Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, used as an agent of the Medici's (Cosimo II as patron) and the jesuits in the Science Church to promote the mechanical model of the universe. Philipp Apian (University of Ingolstadt) taught Galilei the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus. Apian's student Michael Maestlin was the teacher of Johannes Kepler. Francesco Maria del Monte Bourbon (patron of Caravaggio) helped him becoming professor of mathematics in Pisa. He studied the rings of Saturn and 'discovered' the Trapezium Cluster in Orion (stargate of the Orion Wars). In 1610 he published Siderus Nuncius. |
He was the son of music theorist Vincenzo Galileo, who influenced jesuit Marin Mersenne
From 1608 the telescope was widely used. In 1610 he discovered Jupiter's moons Io and Europa at the University of Padua. He debated with jesuit Orazio Grasso at Roman College (founded by Ignatius of Loyola). He was a friend of Christiaan Huygens (agent of House of Orange).
Dominican Tomasso Caccini and jesuit Robert Bellarmine were his rival. In 1611 he wrote Discourse on the Tides to Alessandro Orsini and pope Paul V Borghese.
In 1632 he published Dialogues Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, dedicated to Fernando II de Medici.
He formulated the Galilei invariance, how laws of motion remain the same in all frames of references.
Due to his house arrest by the Cathollic Church (jesuit trained pope Urban VIII elite family Barberini, visited by the Medici's), he is used in the Science Church as symbol of the Renaissance, as hero, Reason triumphing over superstition and religion and often depicted with square and compass, symbol of freemasonry.
born 2/15/1564.
died 1/8/1642.