GALILEO(galilei)Galileo

The Italian physicist, mechanic and astronomer, one of the founders of natural science, poet, philologist and critic Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa into a noble but impoverished Florentine family. His father, Vincenzo, famous musician, rendered big influence on the development and formation of Galileo's abilities. Until the age of 11, Galileo lived in Pisa, attended school there, then the family moved to Florence. Galileo received further education in the monastery of Vallombros, where he was accepted as a novice in a monastic order.

Here he got acquainted with the works of Latin and Greek writers. Under the pretext of a serious eye disease, the father took his son from the monastery. At his father's insistence, in 1581 Galileo entered the University of Pisa, where he studied medicine. Here he first became acquainted with the physics of Aristotle, which from the very beginning seemed unconvincing to him. Galileo turned to reading the ancient mathematicians - Euclid and Archimedes. Archimedes became his real teacher. Fascinated by geometry and mechanics, Galileo abandoned medicine and returned to Florence, where he spent 4 years studying mathematics. The result of this period of Galileo's life was a small essay "Little Scales" (1586, ed. 1655), which describes the hydrostatic balance built by Galileo for quickly determining the composition of metal alloys, and a geometric study on the centers of gravity of bodily figures.

These works brought Galileo his first fame among Italian mathematicians. In 1589 he received the chair of mathematics in Pisa, continuing his scientific work. His “Dialogue on Motion”, written in Pisa and directed against Aristotle, has been preserved in manuscripts. Some of the conclusions and arguments in this work are erroneous, and Galileo subsequently abandoned them. But already here, without naming the name of Copernicus, Galileo gives arguments refuting Aristotle's objections to the daily rotation of the Earth.

In 1592, Galileo took the chair of mathematics in Padua. The Padua period of Galileo's life (1592-1610) is the time of the highest flowering of his activity. During these years, his static research on machines arose, where he proceeds from the general principle of equilibrium, coinciding with the principle of possible displacements, his main dynamic works about the laws of free fall of bodies, about falling along inclined plane, about the motion of a body thrown at an angle to the horizon, about the isochronism of pendulum oscillations. The same period includes research on the strength of materials, on the mechanics of animal bodies; finally, in Padua, Galileo became a completely convinced follower of Copernicus. However scientific work Galilee remained hidden from everyone except her friends. Galileo's lectures were read according to the traditional program, they expounded the teachings of Ptolemy. In Padua, Galileo published only a description of a proportional compass, which allows you to quickly make various calculations and constructions.

In 1609, on the basis of the information that had come down to him about the spotting scope invented in Holland, Galileo built his first telescope, giving approximately 3-fold magnification. The work of the telescope was demonstrated from the tower of St. Mark in Venice and made a huge impression. Soon Galileo built a telescope with a magnification of 32 times. The observations made with its help destroyed the "ideal spheres" of Aristotle and the dogma of the perfection of celestial bodies: the surface of the Moon turned out to be covered with mountains and pitted with craters, the stars lost their apparent size, and for the first time their colossal remoteness was comprehended. Jupiter discovered 4 satellites, a huge number of new stars became visible in the sky. The Milky Way has broken up into individual stars. Galileo described his observations in The Starry Messenger (1610-1611), which made a stunning impression. At the same time, a fierce controversy began. Galileo was accused of the fact that everything he saw was an optical illusion, they also argued simply that his observations contradict Aristotle, and therefore are erroneous.

Astronomical discoveries served as a turning point in the life of Galileo: he freed himself from teaching and, at the invitation of Duke Cosimo II de Medici, moved to Florence. Here he becomes the court "philosopher" and the "first mathematician" of the university, without the obligation to lecture.

Continuing telescopic observations, Galileo discovered the phases of Venus, sunspots and the rotation of the Sun, studied the motion of Jupiter's satellites, and observed Saturn. In 1611, Galileo traveled to Rome, where he was given an enthusiastic reception at the papal court and where he struck up a friendship with Prince Cesi, the founder of the Accademia dei Lincei ("Academy of the Lynx-eyed"), of which he became a member. At the insistence of the duke, Galileo published his first anti-Aristotelian essay, Discourse on Bodies in Water and Those Moving in It (1612), where he applied the principle of equal moments to the derivation of equilibrium conditions in liquid bodies.

However, in 1613 Galileo's letter to Abbot Castelli became known, in which he defended the views of Copernicus. The letter served as a pretext for a direct denunciation of Galileo to the Inquisition. In 1616, the Jesuit congregation declared the teachings of Copernicus heretical, the book of Copernicus was included in the list of banned books. The name of Galileo was not named in the decree, but he was privately ordered to refuse to defend this doctrine. Galileo formally obeyed the decree. For several years he was forced to remain silent about the Copernican system or to speak about it in hints. Galileo's only major work during this period was The Assayer (1623), a polemical treatise on the three comets that appeared in 1618. In terms of literary form, wit, and refinement of style, this is one of Galileo's most remarkable works.

In 1623, a friend of Galileo, Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, entered the papal throne under the name of Urban VIII. For Galileo, this event seemed tantamount to liberation from the bonds of the interdict (decree). In 1630, he arrived in Rome with the finished manuscript of the Dialogue on the Ebb and Flow (the first title of the Dialogue on the Two Chief Systems of the World), in which the systems of Copernicus and Ptolemy are presented in the conversations of three interlocutors: Sagredo, Salviati and Simplicio.

Pope Urban VIII agreed to the publication of a book in which the teachings of Copernicus would be presented as one of the possible hypotheses. After lengthy censorship ordeals, Galileo received the long-awaited permission to print the Dialogue with some changes; the book appeared in Florence in Italian in January 1632. A few months after the publication of the book, Galileo received an order from Rome to stop further sales of the edition. At the request of the Inquisition, Galileo was forced in February 1633 to come to Rome. A process was initiated against him. During four interrogations - from April 12 to June 21, 1633 - Galileo renounced the teachings of Copernicus and on June 22 brought public repentance on his knees in the church of Maria Sopra Minerva. "Dialogue" was banned, and Galileo was officially considered a "prisoner of the Inquisition" for 9 years. At first he lived in Rome, in the ducal palace, then in his villa Arcetri, near Florence. He was forbidden to talk with anyone about the movement of the Earth and to print works. Despite the papal interdict, in Protestant countries there appeared latin translation"Dialogue", Galileo's reasoning on the relationship between the Bible and natural science was printed in Holland. Finally, in 1638, one of the most important works of Galileo was published in Holland, summing up his physical research and containing the substantiation of dynamics - "Conversations and mathematical proofs concerning two new branches of science ..."

In 1637 Galileo went blind; he died on January 8, 1642. In 1737, the last will of Galileo was fulfilled - his ashes were transferred to Florence in the church of Santa Croce, where he was buried next to Michelangelo.

Galileo's influence on the development of mechanics, optics and astronomy in the 17th century. invaluable. His scientific activity, the great importance of the discovery, scientific courage were of decisive importance for the victory of the heliocentric system of the world. Especially significant is the work of Galileo on the creation of the basic principles of mechanics. If the basic laws of motion were not expressed by Galileo with the clarity with which Isaac Newton did, then in essence the law of inertia and the law of addition of motions were fully realized by him and applied to solving practical problems. The history of statics begins with Archimedes; the history of dynamics is discovered by Galileo. He was the first to put forward the idea of ​​the relativity of motion, he solved a number of basic mechanical problems. These include, first of all, the study of the laws of free fall of bodies and their fall along an inclined plane; the laws of motion of a body thrown at an angle to the horizon; establishing the conservation of mechanical energy during the oscillation of the pendulum. Galileo dealt a blow to the Aristotelian dogmatic ideas about absolutely light bodies (fire, air); in a series of witty experiments, he showed that air is a heavy body and even determined it specific gravity in relation to water.

The basis of Galileo's worldview is the recognition of the objective existence of the world, i.e. its existence outside and independent of human consciousness. The world is infinite, he believed, matter is eternal. In all processes occurring in nature, nothing is destroyed or generated - there is only a change in the relative position of bodies or their parts. Matter consists of absolutely indivisible atoms, its movement is the only universal mechanical movement. heavenly bodies similar to the Earth and subject to the same laws of mechanics. Everything in nature is subject to strict mechanical causality. Galileo saw the true goal of science in finding the causes of phenomena. According to Galileo, knowledge of the inner necessity of phenomena is the highest level of knowledge. Galileo considered observation as the starting point for the knowledge of nature, and experience as the basis of science. Rejecting the attempts of the scholastics to get the truth from a comparison of the texts of recognized authorities and through abstract reasoning, Galileo argued that the task of a scientist is “... to study great book nature, which is the real subject of philosophy. Those who blindly adhere to the opinion of authorities, not wanting to independently study the phenomena of nature, Galileo called "servile minds", considered them unworthy of the title of philosopher and branded them as "doctors of cramming". However, limited by the conditions of his time, Galileo was not consistent; he shared the theory of dual truth and allowed for a divine first impulse.

Galileo's talent was not limited to the field of science: he was a musician, artist, art lover and a brilliant writer. His scientific treatises, most of which were written in vernacular Italian, although Galileo was fluent in Latin, can also be classified as works of art in their simplicity and clarity of presentation and the brilliance of their literary style. Galileo translated from Greek into Latin, studied the ancient classics and poets of the Renaissance (the works “Notes to Ariosto”, “Criticism of Tasso”), spoke at the Florence Academy on the study of Dante, wrote the burlesque poem “Satire on those wearing toga”. Galileo is a co-author of A. Salvadori's canzone "On the Stars of the Medici" - satellites of Jupiter, discovered by Galileo in 1610.

One of the most famous astronomers, physicists and philosophers in the history of mankind is Galileo Galilei. short biography and his discoveries, which you will now learn about, will allow you to get a general idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthis outstanding person.

First steps in the world of science

Galileo was born in Pisa (Italy), February 15, 1564. At the age of eighteen, the young man enters the University of Pisa to study medicine. His father pushed him to take this step, but due to lack of money, Galileo was soon forced to leave his studies. However, the time that the future scientist spent at the university was not in vain, because it was here that he began to take a keen interest in mathematics and physics. No longer a student, the gifted Galileo Galilei did not abandon his hobbies. A brief biography and his discoveries made during this period played important role V future fate scientist. He devotes some time to the independent study of mechanics, and then returns to the University of Pisa, this time as a teacher of mathematics. After some time, he was invited to continue teaching at the University of Padua, where he explained to students the basics of mechanics, geometry and astronomy. Just at this time, Galileo began to make discoveries significant for science.

In 1593, the first scientist was published - a book with a laconic title "Mechanics", in which Galileo described his observations.

Astronomical research

After the publication of the book, a new Galileo Galilei is “born”. A brief biography and his discoveries is a topic that cannot be discussed without mentioning the events of 1609. After all, it was then that Galileo independently built his first telescope with a concave eyepiece and a convex objective. The device gave an increase of about three times. However, Galileo did not stop there. Continuing to improve his telescope, he increased the magnification to 32 times. Observing in it the satellite of the Earth - the Moon, Galileo discovered that its surface, like the earth's, is not flat, but is covered with various mountains and numerous craters. Four stars were also discovered through the glass and changed their usual sizes, and for the first time the idea of ​​their global remoteness arose. turned out to be a huge accumulation of millions of new celestial bodies. In addition, the scientist began to observe the movement of the Sun and make notes about sunspots.

Conflict with the Church

Biography Galileo Galilei- this is another round in the confrontation between the science of that time and church teaching. Based on his observations, the scientist soon comes to the conclusion that the heliocentric, first proposed and justified by Copernicus, is the only true one. This contradicted the literal understanding of Psalms 93 and 104, and in addition, the verse from Ecclesiastes 1:5, in which one can find reference to the immobility of the Earth. Galileo was summoned to Rome, where they demanded to stop propagating "heretical" views, and the scientist was forced to comply.

However, on this Galileo Galilei, whose discoveries at that time were already appreciated by some representatives scientific community didn't stop. In 1632, he makes a cunning move - he publishes a book called "Dialogue on the two main systems of the world - Ptolemaic and Copernican." This work was written in an unusual form of dialogue at that time, the participants of which were two supporters of the theory of Copernicus, as well as one follower of the teachings of Ptolemy and Aristotle. Pope Urban VIII, good friend Galileo, even gave permission for the publication of the book. But this did not last long - just a couple of months later, labor was recognized as contrary to the dogmas of the church and banned. The author was summoned to Rome for trial.

The investigation lasted quite a long time: from April 21 to June 21, 1633. On June 22, Galileo was forced to pronounce the text offered to him, according to which he renounced his "false" beliefs.

The last years in the life of a scientist

I had to work in the most difficult conditions. Galileo was sent to his villa Archertri, in Florence. Here he was under the constant supervision of the Inquisition and did not have the right to get out into the city (Rome). In 1634, the beloved daughter of the scientist, who for a long time took care of him.

Death came to Galileo on January 8, 1642. He was buried on the territory of his villa, without any honors and even without a tombstone. However, in 1737, after almost a hundred years, the last will of the scientist was fulfilled - his ashes were transferred to the monastic chapel of the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Croce. On the seventeenth of March, he was finally buried there, not far from the grave of Michelangelo.

Posthumous rehabilitation

Was Galileo Galilei right in his beliefs? A brief biography and his discoveries have long been the subject of controversy between clergy and luminaries. scientific world, on this basis, many conflicts and disputes developed. However, only on December 31, 1992 (!) John Paul II officially admitted that the Inquisition in the 33rd year of the 17th century made a mistake, forcing the scientist to renounce the heliocentric theory of the universe formulated by Nicolaus Copernicus.

The middle of the XVI century ... The Renaissance is coming to an end, Europe is on the threshold of the New Age ... Ahead of the scientific revolution, greatest discoveries and inventions that will turn the worldview, if not all, then the majority ... In the meantime, only the first uncertain steps are being taken in changing the picture of the world. Everyone still believes that the Sun revolves around the Earth, which is the center of the universe. The Bible points to this, these are the foundations of faith.

But the first signals have already sounded that this theory is wrong. Nicolaus Copernicus has spoken. And his followers appeared, who were not afraid to oppose the almighty Church and its Inquisition. Fires were lit all over Europe to burn out this heresy. After all, if everyone believes, then it turns out that the Popes and his conclave have been deceiving for so many centuries? AND Holy Bible also fake? Oh, how unprofitable this is for Rome, what an undermining of the authority of the Catholic faith. And how easy it is to uproot this idea, there is no evidence, only assumptions and allegations. And no one knows that very soon a boy will be born who will finally destroy the geocentric theory. And his name is Galileo Galilei.

First steps to glory

Homeland of Galileo Galilei - Italy, a country that gave the world more than one genius. On February 15, 1564, in the Italian city of Pisa, a child was born into an impoverished aristocratic family, who was to perpetuate his name in world history. They named him Galileo Galilei. One of the greatest minds of mankind, unrecognized in its time and fully justified and recognized by the Catholic Church only in 1992 of the last century. His life and activities are studied in detail by historians and scientists. More than one generation of schoolchildren and students write abstracts and reports on the topic "Galileo Galilei".

The father of the future scientist, Vincenzo Galilei, was a famous lute player and music theorist, who made a significant contribution to the development of such a genre as opera. Mother Julia took care of the house and raised the children. There were four of them, the oldest was Galileo. From the early childhood the boy showed talents in many areas of knowledge - he drew well, showed literary abilities, easily studied foreign languages And exact sciences. He inherited his love of music from his father. But the boy dreamed of devoting his life to science.

First years of study went to the monastery school. Galileo even wanted to become a priest, but did not dare to go against the will of his father. At the age of 17, he entered the University of Pisa at the Faculty of Medicine, as his father dreamed of seeing his son as a famous doctor. And that's where it happened complete revolution worldview of Galileo Galilei - attending mathematical courses in geometry and algebra changed his future fate. At the same time, he first encountered the Copernican theory of heliocentrism and was carried away by it. From this acquaintance, the philosophy of Galileo was formed, which he followed until the end of his days.

A talented and promising student could not continue his studies at the university and get a doctoral degree. Financial position The family was so deplorable that, after studying for three years, Galileo was forced to return home. But during this time he managed to make one of his inventions - a hydrostatic balance, thereby drawing attention to himself and acquiring a patron. The Marquis Guidobaldo del Monto persuaded the Duke of Tuscany to grant Galileo a paid scientific position.

Activities at the university

In 1589 he returned to the University of Pisa to teach mathematics.. Here he not only teaches, but also practices research work in the field of mechanics. In 1592 he moved to the University of Padua, where, in addition to mathematics and mechanics, he turned his attention to astronomy. His lectures were very popular among students. The authority of the scientist rose to an unprecedented height not only among colleagues. He was also appreciated by the government, providing full support in all endeavors. This is the most fruitful period in his work. Here began to be born his basic principles and views.

Astronomical discoveries

In 1604, a new star was discovered, and this was the impetus for Galileo to seriously engage in astronomy. Shortly before this, a spotting scope was invented in Holland. Having become interested in this device, Galileo in 1609 first designed a telescope, which allowed him to observe the star bodies himself and make a number of important discoveries that played an important role in his later life. What were these discoveries?

  1. Observing the Moon, the scientist for the first time pointed out that this is a planet that can be compared with the Earth. There is a landscape - mountains, plains and lunar craters.
  2. They discovered the satellites of Jupiter, which he mistakenly took for independent planets.
  3. Milky Way appeared not as a continuous strip, which can be observed with the naked eye. Through a telescope, Galileo saw that it was a huge cluster of individual stars.
  4. I saw spots on the sun. Long-term observation of this star allowed Galileo to prove the Copernican theory - it is the Earth that revolves around the Sun, and not vice versa. In addition, he proved that the Sun, like our planet, rotates around its axis.
  5. At Saturn I was able to see the environment, which I counted as planets. Later it was proved that these are rings.
  6. Pointed out that Venus is closer to the Sun and it has its own phases of rotation.

He published all his observations in his book The Starry Messenger, which attracted the close attention of the church and the Inquisition. After all, he gave direct evidence of the heliocentric theory, which went against the accepted dogmas of the Catholic faith. Periodically, anonymous denunciations were written against Galileo, but thanks to high patrons in the government and friends among the priests, they managed not to be made public.

Conflict with the Catholic Church

In 1611 in the wake of his success, Galileo went to Rome to personally try to prove that the teachings of Copernicus did not threaten the power and authority of the Church. Initially, he was treated with cordiality. He was honored with a meeting with the Pope and his cardinals, to whom he demonstrated the telescope and its capabilities. But after the publication of the book "Letters on Sunspots" in 1613, an open confrontation with the Inquisition began. In the winter of 1615, the first case was brought against him, and a year later, during which Galileo was under supervision in Rome, the doctrine of heliocentrism was officially recognized as heresy, and the scientist’s book was included in the banned list.

After this decision, which caused a lot of discontent among the astronomer, he was allowed to return to Florence. Indignant and piously believing that he was right, Galileo did not abandon Copernicanism and did not give up his attempts to prove that his theory was correct. Only he did it already carefully, criticizing the theory of Aristotle.

Over the next 16 years he writes the book "Dialogue on two systems of the world - Ptolemaic and Copernican", in parallel openly engaged in another type of activity - research in the field of mechanics.

And in 1630, the main work of Galileo was completed. To get it published, the author had to wait several years and go to the trick, writing in the preface that the book was about exposing Copernicanism. It is written in the form of a dialogue between an ardent supporter of the theory of Copernicus, a neutral scientist and a follower of Ptolemy. It provides indisputable evidence that the Earth is not the center of the world and revolves around the Sun.

By that time, Galileo had practically no supporters left in Rome. In addition, in 1623 he attracted the attention of the Jesuits and entered into conflict with them. This played a decisive role in his future fate. Already two months after the release, the entire edition of the book was withdrawn from sale, and a denunciation was written against Galileo to the Inquisition. Plus, the Pope was very angry with the scientist, recognizing himself in one of the heroes. Although before accession to the Holy Throne, he was among the friends and supporters of Galileo.

In February 1633 the scientist was summoned to Rome and taken into custody. The trial of heresy began. The process did not take long - only 18 days. He was threatened with the fate of Giordano Bruno, and in order to avoid the fire, Galileo, in the presence of the Pope and the cardinals, openly renounced his teaching according to the text provided to him. There is no direct evidence in history that this confession was forced under torture. Only indirect references to this were found in the letters.

As a punishment for Galileo, imprisonment was chosen. But given his advanced age and illness, it was replaced by lifelong residence in his homeland, in a villa near the city of Arcetri, without the right to leave home and visit friends.

The place for the life of the prisoner was chosen for a reason. The villa was not far from the monastery where the two daughters of Galileo had gone. This was a forced measure, since for those born in an unmarried union, according to the laws of that time, there was no other choice. The eldest and beloved daughter did not leave her sick father until her death in 1634.

Despite such brutal conditions of detention and constant surveillance by the Inquisition, Galileo did not leave scientific activity . In addition, in the last years of his life he was practically blind and continued to work with the support of his students. In 1638, his work "Conversations and Mathematical Proofs of the Two Systems of the World" was published in Holland, in which the foundations of kinematics and the strength of materials were laid. It was this work that was subsequently taken as the basis by Newton.

Death came on January 8, 1642. The funeral took place in the same villa where Galileo lived. The Pope did not give his permission for the burial of his remains in the family crypt, as the inventor himself wanted. Only in 1737 he was solemnly reburied in the Basilica of Santa Croce, next to the tomb of Michelangelo. A few decades later, Pope Benedict 14 issued a decree removing Galileo's works from the list of banned works. Full rehabilitation of his name in the eyes catholic church took place in 1992 by order of Pope John Paul II.

Other achievements of Galileo

  • Ranked number one in research practical method and not theoretical.
  • Became the founder of experimental mechanics and the principle of relativity.
  • He substantiated the laws of falling and the movement of thrown objects along a parabola.
  • Invented hydrostatic balances, thermometer, telescope, compasses and microscope.
  • Introduced the concept of a new science of the resistance of materials.

Myths about Galilee

The life of the greatest scientist of all times and peoples overgrown with various legends and myths which have not been confirmed in historical chronicles.

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 in the family of a noble but poor nobleman. After ten years, he became a pupil of the monastery in Vallombroms, which he left at the age of seventeen. He went to university hometown at the Faculty of Medicine, where he received a degree and became a professor.

In 1592, Galileo became dean of the department of mathematics at the University of Padua, where he created series greatest works in mathematics and mechanics.

The first discoveries using a telescope were described by a scientist in the work "Star Messenger". This book was a huge success. A scientist 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, magnifying more than eleven times compared to the first. The discoveries made with this telescope were described in the book The Starry Herald.

In 1637 Galileo went blind. Before the incident, he wrote the last book in which the scientist summarized all his observations and achievements in the field of mechanics.

The long-term work of the scientist, a book about the structure of the world, played a cruel joke on 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 the threat of death. He was strictly forbidden to publish works until the end of his life.

Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642. The greatest scientist was buried without honors as a common person at 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 work of Galileo Galilei. And 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 fond of them, worked on his skills, thanks to which he mastered these types of art to perfection. Studying also attracted the boy, so he was the best among classmates.

Galileo's father saw his son's future in medicine, and therefore, when he was first admitted to a monastic order, and then became interested in studying geometry, he insisted on his son entering the University of Pisa. In almost three years of study at the university, Galileo studied and imbued with many teachings and writings of antiquity. Further, his education became impossible due to the lack of funds from his family, but a lively mind young man, his curiosity attracted, and just in time, the attention of a certain Marquis Guidobaldo del Monte. He noticed the dignity of the young man, 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, as his father died, but a year later he was offered a place in a very prestigious university where, in addition to mathematics, he taught astronomy and even mechanics. Over the years of work at the university, the authority of Galileo has increased significantly. Students and professors wanted to get to his lectures. The scientist himself in 1609 designs the first telescope, and in 1610 he leaves Venice, moving to Florence for a profitable place at the duke's court. Later, this act will turn out to be a mistake for him.

Thanks to the telescope he designed, Galileo makes more and more new assumptions about the structure of the cosmos. In particular, he becomes an adherent of the heliocentric system of world order and defends it in every possible way, acquiring an enemy in the face of Catholics. In 1611 he went to Rome, trying to convince the religious primacy of the compatibility of science and Catholicism. Having found a good reception in Rome, Galileo conducts seminars, answers questions, explains the theory from a scientific point of view. And in 1615, the Inquisition starts the first case against the scientist on charges of heresy. The Church cannot accept a theory that would disprove the Bible, and the Inquisition recognizes heliocentrism as a heresy. Since 1616, any support for this theory has been banned. His further attempts to achieve the abolition of the ban do not lead to positive results.

Until 1633, the Inquisition was investigating the case of the heretic Galileo. Numerous arrests, interrogations, including torture - the scientist had to endure a lot for science. Last years Galileo spends his life near his native land, but almost completely alone. The Inquisition, under the threat of prison, forbids him visitors. Galileo Galilei died in 1642, but being blind and very sick, he continued to work in various fields science and over the past 7 years has created a large-scale work "Conversations and mathematical proofs of two sciences". Only after almost 200 years, his works were again revised, studied and found to be beyond prohibitions.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). The fame of this scientist was great during his lifetime, and, growing with each century, by our time has made him one of the most revered scientists.

Galileo Galilei was born into an aristocratic Italian family; his grandfather was the head of the Florentine Republic. After studying at the monastery, he entered the University of Pisa. Lack of money forced the young man to return home (1585). But his abilities were so great, and his inventions were so witty, that already in 1589 Galileo was a professor of mathematics. IN renowned universities he is engaged in teaching, researches the processes of mechanics. The young professor is gaining immense popularity with students and authority with the authorities. While in Padua, Galileo develops new technologies for the industry of the Republic of Venice.

The scientist's studies in astronomy led to the first conflicts with the church. Galileo Galilei modified a newly invented telescope to view the sky. They discovered the mountains on the moon, it was established that the Milky Way is a cluster of individual stars, the satellites of Jupiter were discovered. To the suspicions of the Inquisition was added the distrust of colleagues who claimed that what was seen through the telescope was an optical illusion.

Nevertheless, the glory of Galileo becomes pan-European. He becomes an adviser to the Duke of Tuscany. The position allows you to engage in science and discoveries follow one after another. The study of the phases of Venus, spots on the Sun, research in the field of mechanics and the main discovery - heliocentrism.

The claim that the Earth moves around the Sun has seriously alarmed the Roman Catholic Church. Galileo's theory was also opposed by many scientists. However, the Jesuits became the main enemy. Galileo Galilei expressed his views in printed works, which often contained caustic attacks on the powerful order.

The ban on heliocentrism by the church did not stop the scientist. He published a book where he presented his theory in the form of a polemic. However, in one of the stupid characters of the published book "Dialogues ...", the head of the Catholic Church recognized himself.

The Pope was furious and the intrigues of the Jesuits fell on fertile ground. Galileo was arrested and held in prison for 18 days. The scientist was threatened with the death penalty at the stake, and he preferred to renounce his views. The phrase “And yet it spins” was attributed to him by journalists when compiling a biography.

The rest of the days the great Italian spent under a kind of house arrest, where the jailers were his old enemies, the Jesuits. A few years after the death of the scientist, his only grandson took the monastic vows and destroyed the manuscripts of Galileo that he kept.