A 500-year-old copper compass, resembling a wishbone in shape, has been unearthed in the canonical gardens of Frombork, Poland.

The discovery was announced by the Warminska Grupa Eksploracyjna on August 4, 2024, on their Facebook page. The group stated they located the ancient artifact in underground tunnels.

This is only the third such compass found in Poland, according to the group’s post, which also .

The artifact was examined by Detekt Archaeological Services, confirming its origin to the 15th or 16th century, according to Live Science.

The compass is believed to be connected to Nicolaus Copernicus, the renowned Polish astronomer, due to its discovery in Frombork, where Copernicus spent much of his life.

“We discovered an ancient compass that probably belonged to Nicolaus Copernicus,” the Misja Skarb Foundation, another group involved in the discovery, wrote on a translated webpage. “This tool could be used by an astronomer to perform precise measurements and calculations that were crucial in his astronomical research. This find is of great historical importance because the compass is one of the few direct evidence of the practical application of science by Copernicus.”

Copernicus, born on February 19, 1473, is best known for his revolutionary theories, particularly the heliocentric theory. He was the first European scientist to propose that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun, according to History.com.

This challenged the prevailing belief that the Earth was the center of the universe.

Copernicus’ ideas paved the way for future astronomers who built upon his discoveries to further understand the cosmos.

His theory was documented in his book, completed in 1532, according to Space.com.

The work was published in 1543, the same year Copernicus died in Frombork.

The newly discovered compass, potentially belonging to Copernicus, has been moved to the Nicolaus Copernicus Museum, which already possesses a similar tool, according to an August 4 Facebook post from the museum.