Galileo Galilei was an influential Italian scientist from the 1600s. He made several important discoveries using self-improved telescopes, including the phases of Venus, moons orbiting Jupiter, and sunspots. Galileo also studied motion and developed early concepts of inertia. His work supported the Copernican model of a sun-centered solar system and challenged the Earth-centered Aristotelian view dominant at the time, bringing him into conflict with the Catholic Church. Galileo made enduring contributions to observational astronomy and the scientific method through his innovative experiments and evidence-based approach.