Who is credited with confirming that the Sun is the center of the universe?

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Dive into the AST2002 Astronomy Midterm at UCF. Enhance your understanding through engaging flashcards and insightful multiple-choice questions. Prepare effectively and boost your confidence for this academic challenge!

The attribution of confirming that the Sun is the center of the universe primarily belongs to Nicholas Copernicus, who proposed the heliocentric model. This model suggested that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, fundamentally challenging the long-established geocentric model that placed the Earth at the center of the universe. Copernicus's work laid the groundwork for future astronomers to build upon and provided a significant shift in our understanding of the cosmos.

Johannes Kepler later refined this model by introducing the laws of planetary motion, demonstrating how planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths. While he built upon Copernicus's ideas and provided mathematical support for a heliocentric system, he did not confirm the theory outright but rather expanded and clarified how planets move within that system.

Tycho Brahe contributed valuable observations and data that greatly improved the accuracy of celestial measurements but maintained a geocentric view himself. Likewise, Galileo Galilei's observations using a telescope provided critical evidence supporting the heliocentric model, such as the phases of Venus. However, he did not claim to confirm that the Sun is the center of the universe in the way Copernicus did.

Therefore, while each of these astronomers played significant roles in the advancement of astronomy