Final answer:
Nicolaus Copernicus is credited with inventing the idea of a sun-centered solar system, which he detailed in his work, 'De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium'. His heliocentric model eventually gained acceptance through the efforts of scientists like Kepler, Galileo, and Newton.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of a sun-centered solar system was invented by Nicolaus Copernicus, a Renaissance-era polymath. He proposed the heliocentric theory, challenging the then-prevailing geocentric model proposed by Ptolemy. Copernicus's idea was outlined in his seminal work, 'De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium', where 'Sol', meaning 'Sun', occupied the central position. While the heliocentric idea was met with skepticism and was not widely accepted during Copernicus's lifetime, subsequent figures such as Kepler, Galileo, and Newton provided evidence and refined the theory, solidifying the understanding of our solar system with the Sun at its center.