This year marks the 550th anniversary of the birth of the great Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, the 480th anniversary of his death and the release of his opus magnum – De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. In addition, most scholars indicate that it was between 1512 and 1513 that Copernicus published a 19-page document called Commentariolus which disclosed his heliocentric theory of the universe for the first time. In this sense, this year also coincides with the 510th anniversary of the origin of the modern heliocentric theory. In order to commemorate this thinker who profoundly influenced modern astronomy and even the destiny of mankind, Tsinghua University Science Museum was invited by the Polish Institute – Cultural Service of The Embassy of Poland in Beijing to jointly organize the exhibition “Nicolaus Copernicus: Life and Work”, which, with the help of rich historical materials and relevant astronomical instruments, retells the serene but extraordinary life of Copernicus and recreates the great era of the revolution of astronomy in Europe 500 years ago.
