Galileo was born in 1564 in the Italian city of Pisa, in the family of a well-born but impoverished nobleman Vincenzo Galilei, a prominent music theorist and lutenist. Galileo Galilei's full name: Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de Galilei (Italian: Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de "Galilei). Representatives of the Galilean family have been mentioned in documents since the 14th century. Several of his direct ancestors were priors (members of the ruling council) of the Florentine Republic, and Galileo's great-great-grandfather , a famous doctor who also bore the name Galileo, was elected head of the republic in 1445.
There were six children in the family of Vincenzo Galilei and Giulia Ammannati, but four managed to survive: Galileo (the eldest of the children), daughters Virginia, Livia and the youngest son Michelangelo, who later also gained fame as a composer-lutenist. In 1572, Vincenzo moved to Florence, the capital of the Duchy of Tuscany. The Medici dynasty that ruled there was known for its wide and constant patronage of the arts and sciences.
Little is known about Galileo's childhood. From an early age the boy was attracted to art; Throughout his life he carried his love for music and drawing, which he mastered to perfection. In his mature years, the best artists of Florence - Cigoli, Bronzino and others - consulted with him on issues of perspective and composition; Cigoli even claimed that it was to Galileo that he owed his fame. From Galileo's writings one can also conclude that he had remarkable literary talent.
Galileo received his primary education at the nearby Vallombrosa monastery. The boy loved to study and became one of the best students in the class. He weighed the possibility of becoming a priest, but his father was against it.
In 1581, 17-year-old Galileo, at the insistence of his father, entered the University of Pisa to study medicine. At the university, Galileo also attended lectures on geometry (previously he was completely unfamiliar with mathematics) and became so carried away by this science that his father began to fear that this would interfere with the study of medicine.
Galileo remained a student for less than three years; During this time, he managed to thoroughly familiarize himself with the works of ancient philosophers and mathematicians and earned a reputation among teachers as an indomitable debater. Even then, he considered himself entitled to have his own opinion on all scientific issues, regardless of traditional authorities.
It was probably during these years that he became acquainted with the theory of Copernicus. Astronomical problems were then actively discussed, especially in connection with the calendar reform that had just been carried out.
Galileo is rightfully considered the founder of not only experimental, but - to a large extent - theoretical physics. In his scientific method, he deliberately combined thoughtful experimentation with rational understanding and generalization, and he personally provided impressive examples of such research. Sometimes, due to a lack of scientific data, Galileo was wrong (for example, in questions about the shape of planetary orbits, the nature of comets, or the causes of tides), but in the vast majority of cases his method was successful. It is characteristic that Kepler, who had more complete and accurate data than Galileo, made the correct conclusions in cases where Galileo was wrong.
Galileo Galilei's life was fascinating and varied. The famous scientist was born in 1564 in the city of Pisa, which is now a region of Tuscany, in Italy. His childhood and education took place in his hometown, but later life forced him to change his place of residence.
Pisa gave the young scientist a lot, but real life began only after the whole family moved to Florence. In this city, Galileo Galilei managed to build his career and personal life. In 1581, after several years of study at a monastery school, Galileo entered the medical faculty. In addition to medicine, Galileo was also interested in the scientific works of ancient Greek philosophers, in particular Aristotle and Euclid, and was also deeply interested in the mathematical works of Archimedes and basic mechanics. The training gave Galileo ideas that would lead to further discoveries and breakthroughs in science and astronomy.
Italy, the country in which Galileo Galilei lived, was orthodox at that time, but did not prevent young talents from expressing themselves, of course, if their discoveries were not extremely heretical from the point of view of the church.
In 1585, family financial difficulties forced Galileo Galilei to abandon his studies. In 1589, by a happy coincidence and due to strong friendships that led to amazing changes, Galileo received a professorship at the University of Pisa, therefore, due to obvious circumstances, he was forced to return to his hometown.
The year 1591 was a mourning year for the Galileo family - their father died. As the eldest son, Galileo had to take care of the younger family members and his mother, but he did not give up teaching. Protectorate and social communication were quite common phenomena at that time - thanks to the help of the Marquis del Monte, Galileo Galilei received a professorship, but already at the University of Padua. He taught there for a long time - from 1592 to 1610. It is believed that this was the period of Galileo Galilei's popularity as a scientist and teacher, which contributed to the next career stage in Galileo Galilei's life. In 1610, he received the position of professor at the University of Pisa, but for life, and moved to live in Florence, where he also became a court scientist. Officially, the position was called “court philosopher.” At that time, the famous, rich and influential di Medici dynasty was ruling in Italy, so Cosimo II Medici kindly offered him this position.
In 1632, a church hearing took place in Rome, which examined the position of Galileo Galilei regarding the two systems of Ptolemy and Copernicus, which he discussed in his scientific treatise. His teaching was recognized as heretical, after which he was banned from teaching and creating new scientific works. By the last years of his life, Galileo Galilei's health had deteriorated significantly, which led to the scientist's complete blindness. In the circle of his students, he codified thoughts and communicated on abstract topics. Galileo Galilei died in 1642 and was buried in Florence, next to Michelangelo.
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“It required exceptional fortitude to extract the laws of nature from concrete phenomena that were always before everyone’s eyes, but the explanation of which nevertheless eluded the inquisitive gaze of philosophers,” wrote the famous French mathematician and astronomer Lagrange about Galileo.
Galileo Galilei's discoveries in astronomy
In 1609, Galileo Galilei independently built his first telescope with a convex lens and a concave eyepiece. At first, his telescope gave approximately 3 times magnification. Soon he managed to build a telescope that gave a magnification of 32 times. The term itself telescope Galileo also introduced it into science (at the suggestion of Federico Cesi). A number of discoveries that Galileo made with the help of a telescope contributed to the statement heliocentric system of the world, which Galileo actively promoted, and refuting the views of the geocentrists Aristotle and Ptolemy.
Galileo's telescope had one converging lens as an objective, and a diverging lens as an eyepiece. This optical design produces a non-inverted (terrestrial) image. The main disadvantages of the Galilean telescope are its very small field of view. This system is still used in theater binoculars, and sometimes in homemade amateur telescopes.
Galileo made the first telescopic observations of celestial bodies on January 7, 1610. They showed that the Moon, like the Earth, has a complex topography - covered with mountains and craters. Galileo explained the ashen light of the Moon, known since ancient times, as a result of sunlight reflected by the Earth hitting it. All this refuted Aristotle’s teaching about the opposition of “earthly” and “heavenly”: the Earth became a body of fundamentally the same nature as the celestial bodies, and this served as an indirect argument in favor of the Copernican system: if other planets are moving, then it is natural to assume that the Earth is moving too. Galileo also discovered libration of the Moon (its slow vibration) and quite accurately estimated the height of the lunar mountains.
The planet Venus appeared to Galileo in the telescope not as a shiny point, but as a light crescent, similar to the moon.
The most interesting thing was the observation of the bright planet Jupiter. Through the telescope, Jupiter no longer appeared to the astronomer as a bright dot, but as a rather large circle. There were three stars in the sky near this circle, and a week later Galileo discovered a fourth star.
Looking at the picture, one might wonder why Galileo did not immediately discover all four satellites: after all, they are so clearly visible in the photograph! But we must remember that Galileo’s telescope was very weak. It turned out that all four stars not only follow Jupiter in its movements across the sky, but also revolve around this large planet. So, four moons were found at once on Jupiter - four satellites. Thus, Galileo refuted one of the arguments of opponents of heliocentrism: the Earth cannot revolve around the Sun, since the Moon itself rotates around it. After all, Jupiter obviously had to revolve either around the Earth (as in the geocentric system) or around the Sun (as in the heliocentric system). Galileo observed the orbital period of these satellites for a year and a half, but the accuracy of the estimate was achieved only in the era of Newton. Galileo proposed using observations of the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites to solve the critical problem of determining longitude at sea. He himself was unable to develop an implementation of such an approach, although he worked on it until the end of his life; Cassini was the first to achieve success (1681), but due to the difficulties of observations at sea, Galileo’s method was used mainly by land expeditions, and after the invention of the marine chronometer (mid-18th century), the problem was closed.
Galileo also discovered (independently from Fabricius and Herriot) sunspots(dark areas on the Sun, the temperature of which is lowered by about 1500 K compared to the surrounding areas).
The existence of spots and their constant variability refuted Aristotle’s thesis about the perfection of the heavens (as opposed to the “sublunary world”). From their observations, Galileo concluded that The Sun rotates around its axis, estimated the period of this rotation and the position of the Sun's axis.
Galileo also established that Venus changes phases. On the one hand, this proved that it shines with reflected light from the Sun (about which there was no clarity in the astronomy of the previous period). On the other hand, the order of phase changes corresponded to the heliocentric system: in Ptolemy’s theory, Venus as the “lower” planet was always closer to the Earth than the Sun, and “full Venus” was impossible.
Galileo also noted the strange “appendages” of Saturn, but the discovery of the ring was prevented by the weakness of the telescope. 50 years later, the ring of Saturn was discovered and described by Huygens, who had a 92-fold telescope at his disposal.
Galileo argued that when observed through a telescope, the planets are visible as disks, the apparent sizes of which in different configurations change in the same ratio as follows from the Copernican theory. However, the diameter of stars does not increase when observed with a telescope. This refuted estimates of the apparent and actual size of stars, which were used by some astronomers as an argument against the heliocentric system.
The Milky Way, which to the naked eye looks like a continuous glow, was revealed to Galileo in the form of individual stars, which confirmed Democritus’ guess, and a huge number of previously unknown stars became visible.
Galileo wrote a book, Dialogue Concerning the Two World Systems, in which he explained in detail why he accepted the Copernican system rather than Ptolemy. The main points of this dialogue are as follows:
- Venus and Mercury are never in opposition, meaning that they orbit the Sun and their orbit is between the Sun and the Earth.
- Mars has oppositions. From an analysis of changes in brightness during the movement of Mars, Galileo concluded that this planet also revolves around the Sun, but in this case the Earth is located inside its orbit. He made similar conclusions for Jupiter and Saturn.
It remains to choose between two systems of the world: the Sun (with planets) revolves around the Earth or the Earth revolves around the Sun. The observed pattern of planetary movements in both cases is the same, this guarantees principle of relativity formulated by Galileo himself. Therefore, additional arguments are needed for the choice, among which Galileo cites the greater simplicity and naturalness of the Copernican model (however, he rejected Kepler’s system with elliptical orbits of the planets).
Galileo explained why the earth's axis does not rotate when the earth revolves around the sun; To explain this phenomenon, Copernicus introduced a special “third movement” of the Earth. Galileo showed experimentally that the axis of a freely moving top maintains its direction by itself(“Letters to Ingoli”):
“A similar phenomenon is evidently found in any body that is in a freely suspended state, as I have shown to many; and you yourself can verify this by placing a floating wooden ball in a vessel of water, which you take in your hands, and then, stretching them out, you begin to rotate around yourself; you will see how this ball will rotate around itself in the direction opposite to your rotation; it will complete its full rotation at the same time as you complete yours.”
Galileo made a serious mistake in believing that the phenomenon of tides proved the rotation of the Earth on its axis. But he also gives other serious arguments in favor of the daily rotation of the Earth:
- It is difficult to agree that the entire Universe makes a daily revolution around the Earth (especially considering the colossal distances to the stars); it is more natural to explain the observed picture by the rotation of the Earth alone. The synchronous participation of planets in daily rotation would also violate the observed pattern, according to which the further a planet is from the Sun, the slower it moves.
- Even the huge Sun has been found to have axial rotation.
To prove the rotation of the Earth, Galileo suggests mentally imagining that a cannon shell or a falling body deviates slightly from the vertical during the fall, but his calculation shows that this deviation is negligible.
Galileo also made the correct observation that the rotation of the Earth must influence the dynamics of the winds. All these effects were discovered much later.
Other achievements of Galileo Galilei
He also invented:
- Hydrostatic balances for determining the specific gravity of solids.
- The first thermometer, still without a scale (1592).
- Proportional compass used in drafting (1606).
- Microscope (1612); With its help, Galileo studied insects.
The range of his interests was very wide: Galileo was also involved optics, acoustics, theory of color and magnetism, hydrostatics(science that studies the equilibrium of liquids) resistance of materials, fortification problems(military science of artificial closures and barriers). I tried to measure the speed of light. He experimentally measured the density of air and gave a value of 1/400 (compare: Aristotle - 1/10, the true modern value is 1/770).
Galileo also formulated the law of the indestructibility of matter.
Having become acquainted with all the achievements of Galileo Galilei in science, it is impossible not to become interested in his personality. Therefore, we will tell you about the main stages of his life’s journey.
From the biography of Galileo Galilei
The future Italian scientist (physicist, mechanic, astronomer, philosopher and mathematician) was born in 1564 in Pisa. As you already know, he is the author of outstanding astronomical discoveries. But his adherence to the heliocentric system of the world led to serious conflicts with the Catholic Church, which made his life very difficult.
He was born into a noble family, his father was a famous musician and music theorist. His passion for art was passed on to his son: Galileo studied music and drawing, and also had literary talent.
Education
He received his primary education in the monastery closest to his home, studied all his life with great eagerness - he studied medicine at the University of Pisa, and at the same time was interested in geometry. He studied at the university for only about 3 years - his father could no longer pay for his son’s studies, but news of the talented young man reached senior officials, he was patronized by the Marquis del Monte and the Tuscan Duke Ferdinand I de’ Medici.
Scientific activity
Galileo later taught at the University of Pisa and then at the more prestigious University of Padua, where the most fruitful years of his scientific career began. Here he is actively involved in astronomy - he invents his own first telescope. He named the four satellites of Jupiter that he discovered after the sons of his patron Medici (now they are called the Galilean satellites). Galileo described his first discoveries with a telescope in his essay “The Starry Messenger”; this book became a real bestseller of its time, and the inhabitants of Europe quickly purchased telescopes for themselves. Galileo becomes the most famous scientist in Europe; odes are written in his honor, comparing him to Columbus.
During these years, Galileo entered into a civil marriage, in which he had a son and two daughters.
Of course, such people, in addition to their adherents, always have enough ill-wishers, and Galileo did not escape this. Detractors were especially outraged by his propaganda of the heliocentric system of the world, because a detailed substantiation of the concept of the immobility of the Earth and a refutation of hypotheses about its rotation was contained in Aristotle’s treatise “On Heaven” and in Ptolemy’s “Almagest”.
In 1611, Galileo decided to go to Rome to convince Pope Paul V that Copernicus' ideas were completely compatible with Catholicism. He was received well and showed them his telescope, giving careful and careful explanations. The cardinals created a commission to clarify the question of whether it was sinful to look at the sky through a pipe, but came to the conclusion that this was permissible. Roman astronomers openly discussed the question of whether Venus was moving around the Earth or around the Sun (the changing phases of Venus clearly spoke in favor of the second option).
But denunciations to the Inquisition began. And when Galileo published the book “Letters on Sunspots” in 1613, in which he openly spoke out in favor of the Copernican system, the Roman Inquisition began its first case against Galileo on charges of heresy. Galileo's last mistake was his call to Rome to express its final attitude towards the teachings of Copernicus. Then the Catholic Church decided to ban his teaching with the explanation that “ the church does not object to the interpretation of Copernicanism as a convenient mathematical device, but accepting it as a reality would mean admitting that the previous, traditional interpretation of the biblical text was erroneous».
March 5, 1616 Rome officially defines heliocentrism as a dangerous heresy. Copernicus's book was banned.
The church prohibition of heliocentrism, the truth of which Galileo was convinced, was unacceptable for the scientist. He began to think about how to continue defending the truth without formally violating the ban. And I decided to publish a book containing a neutral discussion of different points of view. He wrote this book for 16 years, collecting materials, honing his arguments and waiting for the right moment. Finally (in 1630) it was finished, this book - “Dialogue about the two most important systems of the world - Ptolemaic and Copernican” , but was published only in 1632. The book is written in the form of a dialogue between three lovers of science: a Copernican, a neutral participant, and an adherent of Aristotle and Ptolemy. Although the book does not contain the author's conclusions, the strength of the arguments in favor of the Copernican system speaks for itself. But in the neutral participant, the Pope recognized himself and his arguments and became furious. Within a few months, the book was banned and withdrawn from sale, and Galileo was summoned to Rome to be tried by the Inquisition on suspicion of heresy. After the first interrogation, he was taken into custody. There is an opinion that torture was used against him, that Galileo was threatened with death, he was interrogated in the torture room, where terrible tools were laid out before the prisoner’s eyes: leather funnels, through which a huge amount of water was poured into a person’s stomach, iron boots (they were screwed into legs of the tortured person), pincers used to break bones...
In any case, he was faced with a choice: either he would repent and renounce his “delusions,” or he would suffer the fate of Giordano Bruno. He could not bear the threats and renounced his writing.
But Galileo remained a prisoner of the Inquisition until his death. He was strictly forbidden to talk to anyone about the movement of the Earth. And yet, Galileo secretly worked on an essay in which he asserted the truth about the Earth and the heavenly bodies. After the verdict, Galileo was settled in one of the Medici villas, and five months later he was allowed to go home, and he settled in Arcetri, next to the monastery where his daughters were. Here he spent the rest of his life under house arrest and under constant surveillance by the Inquisition.
Some time later, after the death of his beloved daughter, Galileo completely lost his sight, but continued scientific research, relying on his faithful students, among whom was Torricelli. Only once, shortly before his death, the Inquisition allowed the blind and seriously ill Galileo to leave Arcetri and settle in Florence for treatment. At the same time, under pain of prison, he was forbidden to leave the house and discuss the “damned opinion” about the movement of the Earth.
Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642, at the age of 78, in his bed. He was buried in Arcetri without honors; the Pope also did not allow him to erect a monument.
Later, Galileo’s only grandson also became a monk and burned the scientist’s priceless manuscripts that he kept as ungodly. He was the last representative of the Galilean family.
Afterword
In 1737, Galileo's ashes, as he requested, were transferred to the Basilica of Santa Croce, where on March 17 he was solemnly buried next to Michelangelo.
In 1835, books that defended heliocentrism were removed from the list of prohibited books.
From 1979 to 1981, on the initiative of Pope John Paul II, a commission worked to rehabilitate Galileo, and on October 31, 1992, Pope John Paul II officially admitted that the Inquisition in 1633 made a mistake by forcefully forcing the scientist to renounce the Copernican theory.
Name: Galileo Galilei
State: Italy
Field of activity: Scientist
Greatest Achievement: Proved that the planets revolve around the sun. He made enormous contributions to astronomy, physics, and mathematics. He laid the foundation for classical mechanics.
Italy can rightfully be considered a forge of science - famous scientists who revolutionized the concept of the structure of the world, physicists, astronomers, sculptors, and architects came from this wonderful country. Not afraid of conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, they zealously defended their knowledge. To save life and the opportunity to work, some renounced their beliefs.
The most striking example of this behavior is Galileo Galilei. The scientist (most people simply call him Galileo) was one of the most significant people in the history of science. He lived at a turning point in time, when different threads of thought met at the crossroads of sciences.
These were:
- natural philosophy based on the ideas of Aristotle;
- beliefs of the Catholic Church;
- evidence-based research.
Looking ahead, we note that in the end, the ideas of Galileo and other scientists triumphed because they were able to prove their truth.
early years
The future great scientist was born in the city of Pisa on February 15, 1564 into an aristocratic family. However, it cannot be said that the family bathed in luxury - on the contrary, only one name remained from aristocracy. Galileo's father, Vincenzo, was a musician. Although the family was impoverished, some members of the Galileo family held prominent positions in the past. Thus, several ancestors were members of the Council of the Florentine Republic, and one of the ancestors was even elected head of the city.
Almost nothing is known about the boy's early years. When the child turned 8 years old, the family moved to Florence. This city was not chosen by chance; the Medici family always patronized scientists and cultural figures. Upon reaching 18 years of age, he entered the University of Pisa at the Faculty of Medicine. Then interest in mathematics awakens. She so absorbed the young student that the father was afraid that his son would abandon medicine. Already at that time, Galileo positioned himself as a fierce debater, defending his views to the bitter end, even if they ran counter to the authoritative opinion of scientists.
Unfortunately, Galileo was a student for only 3 years - the family’s money ran out, and the father could no longer pay for his son’s education. Galileo returns to Florence without a degree.
Carier start
Gradually abandoning his studies in medicine, he became an inventor. One of his first instruments was a hydrostatic balance. Then, at the age of 22, Galileo published a book on hydrostatic balance - thus his name became known in the city. However, for now it was necessary to find an opportunity to earn a living - technological progress was in its very infancy. Galileo first worked as an art teacher.
At the age of 24, he began teaching art. He did not stay long in this job - his scientific and mathematical abilities were noticed, and in 1589, at the age of only 25, he received a job offer at the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Pisa. The young scholar worked here for three years before moving to Padua and becoming a teacher at the local university in 1592. Galileo settled in this city, where he taught mathematics, physics and astronomy, and made many important scientific discoveries.
These happy, fruitful years were overshadowed by a sad event - his father died in 1591.
He continued his research and in 1593 published the first book “Mechanics”, where he described all his observations over several years. After the publication of his scientific work, the name of Galileo became known throughout almost all of Italy. But the main invention was waiting for him ahead - a telescope with a concave eyepiece, with which it was possible to observe the stars and make various astronomical discoveries.
Of course, such research could not go unnoticed by the church - already in 1604 the first denunciation of Galileo was laid on the table of the Inquisition. Allegedly, he read forbidden literature in his room and practiced astrology, which was then equivalent to alchemy. However, this time he was lucky - the inquisitor in Padua sympathized with the young talent and ignored the denunciation.
Nevertheless, with the help of a telescope, Galileo made several stunning discoveries that, years later, did not cease to excite descendants - he discovered the first satellites in the orbit of a planet other than Earth - Jupiter. The four largest moons of the planet that he discovered were named Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. And together they are known as the satellites of Galileo. Galileo also discovered that Venus has phases similar to the Moon, ranging from a thin crescent to a full moon.
This was the first practical, observational evidence that the sun is at the center of the solar system. In addition, he is credited with the discovery of the rings of Saturn. Well, a truly revolutionary discovery - there are mountains on the Moon. For that time it was a real shock. The Milky Way, according to Galileo’s research, consisted of stars located close to each other (which gives the impression of a lunar “path”).
He was also the first person to see the planet Neptune. This is known for certain from the drawings in his notebook. He noticed that it was moving, unlike other stars. At the time of Galileo, the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn had been known for thousands of years, and no others were considered or sought. Unfortunately, Galileo lost track of the moving star he had found. Neptune was only rediscovered in 1846.
Galileo Galilei also adhered to the heliocentric system - the same one that Copernicus proposed. Through his telescope, he saw that the Polish astronomer was right, and his own research proved that it was the Sun that was in the center, and the planets revolved around it. Unfortunately, in those days, many scientific discoveries were contrary to church teachings. Therefore, the Inquisition began to pay closer attention to Galileo. The scientist was summoned and demanded to stop his research and not mislead the people. I had to obey. But Galileo did not give up and in 1632 published a book-dialogue in which supporters of both the teachings and Ptolemy discussed the solar system and planets.
The book was published and was a success in the first two months. Then it was banned, and the author was again summoned to the Pope. This time the matter was set in motion. The investigation lasted several months, and the result was Galileo's renunciation of his beliefs.
last years of life
The trial ended in 1633, and he was ordered to go to his villa Archertree near Florence and was prohibited from going to Rome or engaging in scientific activities. I had to do this secretly. During these years, the scientist’s health noticeably weakened; the years took their toll. After all, he was already over sixty. Scientific activities had to be carried out secretly - the Inquisition did not take its watchful eyes off Galileo.
Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642, he was 77 years old. He survived his eldest daughter Virginia, who had died 8 years earlier and was caring for her ailing father. Two representatives of the Inquisition were present at the funeral; all works were subject to careful verification. A little later, another daughter of Galileo, Livia, died. And then, the scientist’s grandson, named after him, became a monk and destroyed all his grandfather’s works in a fire. Thus, the originals of Galileo's works have not reached us. However, his business continues to live.
Galileo Galilei was an astronomer, physicist, mathematician, philosopher and mechanic. He greatly influenced the science of his era and became the first person to use a telescope to observe celestial bodies. Scientists have made many brilliant discoveries in the field of astronomy. He became the founder of experimental physics and founded classical mechanics.
Galileo Galilei was born in the Italian city of Pisa on February 15, 1564 into the family of a noble but poor nobleman. After ten years he became a pupil of the monastery at Vallombroms, which he left at the age of seventeen. He entered the university of his hometown at the Faculty of Medicine, where he received an academic degree and became a professor.
In 1592, Galileo became dean of the department of mathematics at the University of Padua, where he created a series of greatest works in mathematics and mechanics.
The first discoveries using the telescope were described by scientists in the work “Star Messenger”. This book was a huge success. Scientists built a telescope that magnified objects three times. It was placed on the tower of San Marco in Venice. Thanks to this, everyone had the opportunity to observe the stars and the Moon.
Soon a telescope was invented that magnified eleven times more than the first. The discoveries made with this telescope were described in the book The Star Messenger.
In 1637, Galileo went blind. Before the incident, he wrote his last book, in which scientists summarized all their observations and achievements in the field of mechanics.
The scientist's many years of work, a book about the structure of the world, played a cruel joke in his fate. In it, he popularized the theory of Copernicus, so it was in dissonance with Holy Scripture. For this reason, the scientist was persecuted for a long time by the Inquisition under threat of death. He was strictly forbidden to publish works until the end of his life.
Galileo Galilei's death occurred on January 8, 1642. The greatest scientist was buried without honors as an ordinary person in the scientist's villa. However, years later, in 1737, his remains were solemnly reburied next to the tomb of the great Michelangelo in Santa Croce.
A few decades later, a decree was issued to lift the ban on the works of Galileo Galilei. But the scientist was finally rehabilitated only in 1992.
Option 2
In the winter of 1564, in the city of Pisa (Italy), a boy was born into a poor noble family, who later became a famous scientist not only of his century. The works of Galileo Galilei have passed through the centuries, being confirmed and supplemented by new information. From childhood, young Galileo loved painting and music, was fascinated by them, worked on his skills, thanks to which he mastered these types of art to perfection. Study also attracted the boy, so he was the best among his classmates.
Galileo's father saw his son's future in medicine, and therefore, when he was first accepted into a monastic order, and then became interested in studying geometry, he insisted on his son entering the University of Pisa. During almost three years of study at the university, Galileo studied and became imbued with many teachings and writings of antiquity. Further, his education became impossible due to the lack of funds from his family, but the young man’s lively mind and curiosity attracted, and just in time, the attention of a certain Marquis Guidobaldo del Monte. He noticed the young man’s merits, and after 4 years Galileo returned to his university, now as a professor of mathematics.
In 1591, Galileo remained the eldest man in the family, since his father had died, but a year later he was offered a place at a very prestigious university, where, in addition to mathematics, he taught astronomy and even mechanics. Over the years of work at the university, Galileo's authority increased significantly. Students and professors wanted to attend his lectures. The scientist himself designed the first telescope in 1609, and in 1610 he left Venice, moving to Florence to a profitable position at the duke’s court. Later this act will turn out to be a mistake for him.
Thanks to the telescope he designed, Galileo made new and new assumptions about the structure of the cosmos. In particular, he becomes an adherent of the heliocentric system of the world structure and defends it in every possible way, acquiring an enemy in the person of Catholics. In 1611 he went to Rome, trying to convince the religious authorities of the compatibility of science and Catholicism. Having found a good reception in Rome, Galileo conducts seminars, answers questions, and explains the theory from a scientific point of view. And in 1615, the Inquisition opened the first case against a scientist on charges of heresy. The Church cannot accept a theory that would refute the Bible, and the Inquisition recognizes heliocentrism as heresy. Since 1616, any support for this theory has been banned. His further attempts to get the ban lifted do not lead to positive results.
Until 1633, the Inquisition conducted an investigation into the case of the heretic Galileo. Numerous arrests, interrogations, including torture – the scientist had to endure a lot for his science. Galileo spent the last years of his life near his native land, but almost completely alone. The Inquisition, under threat of imprisonment, forbids him visitors. Galileo Galilei died in 1642, but being blind and very ill, he continued to work in various fields of science and over the past 7 years he created a large-scale work, Conversations and Mathematical Proofs of the Two Sciences. Only almost 200 years later his works were again revised, studied and found to be beyond the prohibitions.