Galilei Galileo Biography

Birth of Galilei Galileo

Invents the Hydrostatic Balance

Invents the Open Thermometer

Galileo along with Englishman Thomas Harriot and others are among the first to use a refracting telescope as an instrument to observe stars, planets or moons. Builds his own telescope, has 20x magnification

The Venetian senate examines Galileo's telescope. Demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers, his work on the device made for a profitable sideline with merchants who found it useful for their shipping businesses and trading issues

Publication of "The Starry Messenger", claims the Earth revolves around the Sun. Galileo's observations of the phases of Venus proved that it orbited the Sun and lent support to (but did not prove) the heliocentric model

Discovers Lunar Reflected Light

Uses the newly invented telescope to discover mountains & continents on the moon

The first observation of Saturn through a telescope is made by Galileo Galilei, his first telescope is so crude that he wasnt able to distinguish the planets rings; instead he thought the planet might have ears or two large moons on either side

Galileo's observations of the phases of Venus proved that it orbited the Sun and lent support to (but did not prove) the heliocentric model. Galileo observes that Venus exhibited a full set of phases similar to that of the Moon

Publishes his initial telescopic astronomical observations in March 1610 in a short treatise entitled Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger)

Publishes his initial telescopic astronomical observations in March 1610 in a short treatise entitled Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger). Publication of "The Starry Messenger", claims the Earth revolves around the Sun

Discovers that Sunspots move across the surface of the sun

Galileo also observed the planet Neptune in 1612, but did not realize that it was a planet

Previous sunspot observations had been misinterpreted as planetary transits, until Galileo gave the correct explanation in 1612

Published in "letters on the solar spots". For Galileo, the tides were caused by the sloshing back and forth of water in the seas as a point on the Earths surface speeded up and slowed down because of the Earths rotation on its axis and revolution around the Sun. Attempts to show there is scriptural support for his beliefs but condemned by the Pope

Galileo circulates his first account of the tides in 1616, addressed to Cardinal Orsini. Cardinal Bellarmine, acting on directives from the Inquisition, delivered an order not to "hold or defend" the idea that the Earth moves and the Sun stands still at the centre

Galileo revives his project of writing a book about heliocentrism, encouraged by the election of Cardinal Barberini as Pope Urban VIII in 1623

Publication of "Two Chief World Systems", claims the Earth revolves around the Sun

The book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, is published in 1632, with formal authorization from the Inquisition and papal permission. By the inquisition, forced to deny his belief in the Copernican system

The book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, is published in 1632, with formal authorization from the Inquisition and papal permission

By the inquisition, forced to deny his belief in the Copernican system

Placed under House arrest

Sentenced to life imprisonment, commuted to house arrest

Discovers Lunar libration

Death of Galilei Galileo

John Paul II orders an inquiry into the Church's treatment of Galileo

The Vatican admits that it was mistaken in its treatment of Galileo