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Who Was Galileo Galilei? 1579 Studies at a Benedictine Monastery and Considers Galileo Was a Man of Many Interests

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Who Was Galileo Galilei? 1579 Studies at a Benedictine Monastery and Considers Galileo Was a Man of Many Interests Ga li l eo’s Battle for the He aven s AIRING OCTOBER 29, 2002 1564 Born in Pisa,Italy, on February 15. Who Was Galileo Galilei? 1579 Studies at a Benedictine monastery and considers Galileo was a man of many interests. Unlike becoming a monk. today’s scientists who become experts in very 1581 Begins studies at the University of Pisa,Italy. specialized areas, Galileo studied a wide range 1585 Leaves Pisa without a degree. of topics from mathematics to astronomy to Unfortunately, one of the books Galileo pub- 1589 Takes a teaching position at physics. He was also a teacher, inventor, and lished included a strong argument that the Sun Pisa.Three years later, begins writer. and not Earth was at the center of the solar sys- teaching at the University of Galileo may be best known for opposing the tem.This went against church teachings, and Padua. Catholic Church’s view that Earth was the center Galileo was brought before a church organiza- 1597 Develops a geometric and of the univer s e , but he was in fact a religious per- tion known as the Inquisition. military compass. 1599 Enters a relationship with son . As a teenager, he attended school in a In 1633, the Inquisition placed Galileo Marina Gamba,who bears his mon a s t e r y and dreamed of becoming a monk . under house arrest,where he stayed until he three children. In 1581, Galileo’s father sent him to the died in 1642. Although Galileo was old and 1600 Daughter,Virginia University of Pisa, Italy, to study medicine. He sick at this point, he continued scientific experi- (1600–1634),is born. wanted Galileo to become a doctor so he could mentation. Going blind, he could no longer 1601 Daughter, Livia (1601–1659), make a good living and eventually support his study astronomy. Instead, he returned to his is born. 1602 Conducts experiments with a younger siblings. Galileo had other ideas. While studies on motion. Galileo’s studies of inclined pendulum. at the University, he became fascinated with planes, falling bodies, projectiles, and other laws 1604 Begins experimenting with mathematics. He left the University to become of motion became the foundation of modern accelerated motion on an a tutor of mathematics and then a professor. physics.Throughout his life, Galileo was inclined plane. Galileo next became interested in falling strongly supported by his eldest daughter, 1606 Son, Vincenzio (1606–1649), bodies. Whether or not he dropped cannonballs Virginia (Sister Maria Celeste), who entered is born. 1609 Improves the telescope and from the Leaning Tower of Pisa is not known, into a convent in 1613 and corresponded with becomes first to use it for ser i- but he did discover that the speed at which him regularly. ous astronomical observation. objects fall depends on air resistance, not on By following his many interests and 1610 Discovers the moons of how much they weigh. pursuing questions that intrigued him, Jupiter; appointed chief math- At around this time, Galileo’s love for tin- Galileo contributed greatly to science. He ematician and philosopher to kering with mechanical things led to his inven- made many discoveries in astronomy and laid the Grand Duke of Tuscany, tion of a simple thermometer, a geometric and the foundation for modern physics. Cosimo II. 1632 Publishes Dialogue on the military compass, and an improved telescope. Two Chief World Systems: He observed the surface of the Moon and Galileo Resources Ptolemaic and Copernican. found it to be surprisingly similar to Earth; he 1633 Submits to trial for heresy by witnessed four objects circling around Jupiter Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens. The Holy Office of the (four of its moons); and then he sketched WGBH Boston Video, 2002. Inquisition and abjures his pictures of the changing pattern of Find out more about Galileo’s discoveries, his views;is allowed to retire to clash with the Catholic Church, and more in his villa in Arcetri near spots on the Sun. He proposed, Florence, Italy, where he quite rightly, that these sunspots the two-hour NOVA program that airs spends the remainder of his were on the surface of the Sun October 29, 2002. Call 1-800-949-8670 or life under house arrest. and that their changing visit main.wgbh.org/wgbh/shop/nova.html 1638 Becomes blind. pattern was evidence that to order. ya a 1642 Dies on January 8 in Arcetri, the Sun rotated. Italy. In a companion Web site, learn about Galileo’s 1892 Awarded honorary degree life, his place in the world of science, his experi- from the University of Pisa. 1981 Pope John Paul II establishes ments, and his mistaken belief that Earth’s daily the Galileo Commission to rotation and its annual orbit around the Sun study the Galileo case. trigger ocean tides. ya a 1992 Pope John Paul II officially www.pbs.org/nova/galileo/ closes the work of the com- mission,affirming that his Discover more at your local library. predecessor,Pope Urban VIII (1568–1644),had unfairly condemned Galileo for his beliefs. The following icons indicate whether a resource is recommended for children, young adult, and/or adult audiences. c children ya young adult a adult R E P R O D U C I B L E HANDOUT ¥ PAGE 1 OF 4 W W W . P B S . O R G / N O V A / G A L I L E O Ga li l eo’s Battle for the He aven s AIRING OCTOBER 29, 2002 Learning More Scientists Today Rubin, Vera C. Astronomy and physics are much different today than they were in Galileo’s time. Today’s Bright Galaxies,Dark Matter. scientists are much more likely to subspecialize in a main area of interest. For example, Woodbury, NY:American physicists interested in subatomic objects are called particle physicists. Astronomers interested Institute of Physics Press, in the origin of life in the universe are called astrobiologists. 1997. Almost anyone can become a scientist. Here are brief biographies of some of the scientists Rubin narrates her research in who are making contributions to astronomy and physics today. such areas as galactic motion and dark matter and the course of her own career. a Vera Cooper Rubin Since 1995, Tyson has written a monthly Vera Rubin’s interest in essay “Universe” for Natural History magazine. Women in Astronomy: An He has also written numerous books to help Introductory Resource Guide stars began when she was 10 years old. Her others understand the universe. His research www.astrosociety.org/ interests include star formation, exploding stars, education/resources/ father helped her build a telescope from scratch dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky womenast_bib06.html Way. He has two children. Provides a reading list of and attended amateur astronomy club meetings books about women in Stephen Hawking astronomy. ya a with her. In the early ✷ ✷ 1960s, Rubin became the first woman Stephen Hawking likes to permitted to observe at the Palomar think big. He spends time Tyson, Neil de Grasse Observatory, which is run by the California working as a cosmologist, The Sky Is Not the Limit: Institute of Technology. One of her major a person who studies the Adventures of an Urban contributions to astronomy was finding origin, present state, and Astrophysicist. evidence to support the theory that there may future of the universe. New York: Doubleday, 2000. be large amounts of unseen matter, known as One of his greatest con- Offers Tyson’s perspectives dark matter, in the universe. tributions has been in the and experiences—from his She is currently an astronomer at the understanding of black childhood in the Bronx to his Carnegie Institution of Washington (D.C.) holes, which are thought to be places in space current post as director of for the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. where there is so much concentrated mass that Hayden Planetarium. a In 1993, she was awarded the National Medal anything nearby is sucked into their gravita- Neil de Grasse Tyson of Science. She has four children, all of whom tional pull. www.wnyc.org/legacy/shows/ have pursued careers in science. In addition, Hawking has also had to overcome great survivalkit/tyson042802.html she has been very active in encouraging physical challenges. For most of his adult life, In this National Public Radio women and minorities to pursue science he has had a disease called amyotrophic lateral interview, find out what careers. sclerosis,or ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s Tyson would put in a survival disease, this illness makes it progressively more kit if he were stranded Neil de Grasse Tyson difficult to move, speak, breathe, and swallow. somewhere.(Requires Adaptive technologies have allowed him to Neil de Grasse Tyson is RealPlayer plug-in.) a continue to write and deliver scientific papers an astrophysicist who ✷ ✷ and lectures worldwide. He has three children has pursued science and McDaniel, Melissa and Jerry and one grandchild. Lewis. spent years helping oth- Stephen Hawking: ers understand it. Revolutionary Physicist. Tyson first looked New York: Chelsea House up at the sky from the Publishers, 1994. rooftop of his Bronx, New York,apartment house with a pair of Relates Hawking’s life from his binoculars. He was 9 years old. He would later childhood to the present.This become the youngest-ever director of the book is part of the series, Great Hayden Planetarium at the American Achievers:Lives of the Museum of Natural History in New York Physically Challenged. ya a City. He also spends time as a visiting Stephen Hawking’s Web Site research scientist in astrophysics at Princeton www.hawking.org.uk/home/ University, New Jersey.
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