Kepler's contemporary, the Italian scientist and astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), in his most renowned experiment dropped two bodies of different weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and clearly demonstrated that all bodies fall at the same speed regardless of their weight. This was indisputable proof that Aristotle's theory and the Church's dogma were fundamentally mistaken. Galileo also revolutionized astronomy when he was the first to apply the telescope to the study of the heavenly bodies. His observations led him to discover the moons of Jupiter and the phases of the planet Venus, and convinced him that Copernicus' heliocentric model was right. In 1633, Galileo was brought before the Inquisition for a grave suspicion of heresy. He was forced to formally renounce his beliefs, and was sentenced to life-long house arrest.
2008-02-27 @ 15:13