The hypothesis that reduced the Earth to insignificance in its universe was proposed by the astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus. Copernicus, in his book "De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) published in 1543, presented the heliocentric model of the solar system. According to this model, the Sun is at the center of the solar system, and the Earth is one of the several planets revolving around it. This new understanding challenged the prevailing geocentric model, which placed the Earth at the center of the universe and gave it a central, significant position. Copernicus's hypothesis contributed to reshaping our understanding of the Earth's place in the universe and has had a profound impact on the field of astronomy.
