Galileo Galilei

1564 – 1642

Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer often described as the father of observational astronomy and the modern scientific method. Using telescopes of his own design he discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter, mapped the phases of Venus, and provided decisive empirical support for the Copernican heliocentric model of the solar system. Convicted of heresy by the Roman Inquisition in 1633 for advocating heliocentrism, he spent the rest of his life under house arrest; the Catholic Church formally acknowledged the error of his condemnation in 1992.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM