Heliocentrism is an astronomical model that posits the Sun as the center of the universe, with Earth and other planets orbiting around it. This theory, first proposed by ancient Greek philosophers and later popularized by Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century, challenged the previously dominant geocentric model, which placed the Earth at the center. Heliocentrism laid the groundwork for modern astronomy by providing a more accurate understanding of celestial motions and the structure of the solar system.