When was galileo born

Galileo Galilei — Italian astronomer, scientist and philosopher, who played a leading role in the Scientific Revolution. Galileo improved the telescope and made many significant discoveries in astronomy. His findings encouraged him to speak out for the Copernican view that the earth revolved around the sun. However, his views were considered heretical, and he was placed under house arrest.

His greatest scientific works included Two New Sciences about kinetics and the strength of materials. But, at the University of Pisa, Galileo became fascinated by a wide range of subjects. Galileo was appointed to be a mathematics professor at the University of Pisa, but his strident criticisms of Aristotle left him isolated amongst his contemporaries.

After three years of persecution, he resigned and went to the University of Padua, where he taught maths. His entertaining lectures attracted a large following, and he was able to spend the next 18 years pursuing his interests in astronomy and mechanics. During this time, Galileo made important discoveries about gravity, inertia and also developed the forerunner of the thermometer.

He also worked on the pendulum clock Galileo also worked tirelessly on the science of gnomonics telling time by shadows and the laws of motion. It was in astronomy that Galileo became most famous.

What did galileo discover with his telescope

In particular, his support for heliocentrism garnered the opposition of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Galileo came to the same conclusions of Copernicus — that the sun was the centre of the universe and not the earth. Galileo was also a great admirer of Johannes Kepler for his work on planetary motions. Using this new telescope he found that:.