On February 26, 1616, Galileo Galilei was formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the Copernican theory of the solar system, which stated that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun.
Galileo, an Italian astronomer, mathematician, and physicist, was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. He made groundbreaking observations of the universe using his self-improved telescope, including the discovery of Jupiter's four largest moons and the observation of sunspots.
Galileo's support for the Copernican heliocentric model of the solar system, which challenged the Church's geocentric view that placed Earth at the center of the universe, led to a conflict with the Roman Catholic Church. In 1615, Galileo wrote a letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany, defending the Copernican theory and arguing that the Bible should not be used as a scientific authority.
The Church's ban on Galileo's teachings marked a significant moment in the history of science and religion. Despite the ban, Galileo continued his research and, in 1632, published his most famous work, "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems," which compared the Copernican and Ptolemaic models of the universe.
As a result of this publication, Galileo was summoned to Rome by the Inquisition in 1633 and put on trial for suspected heresy. Under threat of torture, he was forced to recant his beliefs and spent the remainder of his life under house arrest. However, his ideas and discoveries had a lasting impact on the scientific world and helped pave the way for the acceptance of the heliocentric model of the solar system.
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