Galileo Galilei Astronomy
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Galileo was a 16th and 17th century astronomer born in Pisa, Italy. He first became a math teacher even though he had no degree in the subject, and here he began his path to greatness. It was as a math teacher that he first showed students that Aristotle was incorrect in his claim that a heavier object would fall faster than a lighter one. He wasn’t invited back to teach, and so moved to a position at the University of Padua. It was here that his astronomy career began.
While teaching in Padua he developed the compass and began to delve into the subject of physics. He developed formula for the path projectiles took, and for falling bodies. These works went on to guide astronomy for a long time. But at the time Galileo claimed to have no interest in the subject other than that he believed the work of Copernicus rather than that of Aristotle and Ptolemy. It was Copernicus who first described a solar system in which planets orbit the sun. However most people held that Aristotle and Ptolemy were correct in their theory that all the planets, even the sun, orbited the Earth. As time went by Copernicus, and Galileo, were proven correct.
Galileo was the first to look at the night sky through a spyglass, thus using the first telescope. He used it to see features on the moon such as mountains and craters. He also saw, for the first time, the individual stars that made up the Milky Way. He went on to discover Jupiter’s four largest moons. After publishing this information, he was named the royal mathematician in the court at Florence. With time freed from teaching duties, he could really get to work. It took him only 9 months to discover Saturn’s phases. This was another nail in the coffin for Ptolemy’s and Aristotle’s ideas about the solar system.
Galileo’s original dispute was with Aristotle’s teachings. Because so many agreed with Galileo his theories were widely published. But the powerful church was inclined to believe Aristotle’s theories which placed man at the center of creation. A Florence priest denounced Galileo Galilei astronomy in 1614. Galileo retorted that the bible has no bearing on science. A cardinal demanded Galileo stop talking about a moving Earth. Respecting the church’s authority, or perhaps only its ability to enforce it, Galileo did as he was told, turning back to other interests. It was upon signing a document stating the Earth is stationary Galileo uttered a famous quote. “I would say here something that was heard from an ecclesiastic of the most eminent degree; “And yet … it moves.”
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