Galileo Galilei (Feb. 15, 1564- Jan Galileo Galilei (Feb. 15, 1564- Jan. 8, 1642) “The Father of Modern Observational Astronomy “

Early Life Oldest of seven children. His father was a musician and wool trader. Galileo’s father wanted him to study medicine because he said there was more money to be made. Sent to a Jesuit Monastery at age 11. Decided to become a monk which upset his father. Went to the University of Pisa at the age of 17 to study medicine.

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Using his pulse while watching a lamp swing in a cathedral, Galileo developed the Law of Pendulum which was used to build clocks.

Bored with college, he dropped out and was tutored to satisfy his thirst for mathematics. He was later offered a teaching position at the University and began tutoring students and continuing his experiments. Galileo questioned the laws of nature accepted from Aristotle which stated that larger objects would fall faster than lighter ones.

Galileo climbed to the top of the Tower of Pisa to do his experiments Galileo climbed to the top of the Tower of Pisa to do his experiments. He lost his teaching position when he became too arrogant with his findings.

Early Spyglass (Later renamed the telescope)

New Telescope Discovers Moon is an irregular, rough body, not smooth as previously thought. Milky Way is composed of many stars. Jupiter has many small satellites he called “Sidera Medicea” after his favorite student. Made observations about Saturn, sunspots, and the phases of Venus.

Sunspots Observations (1612)

In 1613, Galileo stated the earth traveled around the sun, which contradicted the teachings of the church.

On March 5, 1616, the Catholic Church declares the writing of Galileo banned. He retires to his home near Florence, Italy. He continues his writings and observations.

1632-1633 The Pope begins to find fault in all of Galileo’s writings and in February, 1633, Galileo is charged with “vehement suspicion of heresy” and tried. He is placed under house arrest until his death eight years later.

The church finally lifted the ban on Galileo’s writing in 1822, accepting that the Sun, not the earth, was the center of the known Universe.

Finally, in 1992, three years after Galileo’s namesake had been launched on its way to Jupiter, the Vatican formally and publicly cleared Galileo of any wrongdoing.