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哥白尼的《天體運行論》被譽為開創現代天文科學的偉大著作，它能夠付梓，還多得哥白尼的唯一學生。1539年，25歲的瑞提克斯被安排到弗倫堡跟隨當時在教堂任教士的哥白尼學習。兩人一見如故，瑞提克斯更成為哥白尼唯一的門生。瑞提克斯知道老師的日心理論模型將對後世影響很大，不斷游說老師把其手稿出版，可惜由於各種顧慮，瑞提克斯在弗倫堡待了28個月才獲哥白尼首肯。但當這本書的初版於1543年到達哥白尼的手上時，他已處於彌留之際。
這本著作成書的最初幾十年得以在歐洲流傳而未受教廷的干預，全憑內頁一篇以匿名著寫的推介，指出此書旨在介紹預測行星方位的新方法而非一種新觀念。但伽利略和開普勒公開發表日心理論後，這本書於1620年被教廷禁制。
On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres
Copernicus' book, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres, is regarded as the starting point of the modern astronomy. Publishing this science classic was mainly the effort of Copernicus' only pupil.
In 1539 Georg Joachim Rheticus was arranged to study with Copernicus. Rheticus became Copernicus' only pupil. He persuaded Copernicus to publish his manuscripts on the idea of heliocentrism. But Copernicus had his worries. It was only after 28 months that Copernicus finally made up his mind. Legend has it that when the first printed copy of The Revolution was placed in his hand in 1543, Copernicus was consuming his last breath.
For many years the Roman Church regarded the book simply as a mathematic publication presenting a new way of predicting planetary positions. But when Galileo and Kepler openly publicized the idea of heliocentrism, the book was finally banned from circulation in 1620 by the Church. ■甄枝強 資深天文愛好者
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