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Galileo lived an extraordinary life full of controversy, defiance and brilliance. He changed the way we think about the universe as well as are place in it. He stood up for his beliefs and discoveries, even though he was accused of lying by his community and even heresy by the church. In all he walked and amazing life and I hope you enjoy my brief description of it. |
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Galileo was born in 1564 on February 15 in the Italian town of Pisa. However due to financial problems his family moved to Florence in the early 1570's.
It wasn't until 1581 when Galileo was enrolled in University that he returned to Pisa. It was during his years at the University of Pisa that the young Galileo first discovered his liking of science and mathematics. It was said during his time at the University Galileo became interested in the study of pendulum. This field kept Galileo’s interest until in 1601 he made his first real notable discovery. He observed that the Period of a pendulum does not matter on the arc of its swing.
The next large discovery i will tell you about made by Galileo was perhaps one of his most famous. He observed that when we dropped a heavy object from the same height as a much lighter object they hit the ground at the same time. This was a very important discovery as it changed the theories believed at the time, the very theories Galileo was taught at University. Those theories were made by Aristotle a very famous and respected Greek physicist. Although this discovery was controversial in this period it would be nothing compared to the consequences of the next discovery I will explain.
Repercussions In the early 1600's Len’s were first being made these Len’s were of enormous interest to the scientist of the day including Galileo. However due to there popularity and some other factors Galileo was unable to purchase these new lens. This however did not stop Galileo and in 1609 he produced his own lens and made with them what is now known as a telescope. Although it is unsure whether Galileo did actually first invent the telescope it is clear that he found a way to increase its magnification considerably. While other scientists were using these new magnifying lens to observe close objects in more detail, Galileo had different ideas. With his new telescope Galileo started to observe space and particularly the planet Jupiter. Whilst watching the giant planet he observed that Jupiter had bodies orbiting it like our moon obits earth. He also observed a super nova and discovered sun spots as well as many other ground breaking observations These discoveries however did prove that the Copernican system was more accurate than the convention. This system says that the stellar bodies did infact obit the sun and not the earth.
This had profound repercussions as this theory went against the church which believed the Copernican system to be heresy. The church then told Galileo that he most renounce these ideas and tell the world he had made a mistake. Although Galileo made efforts to convince the public and the church that his discoveries were accurate the church branded him a heretic. Galileo was then called to stand before the Inquisition. At the inquisition Galileo was told that he most never defend the Copernican system and he was only to write about in terms of a mathematical proposal. However when Galileo printed his book Dialoged Concerning the Two Chief World Systems he was again called in front of the inquisition. Here he was branded a heretic by the pope and put under house arrest at his home. Here then Galileo lived out the rest of his life now blind due to it is believed prolonged study of the sun through his telescope.
This then conclude my short summary of Galileo's life.
Tom Maryon.