By: Jacob Sheddy
Discovery/Contributions: He played a significant role in the scientific revolution during the Renaissance. Galileo contributed to observational astronomy with his telescopic confirmation of the phases of Venus, the discovery of the four largest satellites of Jupiter, and the observation and analysis of sunspots. He worked in applied science and technology, inventing an improved military compass and other instruments like the pump, such as the hydrostatic balance. His most famous invention was the telescope. Galileo made his first telescope in 1609, modeled after telescopes produced in other parts of Europe that could magnify objects three times.
Galileo was born February 15, 1564 near Pisa, and died January 8, 1642. He was the son of a musician. He began to study medicine at the University of Pisa but changed to philosophy and mathematics. In 1592, he moved to become a mathematician. In 1592, he moved to become a mathematics professor at the university of Padua, a position he held until 1610. During this time he worked on a variety of experiments, including the speed of which different objects fall, mechanics, and the pendulum.