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Engraving of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Italian astronomer & physicist. Galileo is best known for his work "Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems" in which he supported the Copernican view that the Earth revolved around the Sun. This heliocentric theory contrasted with the Earth-centered Ptolemaic system to which the Roman Catholic church held. He was brought before the Inquisition on charges of heresy & on June 22nd 1633 was made to recant. Galileo also invented the pendulum clock, the thermometer, and discovered 4 of the 14 satellites of Jupiter with a telescope he devised on learning that a magnifying tube using lenses had been invented in Holland by Zacharis Janssen. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO/Science Source) === ===