When Nicolaus Copernicus was born in 1473, scholars believed that the earth stood still, and the sun circled around it. Copernicus devoted his life to understanding the structure of our solar system, and found mathematical proof that the earth, in fact, orbits around the sun. Although he didn’t live to see his influence on astronomy, his findings opened the door to space travel, the discovery of other planets and galaxies...and even the chance of finding life outside of earth.