Nicolas Copernicus was born into a well-to-do（小康的） family, and after his father died in 1483 he was put under the guardianship（监护） of his uncle, a bishop of Warmia ( Poland ). He went to university in Krakow and spent a decade（十年） in Italy, studying law and mathematics. From his house, Copernicus observed the stars and planets. For years he worked on his theory that the planets in our solar system revolved around the sun. Hesitant to publish his work for fear of being charged with（控诉为） heresy（异教）, Copernicus summarized it in 1530 and circulated it among Europe 's scholars, where it was greeted with enthusiasm. His work, was finally published in 1543, apparently just a few weeks before he died.