FAMOUS SPACE SCIENTISTS

Galileo

Galileo Biography

Astronomer, Scientist (1564–1642)

Name
Galileo

Occupation
Astronomer, Scientist

Birth Date
February 15, 1564

Death Date
January 8, 1642

Education

Monastery school at Vallombrosa, near Florence, University of Pisa

Place of Birth Pisa, Italy

Place of Death Arcetri, Italy

Nickname
"The Father of Modern Science"

Full Name
Galileo Galilei

Italian scientist and scholar Galileo made pioneering observations that laid the
foundation for modern physics and astronomy.
Synopsis

Born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa, Italy, Galileo Galilei was a mathematics professor
who made pioneering observations of nature with long-lasting implications for the study
of physics. He also constructed a telescope and supported the Copernican theory,
which supports a sun-centered solar system. Galileo was accused twice of heresy by
the church for his beliefs, and wrote books on his ideas. He died in Arcetri, Italy, on
January 8, 1642.

Early Life

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa in the Duchy of Florence, Italy.
He was the first of six children born to Vincenzo Galilei, a well-known musician.

In 1583, Galileo entered the University of Pisa to study medicine. Armed with high
intelligence and talent, he soon became fascinated with many subjects, particularly
mathematics and physics. While at Pisa, Galileo was exposed to the Aristotelian view of
the world, then the leading scientific authority and the only one sanctioned by the
Roman Catholic Church. At first, Galileo supported this view, like any other intellectual
of his time, and was on track to be a university professor. However, due to financial
difficulties, Galileo left the university in 1585 before earning his degree.

Academic Career

Galileo continued to study mathematics, supporting himself with minor teaching

positions. During this time he began his two-decade study on objects in motion and
published The Little Balance, describing the hydrostatic principles of weighing small
quantities, which brought him some fame. This gained him a teaching post at the
University of Pisa, in 1589. There Galileo conducted his fabled experiments with falling
objects and produced his manuscript Du Motu (On Motion), a departure from
Aristotelian views about motion and falling objects. Galileo developed an arrogance
about his work, and his strident criticisms of Aristotle left him isolated among his
colleagues. In 1592, his contract with the University of Pisa was not renewed.

Galileo quickly found a new position at the University of Padua, teaching geometry,
mechanics and astronomy. The appointment was fortunate, for his father had died in
1591, leaving Galileo entrusted with the care of his younger brother Michelagnolo.
During his 18-year tenure at Padua, he gave entertaining lectures and attracted large
crowds of followers, further increasing his fame and his sense of mission.

Controversial Findings

In 1604, Galileo published The Operations of the Geometrical and Military Compass,
revealing his skills with experiments and practical technological applications. He also
constructed a hydrostatic balance for measuring small objects. These developments
brought him additional income and more recognition. That same year, Galileo refined
his theories on motion and falling objects, and developed the universal law of
acceleration, which all objects in the universe obeyed. Galileo began to express openly
his support of the Copernican theory that the earth and planets revolved around the
sun. This challenged the doctrine of Aristotle and the established order set by the
Catholic Church.

In July 1609, Galileo learned about a simple telescope built by Dutch eyeglass makers,
and he soon developed one of his own. In August, he demonstrated it to some Venetian
merchants, who saw its value for spotting ships and gave Galileo salary to manufacture
several of them. However, Galileo’s ambition pushed him to go further, and in the fall of
1609 he made the fateful decision to turn his telescope toward the heavens. In March
1610, he published a small booklet, The Starry Messenger, revealing his discoveries
that the moon was not flat and smooth,

but a sphere with mountains and craters. He found Venus had phases like the moon,
proving it rotated around the sun. He also discovered Jupiter had revolving moons,
which didn’t revolve around the earth.

In 1623, a friend of Galileo, Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, was selected as Pope Urban VIII.
He allowed Galileo to pursue his work on astronomy and even encouraged him to
publish it, on condition it be objective and not advocate Copernican theory. In 1632,
Galileo published the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, a discussion
among three people: one who supports Copernicus' heliocentric theory of the universe,
one who argues against it, and one who is impartial. Though Galileo claimed Dialogues
was neutral, it was clearly not. The advocate of Aristotelian belief comes across as the
simpleton, getting caught in his own arguments.

Death and Legacy

Galileo died in Arcetri, near Florence, Italy, on January 8, 1642, after suffering from a
fever and heart palpitations. But in time, the Church couldn’t deny the truth in science.
In 1758, it lifted the ban on most works supporting Copernican theory, and by 1835
dropped its opposition to heliocentrism altogether.

In the 20th century, several popes acknowledged the great work of Galileo, and in 1992,
Pope John Paul II expressed regret about how the Galileo affair was handled. Galileo's
contribution to our understanding of the universe was significant n He played a major
role in the scientific revolution and, deservedly so, earned the moniker "The Father of
Modern Science.”a

Personal Life

In 1600, Galileo met Marina Gamba, a Venetian woman, who bore him three children
out of wedlock: daughters Virginia and Livia, and son Vincenzo. He never married
Marina, possibly due to financial worries and possibly fearing his illegitimate children
would threaten his social standing. He worried the two girls legitimized and he became
a successful musician.

3 Greatest Discoveries

Galileo's discoveries about the Moon, Jupiter's moons, Venus, and

sunspots supported the idea that the Sun - not the Earth - was the center of the
Universe, as was commonly believed at the time. Galileo's work laid the foundation for
today's modern space probes and telescopes.
Galileo was a natural philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who made
fundamental contributions to the sciences of motion, astronomy, and strength of
materials and to the development of the scientific method. He also made revolutionary
telescopic discoveries, including the four lamp telescope.

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