While ancient Greek philosophers like Aristarchus of Samos had proposed a heliocentric model centuries earlier, it was Copernicus's detailed mathematical model and publication of *De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium* (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) in 1543 that revolutionized astronomy and laid the groundwork for modern heliocentric theory.
Copernicus's model was not without flaws, and it faced significant opposition from the Church, but it paved the way for future astronomers like Galileo and Kepler to refine and expand upon his work.
