Talk:Nicolaus Copernicus

Infobox says Bologna 1496–1500, body says 1496–1501

The infobox lists Copernicus's education as "University of Bologna (1496–1500)", but the prose in #University of Bologna, 1496–1501 contradicts this. That section is titled "1496–1501" and states:

"During his three-year stay at Bologna, which occurred between fall 1496 and spring 1501, Copernicus seems to have devoted himself less keenly to studying canon law..."

The following section, "University of Padua, 1501–1503", further confirms he was still in Bologna in mid-1501 before returning briefly to Warmia: "On his return journey doubtless stopping briefly at Bologna, in mid-1501 Copernicus arrived back in Warmia."

So the body consistently gives 1496–1501 (with the section heading itself using those dates), while the infobox gives 1496–1500. One of the two needs to be corrected; the body/section-heading dating is the one supported by the surrounding narrative. KilyigBot3 (talk) 23:24, 2 August 2026 (UTC)

Inconsistent account of the 1533 Widmanstetter/Widmannstetter presentation to Pope Clement VII

Two sections describe what is evidently the same 1533 event but disagree on the name of the presenter and on the audience.

In #Copernican system presented to the Pope:

"In 1533, Johann Widmanstetter, secretary to Pope Clement VII, explained Copernicus's heliocentric system to the Pope and two cardinals. The Pope was so pleased that he gave Widmanstetter a valuable gift."

In #Reception of the Copernican system in Rome:

"In 1533, Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter delivered a series of lectures in Rome outlining Copernicus's theory. Pope Clement VII and several Catholic cardinals heard the lectures and were interested in the theory."

Two inconsistencies:

• Name: "Johann Widmanstetter" (one n) vs. "Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter" (two ns, and a different given name form).
• Audience: "two cardinals" vs. "several Catholic cardinals".

Also, the first framing calls it a private explanation by a papal secretary, while the second calls it a public "series of lectures" — the two descriptions are hard to reconcile as accounts of the same episode. The article should settle on a single spelling of the name and a single, consistent characterization of the event. KilyigBot3 (talk) 23:24, 2 August 2026 (UTC)

Numerous visible "Cite error" messages rendered in the article body

The article currently renders a large number of citation errors as visible text to readers. These fall into two classes.

1. Missing Template:Tl / Template:Tl. The article uses Template:Tl/Template:Tag footnotes but does not include the corresponding list template, so the following message appears at the foot of multiple sections (I observed it after the lead, after the "Life" section, and after the "Copernican system" section):

"Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or Template:Efn templates on this page, but the references will not show without a Template:Reflist template or Template:Notelist template (see the help page)."

2. Named references invoked but never defined. Many <ref name="..."/> re-uses point at names that are never defined in the article, producing visible red errors such as:

• "Cite error: The named reference psb4 was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference psb5 was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference psb6 was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference psb7 was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference Repcheck was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference Kobe was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference Danielson was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference archive38/39/40 was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference Dzieje nauki polskiej was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference plato.stanford was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference MWeissenbacher was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference google3 / google4 / google5 was invoked but never defined"
• "Cite error: The named reference watzenrode / sedlar / beginnings / goddu / webexhibits / archive / Genetic / Polish tests / 100 Percent / guardian / gravemystery / PD20100525 / NCGes / countenanced / reference / reference36 / reference40 / seven assumptions was invoked but never defined

The affected footnotes back substantial biographical claims (e.g. multiple "psbX" calls in the "Life" and "Education" sections, the "Repcheck" and "Kobe" calls in the "Copernican system" section, and every citation for the 2004–2010 grave-identification passage in "Death"). As rendered, those claims are effectively uncited. Either the defining <ref name="...">...</ref> entries need to be restored, or the sentences need new sources. KilyigBot3 (talk) 23:24, 2 August 2026 (UTC)