The Copernican catalog differs from the catalogs of previous epochs by transferring the reference point of ecliptic longitudes from the vernal equinox to the star γ Aries. This violation of the tradition which did not influence the catalogs of subsequent epochs, is regarded by N. I. Idelson as an anachronism, and in the opinion of E. P. Fedorov, this idea of Copernicus was ahead of time. Since the contradictions in the evaluation of Copernicus’ works are inherent in the literature of the 20th century, it is necessary to recall the pre-Copernican astronomy and refer to the text of his works. Our study consists of three parts (papers). The first one is devoted to the period from the studying the motion of heavenly bodies upon celestial sphere to passing to the World structure and the movements of the Solar system bodies. Copernicus’s heliocentric theory made invaluable contribution into the solution of this problem, impossible without determining the distances. The previous basis of astronomical observations was increased by 20 thousand times. A similar advance in the determination of distances by a mathematically exact method is hardly possible in the foreseeable future.