Galileo Galilei: illuminating the universe with science and reason.
The figure of Galileo Galilei is one of the most iconic in the history of science. Born in Pisa on February 15, 1564, Galileo became a prominent physicist, astronomer, mathematician, and inventor of the Renaissance era. His work revolutionized the way we understand the universe and laid the foundations for modern science.
In this article, we will analyze the life and contributions from Galileo Galilei to the science, from his first investigations to his discoveries in astronomy and physics.
Biography of Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei was born at a time when religious beliefs and Aristotelian ideas They dominated scientific thought. From a young age, he showed a great interest in physics and astronomy. His first research focused on mechanics and, in 1604, while teaching at the University of Padua, made a fundamental discovery. Galileo showed that the mass of an object does not affect its speed in free fall, which it contradicted the then accepted ideas of Aristotle.
This discovery marked the beginning of a series of scientific revolutions led by Galileo. From here, he began to direct his attention towards the sky.
Galileo Galilei’s astronomical revolution
In 1609, Galileo heard about the invention of the “Dutch lunette” and decided to build his own telescope. He modified and improved this device until he achieved an increase of up to 20 times. With this telescope, he began making astronomical observations that would forever change our understanding of the cosmos.
Craters and lunar mountains
One of Galileo’s first important discoveries was when observed the moon through your telescope. Contrary to the common belief at the time that the Moon was a smooth sphere, Galileo could identify craters and mountains on its surface. These observations demonstrated that the Moon had a rugged topography, which challenged previous beliefs.
The phases of Venus
Another key discovery of Galileo was his observation of the phases of Venus. Through his telescope, he could see Venus passing by. phases similar to those of the Moon, which suggested that Venus orbited the Sun and not the Earth. These observations supported the Copernicus heliocentric theory and contradicted the prevailing geocentric theory that placed the Earth at the center of the universe.
The moons of Jupiter
One of Galileo’s most revolutionary discoveries was that of the four largest moons of Jupiter. Throughout his observations, he noticed small points of light orbiting Jupiter. These objects were Galilean moons, named in his honor. This finding showed that Not all orbits revolved around the Earth, further challenging the geocentrism.
sunspots
Galileo was also the first to observe and document sunspots, dark areas on the surface of the Sun. These sunspots showed that the Sun It was not a perfect celestial body, as was believed at the time, but had imperfections and changes on its surface.
Confirmation of the heliocentric model
All these observations supported the heliocentric theory of Copernicus, who maintained that the planets, including the Earth, orbited the Sun. Galileo published his discoveries in his work “Sidereus Nuncius” (The Star Messenger), who became exit and catapulted him to fame.
Conflicts and persecution
However, Galileo’s discoveries They were not well received by the Catholic Church, nor by some academic figures of the time. In 1616, the heliocentric system was declared heretical by the Church and Galileo was ordered not to teach or promote these ideas. Despite this, continued his astronomical work and in 1632 he published “Dialogue on the Two Maximum Systems of the World”, in which he defended Copernicus’s heliocentric model.
This led to his trial before the Inquisition in 1633, where he was forced to publicly resign to his heliocentric ideas under threat of torture. It is believed that at that moment Galileo murmured the famous phrase «Eppur si moove» (and yet it moves) in reference to the statement that The Earth orbits the Sun, although evidence suggests that he probably never uttered it.
Galileo was sentenced to house arrest, where he spent the rest of his life. Despite the persecution of him, His ideas and discoveries continued to influence in science and laid the foundations for scientific revolution that was coming.
Legacy of Galileo Galilei
The life and work of Galileo Galilei left an indelible legacy in the history of science. Their astronomical observations and his experiments in physics revolutionized our understanding of the universe and They laid the foundations for modern science. Below are some of Galileo’s most notable contributions to science.
The law of falling bodies
One of Galileo’s most famous experiments involves the free fall of objects. Through his experiments, he demonstrated that all objects fall at the same speed in a uniform gravitational field, regardless of their mass. This observation It was fundamental for the further development of Newton’s laws of motion.
The law of the pendulum
Galileo also studied the movement of pendulums and discovered that the period of oscillation of a pendulum does not depend on the amplitude of the movement, but only on the length of the pendulum and the acceleration due to gravity. This law of the pendulum was crucial for the development of precise watches and precise timing.
The theory of parabolic trajectories
Galileo developed the theory of parabolic trajectories, which states that The trajectory of a projectile under the influence of gravity is a parabolic curve. This theory is fundamental in ballistics and trajectory prediction of moving objects, such as missiles and projectiles.
Contributions to the scientific revolution
Despite the persecution he faced, Galileo remained an influential figure in the scientific community. His ideas and discoveries inspired other scientists to question the traditional beliefs and to carry out research based on observation and empirical evidence.
What NASA object is named Galileo after the famous scientist?
The Galileo space probe, launched in 1989, is named after Galileo Galilei in honor of his contributions to astronomy.