Galileo Galilei (2/15/1564-1/8/1642) is best remembered for researching and popularizing the idea of a heliocentric solar system, rather than the geocentric one widely accepted as truth. Galilei also worked to disprove the idea that the stars as seen in the sky do not change positions and was the first create topological maps of mountains and craters on the moon, which was formerly assumed to be smooth and translucent.
The time around which Galilei did much of his research was a time of political and religious unrest all over Europe. The Thirty Years’ War began in May 23, 1618 from tensions caused by the Roman Empire, and as the name implies, Europe had to deal with that for a very long time until its end in October 23, 1648, by which point Galilei himself was dead. December 16 of 1631, a mere two years prior to when Galilei was tried for heresy, saw the eruption of Vesuvius and the death of thousands as a result.
Of course, human interference on a more individual level hindered Galilei’s efforts as well, as Pope Urban VIII (4/5/1568-7/29/1644) was the Pope who oversaw Galilei’s condemnation and imprisonment. Urban’s reign, regardless of Galilei’s influence was one of expansion by force and mission reformation, meaning that teachings that may contradict with what he is attempting to enforce may threaten the state.
Learning of the religious conflicts occurring during Galilei’s lifetime adds a new layer of depth to why he fought such an uphill battle to get his theories instated as facts. Tensions were already high at the moment, and world-changing revelations seemed like a massive threat to the already fragile status quo. Not helping matters was the then-recent catastrophic natural disaster that could very easily be read as divine intervention or even a preemptive punishment.
Simply Cosmic 