(1564-1642) An Italian who provided more evidence for heliocentrism. He invented a new telescope, studied the sky, and published what he discovered.

• A. Galileo
• B. Copernicus
• C. Kepler
• D. Brahe

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is recognizing who first provided strong observational support for heliocentrism and popularized it through published findings. Galileo Galilei, an Italian scientist who lived from 1564 to 1642, fits this description. He used a newly improved telescope to study the heavens and published his discoveries, such as the four largest moons of Jupiter and the changing phases of Venus, which demonstrated that not everything orbits the Earth. These observations offered concrete, empirical evidence for a Sun-centered system and helped overturn the dominant geocentric view. While Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model and Kepler refined planetary orbits, Galileo’s telescopic evidence and his published reports solidified the Copernican idea in the scientific community.