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What was Nicolaus Copernicusās first recorded astronomical observation?
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Nicolaus Copernicus
Portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus, 1580, from the Town Hall in ToruÅ, Poland; in the collection of Muzeum OkrÄgowe w Toruniu (Regional Museum in ToruÅ). In his book De revolutionibus, he proposed that the Sun was the center of the solar system and that the planets circle the Sun.
Nicolaus Copernicusās first recorded astronomical observation occurred on March 9, 1497, in Bologna. During this event, he observed the Moon eclipse the star Aldebaran, which is described as the brightest star in the eye of the Bull (Alpha Tauri).1
While Copernicus likely made many observations throughout his life, only 27 are recorded. At the time of this 1497 observation, he was likely using the data to assist in verifying new- and full-moon tables derived from the Alfonsine Tables, which were being employed for astrological forecasts.1