The Galileo affair was a sequence of events, beginning around 1610, during which Galileo Galilei came into conflict with the Catholic Church over his support of Copernican astronomy.
In 1610, Galileo published his Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger), describing the surprising observations that he had made with the new telescope, namely the phases of Venus and the Galilean moons of Jupiter. He went on to propose a theory of tides in 1616, and of comets in 1619. He argued that the tides were evidence for the motion of the Earth, and promoted the heliocentric theory of Copernicus (published in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium in 1543).
Galileo's part in the controversies over theology, astronomy, and philosophy culminated in his trial by the Roman Inquisition in 1633, who found him "gravely suspect of heresy" and sentenced him to indefinite imprisonment. This was subsequently commuted to house arrest, under which he remained for the rest of his life.
Read more about Galileo Affair: 1600s Revolution in Cosmology, Bible Argument, First Meetings With Theological Authorities, Bellarmine's View, Inquisition Examination, Dialogue, Trial, Modern Catholic Church Views, Artistic Treatments
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