“The earth is not in the center of the Sun's orbit nor at the center of the universe.” — Leonardo da Vinci

The Voynich manuscript folios, 68r1 and 68r2 may represent the solar system; Folio 68r1, daytime. with the face of the sun at the top of the drawing and folio 68r2, nighttime, with the face of the moon on top. Both folios have drawings of stars between the two faces.

The decoded words around the faces of the sun and moon in f.68r1 are as follows:

Sun f.68r1: For the air and the location

Moon f.68r1: In regard other assault speculation for today

The words around the sun face indicate the author is suggesting that the Sun not only provides the Earth with air but also with its location.

In regard to the words around the moon face, they are difficult to interpret. The words in the star section must be decoded in order to know what ‘other’ refers to. But we may assume he is questioning whether the church’s version of the solar system should be challenged or made fun of. In the 15th century, the church in Rome preached that the heavens moved not the Earth(i), ‘For God hath established the world which shall not be moved’. Contrary to the church’s teachings, the German theologian, Nicholas of Cusa, proposed that the Earth revolved around the Sun(ii). His astrological beliefs were based on abstract speculations rather than observation. It required nearly 100 years for Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler to provide mathematical proof that the planets, including the Earth revolved around the Sun.

The decoded words around the faces of the sun and moon in f.68r2 are as follows:

Moon f.68r2: I am turning round, a sign I am the one, it is sunbeam shaking except high scaffold sunbeams

Sun f.68r2: That it is found and the fashion, much by chance sunbeam shaking, or whether by the Earth turning round

Here again it is important to know what is discussed in the star section of this folio. I have recently decoded the words among the stars. They refer to certain stars that turn together with the seven stars around the North Star and around the pole. This provides additional evidence that the Earth is not stationary, but turning.

The author (Leonardo da Vinci) appears to be claiming, in opposition to church teachings of the 15th century, that the Earth is rotating. His suggestion that the shaking of sunbeams on the Earth’s surface but not above the surface, is evidence that the Earth rotates. This hypothesis is incorrect. Sunbeams appear to shake due to the diffraction of light rays by minute particles in the atmosphere. This should not detract from his valiant attempt to provide physical evidence to justify his later statement ‘The Earth is not in the center of the Sun's orbit nor at the center of the universe.’

The observations in this folio to prove that the Earth is turning, is further justification for believing that Leonardo da Vinci wrote the Voynich Manuscript. Observation was the driving force in the rational thinking in all his work. It is fundamental to advances in science and our understanding of the universe.

Wilfred Voynich was correct in suggesting that the VM is an encyclopedic work on natural philosophy.

The deciphering of the words around the sun and moon faces is available in the appendix below.