The “father of astronomy” is often attributed to Nicolaus Copernicus. He was a Polish astronomer and mathematician who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system in the 16th century. Copernicus’s work, published in his book “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium” (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), challenged the prevailing geocentric view and laid the foundation for modern astronomy. His heliocentric model placed the Sun at the center of the solar system, with the Earth and other planets orbiting around it. Copernicus’s ideas revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos and paved the way for further astronomical advancements.