(1564-1642) Galileo was an Italian astronomer and physicist. As a physicist, he discovered the laws of falling bodies, the parabolic curve of a projectile, and the three laws of motion which were later confirmed by Newton. As an astronomer, he was the first to use the telescope to study the heavens. He discovered sunspots, determined that the Milky Way is made up of stars, and observed that the moon reflects light and has a mountainous surface. He supported the Copernican theory that the earth revolves around the sun and was censured by the Church for his beliefs.
