Galileo Galilei short biography Italian physicist, mechanic, astronomer, philosopher is described in this article.

Galileo Galilei biography briefly

Born February 15, 1564 in the Italian city of Pisa in the family of a well-born, but impoverished nobleman. From the age of 11 he was brought up in the monastery of Vallombros. At the age of 17, he left the monastery and entered the University of Pisa at the Faculty of Medicine. He became a university professor, later heading the department of mathematics at the University of Padua, where for 18 years he created a series of outstanding works in mathematics and mechanics.

Soon he became the most famous lecturer at the university, and students were lining up to get into his classes. It was at this time that he wrote the treatise Mechanics.

Galileo described his first discoveries with the telescope in his work The Starry Herald. The book was a sensational success. He built a telescope that magnifies objects three times, placed it on the San Marco tower in Venice, allowing everyone to look at the moon and stars.

Following this, he invented a telescope, which increased its power 11 times compared to the first. He described his observations in the work "Star Messenger".

In 1637, the scientist lost his sight. Until that time, he had been hard at work on his latest book, Conversations and Mathematical Proofs Concerning Two New Branches of Science Relating to Mechanics and Local Motion. In this work, he summarized all his observations and achievements in the field of mechanics.

Galileo's teaching about the structure of the world contradicted Holy Scripture, and the scientist for a long time was persecuted by the Inquisition. I promote the theory of Copernicus, he forever fell out of favor with the Catholic Church. He was captured by the Inquisition and, under threat of death at the stake, renounced his views. He was forever forbidden to write or distribute his work in any way.

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa to the musician Vincenzo Galilei and Giulia Ammannati. In 1572 he moved with his family to Florence. In 1581 he began to study medicine at the University of Pisa. One of Galileo's teachers, Ostilio Ricci, supported the young man in his passion for mathematics and physics, which affected future fate scientist.

Galileo was unable to graduate from the university due to his father's financial difficulties and was forced to return to Florence, where he continued to study science. In 1586, he completed work on the treatise "Little Scales", in which (following Archimedes) he described the device he invented for hydrostatic weighing, and in the next work he gave a number of theorems regarding the center of gravity of paraboloids of revolution. Assessing the growth of the scientist's reputation, the Florentine Academy chose him as an arbitrator in a dispute about how the topography of Dante's Hell (1588) should be interpreted from a mathematical point of view. Thanks to the assistance of his friend the Marquis Guidobaldo del Monte, Galileo received an honorary but meagerly paid position as professor of mathematics at the University of Pisa.

The death of his father in 1591 and the extreme constraint of his financial situation forced Galileo to look for a new job. In 1592 he received the chair of mathematics in Padua (in the possession of the Venetian Republic). After spending eighteen years here, Galileo Galilei discovered the quadratic dependence of the fall path on time, established the parabolic trajectory of the projectile, and also made many other equally important discoveries.

In 1609, Galileo Galilei, modeled on the first Dutch telescopes, made his own telescope, capable of creating a threefold zoom, and then designed a telescope with a thirtyfold zoom, magnifying one thousand times. Galileo was the first person to point a telescope at the sky; what was seen there meant a genuine revolution in the concept of space: the Moon turned out to be covered with mountains and depressions (previously the surface of the Moon was considered smooth), the Milky Way - consisting of stars (according to Aristotle - this is a fiery evaporation like a tail of comets), Jupiter - surrounded by four satellites (their rotation around Jupiter was an obvious analogy to the rotation of the planets around the Sun). Galileo later added to these observations the discovery of the phases of Venus and sunspots. He published the results in a book that was published in 1610 under the title The Starry Herald. The book brought Galileo European fame. He enthusiastically responded famous mathematician and the astronomer Johannes Kepler, the monarchs and the higher clergy showed great interest in Galileo's discoveries. With their help, he received a new, more honorable and secure position - the post of court mathematician of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1611, Galileo visited Rome, where he was admitted to the scientific "Academy dei Lincei".

In 1613, he published a work on sunspots, in which he spoke for the first time quite definitely in favor of the heliocentric theory of Copernicus.

However, to proclaim this in Italy at the beginning of the 17th century meant to repeat the fate of Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake. The central point of the controversy that arose was the question of how to combine facts proven by science with passages from the Holy Scriptures that contradict them. Galileo believed that in such cases the biblical story should be understood allegorically. The church attacked the theory of Copernicus, whose book On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres (1543), more than half a century after its publication, was on the list of banned publications. A decree to this effect appeared in March 1616, and a month earlier, the chief theologian of the Vatican, Cardinal Bellarmine, suggested to Galileo that he no longer defend Copernicanism. In 1623, Galileo's friend and patron Maffeo Barberini became pope under the name of Urban VIII. Then the scientist published his new job- "Assay Master", which examines the nature of physical reality and methods of studying it. It was here that the famous saying of the scientist appeared: "The Book of Nature is written in the language of mathematics."

In 1632, Galileo's book "Dialogue on the Two Systems of the World, Ptolemaic and Copernican" was published, which was soon banned by the Inquisition, and the scientist himself was summoned to Rome, where he was awaited by the court. In 1633, the scientist was sentenced to life imprisonment, which was replaced by house arrest; he spent the last years of his life without a break in his estate Arcetri near Florence. The circumstances of the case are still unclear. Galileo was accused not just of defending the theory of Copernicus (such an accusation is legally untenable, since the book passed papal censorship), but of violating an earlier ban from 1616 "not to discuss" this theory in any form.

In 1638, Galileo published in Holland, in the Elsevier publishing house, his new book"Conversations and Mathematical Proofs", where in a more mathematical and academic form he expressed his thoughts on the laws of mechanics, and the range of problems considered was very wide - from statics and resistance of materials to the laws of motion of a pendulum and the laws of fall. Until his death, Galileo did not stop active creative activity: tried to use the pendulum as the main element of the clock mechanism (followed by Christian Huygens soon), a few months before he became completely blind, he discovered the vibration of the moon, and, already completely blind, dictated the last thoughts regarding the theory of impact to his students - Vincenzo Viviani and Evangelista Torricelli.

In addition to his great discoveries in astronomy and physics, Galileo went down in history as the creator of modern method experimentation. His idea was that in order to study a particular phenomenon, we must create some kind of ideal world (he called it al mondo di carta - "the world on paper"), in which this phenomenon would be maximally freed from extraneous influences. This ideal world is further the object of a mathematical description, and its conclusions are compared with the results of an experiment in which the conditions are as close as possible to ideal ones.

Galileo died at Arcetri on January 8, 1642, after a debilitating fever. In his will, he asked to be buried in the family tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce (Florence), but due to fears of opposition from the church, this was not done. The last will of the scientist was fulfilled only in 1737, his ashes were transported from Arcetri to Florence and buried with honors in the church of Santa Croce next to Michelangelo.

In 1758 Catholic Church lifted the ban on most works supporting the theory of Copernicus, and in 1835 excluded the work "On the rotation of the heavenly spheres" from the index of banned books. In 1992, Pope John Paul II officially acknowledged that the church had made a mistake by condemning Galileo in 1633.

At Galileo Galilei there were three children born out of wedlock to the Venetian Marina Gamba. Only the son of Vincenzo, who later became a musician, was recognized by the astronomer as his own in 1619. His daughters, Virginia and Livia, were sent to a convent.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Name: Galileo Galilei

State: Italy

Field of activity: Scientist

Greatest Achievement: He proved that the planets revolve around the sun. He made a huge contribution to astronomy, physics, mathematics. He laid the foundation for classical mechanics.

Italy can rightfully be considered the forge of science - famous scientists who turned the concept of the world structure, physicists, astronomers, sculptors, architects were from this wonderful country. Not afraid of conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, they zealously defended their knowledge. To save their lives and the opportunity to work, some gave up their beliefs.

The most striking example of such behavior is Galileo Galilei. The scientist (most people just 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 in 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. So, several ancestors were members of the Council of the Florentine Republic, and one of the ancestors was even elected head of the city.

ABOUT early years little is known about the boy. When the child was 8 years old, the family moved to Florence. This city was not chosen by chance - the Medici family has always patronized figures of science and culture. Upon reaching the age of 18, he enters the University of Pisa at the Faculty of Medicine. At the same time, interest in mathematics awakens. She absorbed the young student so much 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 not continue to pay for his son's education. Galileo returns to Florence without a degree.

Carier start

Gradually abandoning medical studies, 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, while it was necessary to find an opportunity to earn a living - technological progress was in its infancy. Galileo first worked as an art teacher.

At the age of 24, he began teaching art. He did not stay at 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, made many important scientific discoveries.

These happy fruitful years were overshadowed by a sad event - in 1591, his father died.

He continues his research and in 1593 publishes the first book "Mechanics", where he described all his observations over several years. After the publication of a scientific work, the name of Galileo becomes known almost throughout Italy. But the main invention was waiting for him ahead - a telescope with a concave eyepiece, with which one could 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 placed on the table of the Inquisition. Allegedly, he read forbidden literature in his room and is engaged in astrology, which was then equated with 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 the telescope, Galileo made several stunning discoveries that years later did not cease to excite posterity - 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 one.

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 ring 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 (due to which one gets 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. In Galileo's time, the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn had been known for thousands of years, and no others were considered or searched for. Unfortunately, Galileo lost track of the moving star he found. Neptune was rediscovered only in 1846.

Galileo Galilei also adhered to the heliocentric system - the very one that was proposed by Copernicus. 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, at that time many scientific discoveries went against church teachings. Therefore, the Inquisition began to pay closer attention to Galileo. The scientist was summoned to and demanded to stop his research and not mislead the people. I had to obey. But Galileo did not give up and in 1632 he published a book-dialogue in which supporters of both teachings and Ptolemy discussed solar system and planets.

The book was published and was a success - the first two months. Then it was banned, and the author was again summoned to the Pope. This time, things got under way. 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 Archertri near Florence with a ban on going to Rome, as well as engaging in scientific activities. It had to be done in secret. During these years, the health of the scientist noticeably weakened - the years affected. He was, after all, in his sixties. Scientific activity I had to study secretly - the Inquisition did not take its keen eyes off Galileo.

Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642, at the age of 77. He survived his eldest daughter Virginia, who had died 8 years earlier and cared for her ailing father. The funeral was attended by two representatives of the Inquisition, all the works were subject to careful verification. A little later, another daughter of Galileo, Livia, died. And then, the grandson of the scientist, named after him, took the monastic vows and destroyed all the works of his grandfather in the fire. Thus, the original works of Galileo have not come down to us. However, his work continues to live.

He receives a very good musical education. When he was ten years old, his family moved to hometown his father, Florence, and then Galileo was sent to school in a Benedictine monastery. There, for four years, he studied the usual medieval disciplines with the scholastics.

Vincenzo Galilei chooses the honorable and lucrative profession of a doctor for his son. In 1581, the seventeen-year-old Galileo was enrolled as a student at the University of Piraeus at the Faculty of Medicine and Philosophy. But the state of medical science at the time filled him with discontent and repelled him from a medical career. At that time, he accidentally attended a lecture on mathematics by Ostilo Ricci, a friend of his family, and was amazed at the logic and beauty of Euclid's geometry.

He immediately studied the works of Euclid and Archimedes. His stay at the university becomes more and more unbearable. After spending four years there, Galileo left it shortly before completion and returned to Florence. There he continued his studies under Ritchie, who appreciated the extraordinary abilities of the young Galileo. In addition to purely mathematical questions, he got acquainted with technical advances. He studies ancient philosophers and contemporary writers and for a short time acquires the knowledge of a serious scientist.

Discoveries of Galileo Galilei

Law of pendulum motion

Studying in Pisa with his observability and sharp mind, he discovers the law of motion of the pendulum (the period depends only on the length, not on the amplitude or weight of the pendulum). Later, he proposes the design of a device with a pendulum for measuring at regular intervals. In 1586 Galileo completed his first solo study of hydrostatic equilibrium and built new type hydrostatic balance. IN next year he wrote a purely geometric work "Theorems of a rigid body".

Galileo's first treatises were not published, but are rapidly spreading and coming to the fore. In 1588, commissioned by the Florentine Academy, he delivered two lectures on the shape, position, and extent of Dante's Hell. They are filled with the theorems of mechanics and numerous geometric proofs, they are used as a pretext for the development of geography and ideas for the whole world. In 1589 Grand Duke Tuscany appointed Galileo a professor at the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Pisa.

In Pisa, the young scientist again encounters educational medieval science. Galileo must learn the geocentric system of Ptolemy, which, along with the philosophy of Aristotle, adapted to the needs of the church, is recognized. He does not communicate with his colleagues, argues with them, and at first doubts many of Aristotle's statements about physics.

The first scientific experiment in physics

According to him, the movement of the bodies of the Earth is divided into "natural", when they tend to their "natural places" (for example, downward movement for heavy bodies and "ascending" movement) and "violent". The movement stops when the cause disappears. "Perfect celestial bodies” is a perpetual motion in perfect circles around the center of the Earth (and the center of the world). To refute Aristotle's assertion that bodies fall at a speed proportional to their weights, Galileo makes his famous experiments with bodies falling from a leaning tower at Pisa.

This is actually the first scientific experiment in physics and with it Galileo introduces a new method of acquiring knowledge - from experience and observation. The result of these studies is the treatise "The Fall of Bodies", which sets out the main conclusion about the independence of speed from the weight of a falling body. It is written in a new style for scientific literature - in the form of a dialogue, which reveals the main conclusion about the speed, which does not depend on the weight of the falling body.

Absence scientific base and low pay cause Galie to leave the University of Pisa before the end of his three-year contract. At that time, after the death of his father, he must take over the family. Galileo is invited to take up the chair of mathematics at the University of Padua. The University of Padua was one of the oldest in Europe and was known for its spirit of freedom of thought and independence from the clergy. Here Galileo worked and quickly earned a name as an excellent physicist and a very good engineer. In 1593, his first two works were completed, as well as "Mechanics", in which he outlined his views on the theory of simple machines, invented proportions with which it is easy to perform various geometric operations - drawing enlargement, etc. His patents for hydraulic equipment also preserved.
In the lectures of Galileo at the university, official views are voiced, he teaches geometry, Ptolemy's geocentric system and Aristotle's physics.

Acquaintance with the teachings of Copernicus

At the same time, at home, among friends and students, he talks about various problems and sets out his own new views. This duality of life, Galileo is forced to lead for a long time, until he becomes convincing in his ideas in public space. It is believed that even in Pisa, Galileo became acquainted with the teachings of Copernicus. In Padua, he is already a convinced supporter of the heliocentric system and has as his main goal the collection of evidence in this favor. In a letter to Kepler in 1597, he wrote:

“Many years ago I turned to the ideas of Copernicus and with my theory I was able to fully explain a number of phenomena that, in general, could not be explained by opposing theories. I have come up with many arguments that refute opposing ideas.”

Galilean tube

At the end of 1608, news reaches Galileo that an optical device has been discovered in the Netherlands that allows you to see distant objects. Galileo, after working hard and processing hundreds of pieces of optical glass, built his first telescope with a magnification of three times. This is a system of lenses (eyepieces), now called the Galilean tube. His third 32x telescope looks at the sky.

Only after a few months of observation did he publish amazing discoveries in the book:
The moon is not perfectly spherical and smooth, its surface is covered with hills and depressions, similar to the Earth.
The Milky Way is a collection of numerous stars.
The planet Jupiter has four satellites that circle around it like the Moon around the Earth.

Despite the fact that the book is allowed to be printed, this book actually contains a serious blow to Christian dogmas - the principle of the difference between "imperfect" earthly bodies and "perfect, eternal and unchanging" celestial bodies has been destroyed.

The motion of Jupiter's moons has been used as an argument in favor of the Copernican system. The first bold astronomical achievements of Galileo do not attract the attention of the Inquisition, on the contrary, they brought him great popularity and influence as a renowned scientist throughout Italy, including among the clergy.

In 1610, Galileo was appointed "the first mathematician and philosopher" in the court of the ruler of Tuscany and his former student, Cosimo II de' Medici. He leaves the University of Padua after 18 years of residence there and moves to Florence, where he is released from any academic work and can only do their own research.

The discovery of the phases of Venus, the observation of the ring of Saturn and sunspots were soon added to the arguments in favor of the Copernican system. He visited Rome, where he was greeted by the cardinals and the pope. Galileo hopes that the logical perfection and experimental justification of the new science will force the church to recognize this. In 1612, his important work Reflection on Floating Bodies was published. In it, he provides new evidence for the law of Archimedes and opposes many aspects of scholastic philosophy, asserting the right of reason not to obey the authorities. In 1613 he wrote a treatise on sunspots in Italian with great literary talent. At that time, he also almost discovered the rotation of the Sun.

Prohibition of the teachings of Copernicus

As Galileo and his disciples were already under attack, he feels compelled to speak and write his famous letter to Castelli. He proclaimed the independence of science from theology and the uselessness of Scripture in the research of scientists: "... in mathematical disputes, it seems to me, the Bible belongs to the last place." But the spread of opinions about the heliocentric system seriously disturbed theologians, and in March 1616, with the decree of the Holy Congregation, the teachings of Copernicus were banned.

Many years of silence begin for the entire active milieu of Copernican supporters. But the system becomes apparent only when, in 1610-1616. astronomical discoveries were the main weapon against the geocentric system. Now Galileo strikes at the very foundations of the old, unscientific worldview, influencing the deepest physical roots of the world. The struggle resumed with the appearance in 1624 of two works, including "Letter to Ingoli". In this work, Galileo expounds the principle of relativity. The traditional argument against the motion of the Earth is discussed, namely that if the Earth were rotating, a stone thrown from a tower would lag behind the surface of the Earth.

Dialogue on the two main systems of the world - Ptolemy and Copernicus

In subsequent years, Galileo was immersed in work on the main book, which reflected the results of his 30 years of research and reflection, the experience gained in applied mechanics and astronomy, and his general philosophical views of the world. In 1630, an extensive manuscript entitled "Dialogue on the two main systems of the world - Ptolemy and Copernicus" was completed.

The exposition of the book was built in the form of a conversation between three people: Salviatti, a staunch supporter of Copernicus and the new philosophy; Sagredo, which is wise man and agrees with all of Salviatti's arguments, but is initially neutral; and Simplicchio, defender of the traditional Aristotelian concept. The names Salviatti and Sagredo were two friends of Galileo, and Simplicio was in honor of the famous commentator on Aristotle of the 6th century Simplicius, and in Italian it means "simple".

The dialogue gives an idea of almost all of Galileo's scientific discoveries, as well as his understanding of nature and the possibilities of studying it. He stands on materialistic positions; believes that the world exists independently of human consciousness and introduces new methods of research - observation, experience, thought experiment and quantitative mathematical analysis instead of offensive reasoning and references to authority and dogma.

Galileo considers the world to be unified and changeable, without dividing it into "eternal" and "variable" substances; denies absolute motion around a fixed center of the world: “Can I reasonably ask you if there is any center of the world at all, because neither you nor anyone else has proven that the world is finite and has a definite form, not infinite and unlimited. Galileo made great efforts to get his work published. He makes a number of compromises and writes to readers that he does not adhere to the teachings of Copernicus and provides a hypothetical possibility that does not correspond to reality and must be rejected.

The prohibition of "Dialogue"

For two years he collected permission from the highest spiritual authorities and the censors of the Inquisition, and at the beginning of 1632 the book went out of print. But very soon there is a strong reaction from theologians. The Roman pontiff was convinced that he was depicted under the image of Simplicio. A special commission of theologians was appointed, which declared the work heretical, and the seventy-year-old Galileo was summoned to trial in Rome. The process initiated by the Inquisition against him lasts a year and a half and ends with a verdict according to which the "Dialogue" is prohibited.

Renunciation of one's views

On June 22, 1633, in front of all the cardinals and members of the Inquisition, Galileo reads the text of the renunciation of his views. This event allegedly speaks of the complete suppression of his resistance, but in fact this is the next big compromise that he must make in order to continue his scientific work. The legendary phrase: "Eppur si muove" (and yet it spins) is justified by his life and work after the process. It is said that he uttered this phrase after the abdication, however, in fact, this fact is an artistic fiction of the 18th century.

Galileo is under house arrest near Florence, and, despite almost losing his sight, he is working hard on a new great work. The manuscript was smuggled out of Italy by her admirers, and in 1638 it was printed in the Netherlands under the title Lectures and Mathematical Proofs of Two New Sciences.

Lectures and mathematical proofs of two new sciences

Lectures are the pinnacle of Galileo's work. They were written again as a conversation for six days between three interlocutors - Salviati, Sagredo and Simplicchio. As before, Salvati plays a leading role. Simplicio no longer argued, but asked questions only for more detailed explanations.

On the first, third and fourth days, the theory of the movement of falling and thrown bodies is revealed. The second day is dedicated to the topic of materials and geometric balance. The fifth lecture contains mathematical theorems, and the last contains incomplete results and ideas about the theory of resistance. He has smallest value among six. With regard to material resistance, Galileo's work is pioneering in this area and plays an important role.

The most valuable results are contained in the first, third and fifth lectures. This is the highest point that Galileo reached in his understanding of motion. Considering the fall of bodies, he sums up:

"I think that if the resistance of the medium were completely removed, all bodies would fall at the same speed."

The theory of uniform rectilinear and equilibrium motion is further developed. The results of his numerous experiments on free fall, motion on inclined plane and the motion of a body thrown at an angle to the horizon. The time dependence is clearly formulated and the parabolic trajectory is investigated. Again, the principle of inertia has been proven and is used as fundamental in all considerations.

When the Lectures go out of print, Galileo is completely blind. But in the last years of his life he works. In 1636 he proposed a method exact definition longitudes at sea using the satellites of Jupiter. His dream is to organize numerous astronomical observations from different points earth's surface. To this end, he negotiates with the Dutch Commission for the adoption of his method, but is refused and the church forbids his further contacts. In his last letters to his followers, he continues to make important astronomical considerations.

Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642, surrounded by his students Viviani and Toricelli, his son and representative of the Inquisition. Only 95 years later, his ashes were allowed to be transported to Florence, two other great sons of Italy, Michelangelo and Dante. His resourceful scientific work, passing through the strict criteria of time, gives him immortality among the names of the most brilliant artists of physics and astronomy.

Galileo Galilei - biography of life and his discoveries

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Date of birth: February 15, 1564
Date of death: January 8, 1642
Birthplace: Pisa, Tuscany region, Duchy of Florence, Italy

Galileo Galilei- scientist, physicist and astronomer. Galileo Galilei, who owns, perhaps, one of the most important discoveries in the field of astronomy, is less known for his achievements in the fields of mathematics, mechanics and philosophy.

Born February 15, 1564 in Pisa (Italian Duchy of Florence) in a poor noble family. His father, Vincenzo, was a musical theorist and lute player. Mother's name was Julia. The family was large: six children, and Galileo was the oldest of them.

Galileo studied at the monastery of Vallombrosa. Ros exemplary, was the best in academic performance in his class. As soon as he graduated, he seriously thought about the future of the priest, but his father was categorically against it.

At the age of 17 he entered the University of Pisa. Interested in mathematics. Studying medicine. However, after 3 years of study, his father finds himself in a very bad state. financial condition, and the family can no longer pay for Galileo's education. For especially talented students, there was a benefit that allowed them not to pay tuition. They applied for it, but were flatly refused. Galileo never received his degree. Returned to Florence.

Galileo was very lucky, and he met a true connoisseur of research and scientific discoveries. It was the Marquis Guidobaldo del Monte. They were friends and the marquis sponsored many of Galileo's discoveries. It was thanks to the Marquis that in 1589 Galileo returned to the University of Pisa, but now as a professor of mathematical sciences. In 1590 he wrote a scientific work that turned the world of physics upside down. It was a treatise on motion.

In 1591, his father dies, and the young scientist takes full responsibility for the family on his shoulders. A year later, he quits his first job and goes to the Venetian University of Padua, where Galileo was offered a decent wage for his work. In addition to mathematics, here he teaches astronomy and mechanics. The students were happy to attend his lectures, and the Venetian government constantly orders various kinds of technical devices from him. He corresponds with Kepler and other authorities from the world of science and technology.

His next treatise is Mechanics. Galileo also designs the world's first telescope, which changes the whole idea of environment. A serious step in science and further research. At that time, it was a real sensation, and all wealthy people began to massively order telescopes for themselves, because Galileo's stories about the celestial space seen through a telescope looked like a fantastic fiction, and everyone wanted to see it with their own eyes.

Unfortunately, he did not make much money from this, as he was forced to give money as a dowry when his two sisters got married. Galileo finds himself in debt and accepts an invitation to work as an adviser to the Tuscan court from Duke Cosimo II de Medici. So, in the life of a scientist, a turning point comes not at all in better side, as he moves from Venice, in which the Inquisition was powerless, to the less hospitable Florence.

In general, the move to Florence itself did not promise any danger. The work of an adviser was very quiet and calm. But in 1611 the scientist leaves Florence and travels to Rome in order to intercede for Copernicus. He is trying to convince the Pope that the discoveries of Copernicus are a very important and useful contribution to the development of mankind. The priests organized a warm welcome, even approved the recent invention of Galileo - his sensational telescope.

After 2 years, Galileo continues to defend the point of view of Copernicus. He publishes several of his writings, which do not covertly hint that the church is intended to save the soul, and not to make or stop scientific discoveries. This greatly agitated the Roman clergy.

In 1615, Rome openly accuses Galileo of heresy, and a year later completely prohibits heliocentrism. Instead of not heating up the situation, he releases another mockery, after which the Inquisition begins a legal case against Galileo Galilei.

In 1633, the scientist was arrested and put on trial. The death penalty was coming, but it was canceled, given the fact that Galileo is an old and sick man who voluntarily renounced his own discoveries. Most likely, he was tortured to make him do it. One way or another, soon the old scientist was sent to Archetri (on its territory there was a monastery with daughters). Last years Galileo were held there under house arrest.

Throughout his life, Galileo was so busy with his discoveries that he practically did not devote time to his personal life. He did not even marry Marina Gamba, although she bore him a son and two daughters.

On January 8, 1642, the world famous scientist died, who made a real revolution in the world of astronomy and physics. He was not properly buried, but in 1737 his ashes were transferred to the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Achievements of Galileo Galilei:

The first astronomer who invented and used the telescope, making discoveries completely unknown at that time. He saw spots on the Sun, mountains on the Moon, moons of Jupiter, stars in Milky Way, the rotation of the Sun, the phases of Venus and much more.
He preached the heliocentric system of the world.
He founded experimental physics, laid the foundation for classical mechanics.
Invented not only the telescope, but also the thermometer, microscope, compasses and hydrostatic balances.
Described the law of indestructibility of matter.

Dates from the biography of Galileo Galilei:

1564 - birth.
From 1581 to 1585 - studying at the University of Pisa.
1586 - Invented the hydrostatic balance.
1589 - returns as a professor at the University of Pisa.
1590 - published scientific work "On the movement".
1591 Galileo's father dies.
From 1592 to 1610 he worked at the University of Padua (Venetian period).
1592 - invented the thermometer (at that time it was without a scale).
1602 - Invented the microscope.
1606 - invented the compass.
1609 - Invented the telescope.
1610 - leaves for Florence (1610-1632 - Florentine period).
1611 - visits the Pope for the first time to petition for Copernicus.
1613 - writes works that are designed to protect the interests of Copernicus.
1615 - Roman priesthood accuses Galileo of heresy.
1616 - heliocentrism is prohibited.
From 1633 - arrest, trial, prison, later - house arrest.
1642 - death.

Interesting Galileo Galilei Facts:

When Galileo carefully observed the rings of Saturn, he thought that these were his satellites. This discovery was encrypted as an anagram. Kepler deciphered it incorrectly, deciding that we are talking about the satellites of the planet Mars.
Galileo himself gave his daughters to the monastery when they were 12 and 13 years old. One of the daughters, Livia, did not want to put up with the fate of the nun, but Virginia accepted this fate humbly.
The scientist's grandson (his son only son) grew up as a real religious fanatic. He was of the opinion that all the works of his grandfather were heresy, and as a result, he burned all the manuscripts of Galileo.
The Vatican only admitted they were wrong about Galileo in 1981, and agreed that the Earth does indeed revolve around the Sun.