Which one of the following astronomers proved that the Earth and other

Which one of the following astronomers proved that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun ?

Copernicus
Kepler
Galileo
Newton
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2023
While Nicolaus Copernicus first proposed the heliocentric model systematically in his work ‘De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium’ (published in 1543), providing the mathematical framework for planets revolving around the Sun, it was Galileo Galilei who provided the first strong observational evidence supporting this model. Using his telescope, Galileo observed phenomena like the phases of Venus (which are only possible if Venus orbits the Sun), the moons of Jupiter (showing that not everything orbits the Earth), and craters on the Moon. These observations directly challenged the long-accepted geocentric (Earth-centred) model and provided empirical proof favouring the heliocentric view proposed by Copernicus.
Galileo Galilei provided crucial observational evidence using his telescope that supported the heliocentric model, effectively proving that Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun against the prevailing geocentric view.
Johannes Kepler formulated the laws of planetary motion, describing *how* planets orbit the Sun (in elliptical paths). Isaac Newton provided the physical laws (gravity and motion) that explained *why* planets orbit the Sun. While Copernicus originated the modern heliocentric theory, Galileo’s empirical observations were key to its acceptance and ‘proof’ at the time.
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