Dance of the Planets: The Universe of Nicolaus Copernicus

by Nancy Veglahn

Nicolaus Copernicus' inquiring mind probes the secrets of the universe during a time when such behavior is considered heretical. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0698306937
• ISBN13: 9780698306936
• Release Date: January 1979
• Publisher: Coward McCann
• Length: 63 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Age Range: 7 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 6

Customer Reviews

Nonfiction

Dance of the Planets is a biography written by Nancy Veglahn about Nicolaus Copernicus, the scientist known as the founder of modern astronomy. During the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, he questioned the theories that the Church accepted and formed hypotheses of his own. These ¡§correct¡¨ ideas were based on the observations of the second-century Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy, who claimed that the Earth was in the center of the universe and that the sun and other planets traveled around it in circles. Copernicus, on the other hand, wrote that the sun was in the center and that all of the planets, including the Earth, made circular paths around the sun. He also questioned the accuracy of the Almagest, the book that Ptolemy had written, which was considered to contain the entire truth of the heavens. Such courage in challenging the Church laid the foundation for the field of astronomy that exists today. This book is worth reading because the author uses subtle yet powerful techniques to make the story enjoyable. For one thing, she incorporates dialogue, which makes this book unusual because most biographies¡Xbeing nonfiction¡Xdo not include elements that would make them seem fictionalized. In addition, the author describes world events, like the voyage of Christopher Columbus, to help the reader fully understand what was going on during the time in which Copernicus lived. Also, the illustrator of this book, George Ulrich, draws helpful visual aids to enable readers to visualize the story¡¦s text more clearly, especially when certain portions can seem confusing. These include a map that shows how Ptolemy viewed the universe as well the heavens from Copernicus¡¦s perspective. The dialogue, information, and illustrations in this book make it unique. This was an excellent book overall, yet perhaps my favorite part is after the close of this story. Scientists in the United States launched a satellite on August 23, 1972 containing a thirty-two-inch reflecting telescope. This was the largest instrument ever sent into space, and it was used to gain valuable information about the universe. The satellite carrying it was named Copernicus. I found the fact that a satellite was named after Copernicus was very significant because this showed the importance of Copernicus to modern-day astronomy. During his lifetime, Copernicus was not recognized for his achievement in astronomy, but he is now credited for his theories.