(1564 - 1642)
Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer whose advocacy of heliocentrism was controversial within his lifetime. Called the "father of observational astronomy" and the "father of modern physics," he improved the telescope and made crucial astronomical observations. He discovered Jupiter's moons, observed Saturn's rings, and documented the phases of Venus. His support for Copernican heliocentrism led to his trial by the Inquisition.