16.1.4: Galilei, Galileo
- Page ID
- 119036
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Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei first used the telescope astronomically in 1609. He was the first to see such wonders as sunspots, which he described as blemishes on the Sun, and features on the Moon like Mare —seas or bodies of water.
Galileo’s observations of the planets were monumental.
- Mercury and Venus showed phases , which meant Mercury and Venus orbits the Sun between Earth and the Sun
- Four bright moons around Jupiter
- Galileo’s continued observation of Jupiter’s moons was important in the Geocentric-Heliocentric Solar System debate.
- Milky Way and found it had countless stars
An interesting note about Galileo…
Galileo also worked on several problems in physics, in addition to his pioneering astronomical observations. He was a deeply religious man, as his daughter who was a nun. Galileo was held on house arrest by the Church and made to recant his theory of a Heliocentric Sun-centered Solar System. Galileo’s right hand middle finger was removed after his death and is on display in the Science Museum of Florence, along with some of his telescopes.
Galileo was instrumental in establishing observation as the absolute determinant of truth, rather than “logical” argument. Galileo’s use of the telescope was his most notable achievement in demonstrating the importance of observation. He discovered moons orbiting Jupiter and made other observations that were inconsistent with certain ancient ideas and religious dogma. For this reason, and because of the manner in which he dealt with those in authority, Galileo was tried by the Inquisition and punished. He spent the final years of his life under a form of house arrest. Because others before Galileo had also made discoveries by observing the nature of the universe, and because repeated observations verified those of Galileo, his work could not be suppressed or denied. After his death, his work was verified by others, and his ideas were eventually accepted by the church and scientific communities.
Galileo also contributed to the formation of what is now called Newton’s first law of motion. Newton made use of the work of his predecessors, which enabled him to develop laws of motion, discover the law of gravity, invent calculus, and make great contributions to the theories of light and color. It is amazing that many of these developments were made with Newton working alone, without the benefit of the usual interactions that take place among scientists today.