Galileo's Telescopes and Observations - The Great Inflection Point in the History of Science

In 1609, Galileo Galilei significantly improved the optical performance of the telescope and began a series of celestial observations that dramatically changed our understanding of the universe and our place in it.

He developed a new method for reliably comprehending phenomena in the world around us, and so correctly has been called the father of modern science. This talk will lay out the key developments in the history of science related to astronomy preceding Galileo, describe in detail what is known about the optics and construction of his telescopes, and then discuss his observations and how they radically changed the science of astronomy.