Galileo

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Galileo's telescopes

Galileo's illustrations of the Moon

Galileo Galilei: Copernican system

Examine Aristotle's model of the solar system and note its failure to explain phenomena like retrograde motion

Galileo Galilei: sunspots

German mathematician Christoph Scheiner.

Why was Galileo persecuted for his discoveries?

frontispiece to Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic & Copernican

Astronomers Monument

For Students

Galileo

Galileo (Galilei) summary

Galileo

Galileo Timeline

Galileo

Galileo’s Achievements

Read Next

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Where Did the Moon Come From?

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Discover

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How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?

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What Causes Lunar and Solar Eclipses?

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Galileo: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Galileo Galilei
Born	February 15, 1564 • Pisa • Italy
Died	January 8, 1642 (aged 77) • Italy
Inventions	Galilean telescope • hydrostatic balance • thermometer • compass
Notable Works	“Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems—Ptolemaic and Copernican” • “The Sidereal Messenger”
Notable Family Members	father Vincenzo Galilei
Subjects Of Study	Jupiter • Milky Way Galaxy • Pleiades • Sun • Copernican system • Galilean satellite • Galilean transformations • gravity • motion • planet • Solar System • sunspot • pendulum

Did You Know?

Galileo constructed his famous telescope without having seen an example of the Dutch instruments.
Galileo designed a new form of hydrostatic balance, an instrument for weighing objects using air and water.

Photos and Videos

Galileo's telescopes

Galileo's illustrations of the Moon

Galileo Galilei: Copernican system

Galileo Galilei: sunspots

German mathematician Christoph Scheiner.

frontispiece to Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic & Copernican

Astronomers Monument

Examine Aristotle's model of the solar system and note its failure to explain phenomena like retrograde motion

Why was Galileo persecuted for his discoveries?

Track the evolution of the barometer to measure atmospheric pressure from Galileo to Blaise Pascal and beyond

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