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), published in 1543.
Copernicus's model placed the Sun at the center of the solar system, with the Earth and other planets revolving around it. This challenged the prevailing geocentric view, which had been dominant for centuries. Copernicus's work laid the foundation for modern astronomy and was a significant step forward in our understanding of the universe.
