Final answer:
The statement is false. Copernicus was not put under house arrest for his heliocentric model; rather, Galileo faced persecution by the Church for supporting the Copernican system, while Copernicus himself died without facing such consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is false. Nicolaus Copernicus was never placed under house arrest by the Catholic Church for his heliocentric model; it was Galileo Galilei who faced persecution. The Catholic Church, which had upheld the Ptolemaic geocentric system, saw Galileo's support of the Copernican system as contradictory to their teachings. Galileo was tried by the Inquisition and spent the latter part of his life under house arrest. In contrast, Copernicus had published his heliocentric theory in 'On the Revolutions' close to his death in 1543, and he passed away without facing persecution from the Church. However, both Copernicus's and Galileo's works were eventually banned by the Church until the 19th century.