I Swear: I Did Not Know He Was Missing

The grave of Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) has finally been found and confirmed.

The December 5th issue of Science (2008) reports that DNA from a skeleton found under a medieval church in Frombork, Poland, has been matched to hairs recovered from the binding of an astronomical reference book used by the Polish astronomer.

Copernicus is generally credited with providing a scientific foundation to the idea that the earth moves around the sun.  His work was generally discredited by the Catholic Church although not in his lifetime.  Support for the Copernican system, however, was a factor that led to Giordano Bruno's execution for heresy in 1600.  

Bruno's fate undoubtedly factored into the later recantation of the Copernican system by Galileo in the 1630s.  It was Galileo's work with the just invented telescope that led to new support for the Copernican system.

Photo Credit: My modification of the facial reconstruction of Copernicus by D. Zadel, Forensic Lab, Polish Police.