Who is recognized as the "Father of Astronomy"?

Copernicus is recognized as the "Father of Astronomy" primarily due to his groundbreaking work in heliocentrism, which proposed that the Sun, rather than the Earth, is at the center of the universe. His model fundamentally changed the way people understood the cosmos and laid the groundwork for modern astronomy. By challenging the prevailing geocentric model, he shifted perspectives regarding the universe's structure and initiated a scientific revolution.

His key work, "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium," published in 1543, detailed his theories and observations. This publication sparked further exploration and studies by later astronomers, and it was a catalyst for the eventual acceptance of heliocentrism.

In contrast, while Newton, Galileo, and Kepler made significant contributions to astronomy, they built upon Copernicus's foundational ideas. Newton is best known for his laws of motion and universal gravitation, Galileo was instrumental in the use of the telescope for astronomical observations, and Kepler formulated the laws of planetary motion. Each of these figures advanced the field in their own right, but it was Copernicus whose revolutionary ideas established the framework that set the stage for their discoveries.