I was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, physicist, philosopher and professor who was passionate about the study of natural phenomena. For me, mathematics held the key to understanding the hidden causes behind why nature – from the laws of motion to astronomy – behaves the way it does.
Although I was very careful and thoughtful in my experiments, I was too bold and outspoken about my belief that the sun, rather than the earth, is the center of the solar system for the Catholic Church’s liking. Because of this, I was sentenced to spend the last eight years of my life under house arrest at my villa near Florence where I continued my research and writing.
My contribution to our understanding of the universe was considered significant not only because of my discoveries, but because of the methods I developed and my use of math to prove them.