Final answer:
Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model of the universe, in which the Sun is the center and the planets, including Earth, orbit around it. This model was reinforced by further observations and analysis by notable figures like Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, and Isaac Newton.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nicolaus Copernicus is credited with proposing the heliocentric model, which suggests that the planets of the solar system revolve around the Sun. This was a significant departure from the Ptolemaic view, which positioned Earth at the center of the universe. The foundational work of Copernicus was later supported by the precise measurements of Tycho Brahe, the analysis of Johannes Kepler—who formulated the three laws of planetary motion—and the observational evidence provided by Galileo Galilei using his telescope. Kepler postulated that planets move in elliptical orbits, but it was Isaac Newton who connected this motion to a gravitational attraction to the Sun. The Copernican Principle further stipulates that Earth is not the center of the solar system, justifying the observation that Earth is simply one of the many objects orbiting the Sun.