Near the sun in motion are the centeres of the revolutions of the five planets, while the earth is stationary. Around it, not only to the luminaries [sun and moon] revolve, but also the entire eigth sphere (as they call [the sphere of the stars]) gazes down upon earth, which is also in its middle. According to Copernicus, the extent of the starry sphere stretches almost to infinity, even by this one absurdity shattering this sphere’s position.

- in a letter to Kepler (1598)