Informational Articals - Telescopes - Galileo
One of the most famous scientists of all times is Galileo Galilei who contributed a great deal to the areas of mathematics and astronomy. He is credited with introducing the various elements needed to make a telescope work properly. Many books in history refer to Galileo as the Father of Modern Astronomy due to his efforts and contributions to this area of study.
Galileo was able to give credibility to his various experiments through the use of mathematic equations that he was a genius with. He was never afraid to admit that his initial theories were wrong after his experiments had shown other facts to be true. This trait of his gave him exceptional credibility as wall as respect in the scientific community. Many of Galileo’s observations from the late 1500’s and early 1600’s hold true today even with the advanced technology we have.
Galileo made historical observations with many of the different planets. He was the first to discover the moons of the planet Jupiter. While his observations only found three of them we now know there are four. It is not known if the other one developed later in time or if the tools he had for such observations were not advanced enough to pick up on the fourth one.
He was able to identify the rings around Saturn but he thought they were other planets. He was quite mystified and confused though as over time the rings he saw would appear and then disappear again. He also made a mistake again when he pursued the idea that the moon is what controls the tides. However for all of the errors that Galileo made he did continue to provide us with plenty of accurate information about the world. He may not have had the exact information but for the time he was living in he made significant discoveries.
In fact many of his contributions to society were in the area of technology, specifically to the area of physics. He designed a very advanced type of compass that was used by hunters, surveyors, and even the military. He was honored both during his life and at the time of his death for his contributions that paved the way for many other advances in areas of science to be achieved due to his work.
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