Advanced Placement (AP) World History Practice Exam 2025 - Free AP World History Practice Questions and Study Guide

Galileo's use of the telescope was a pivotal moment in the history of astronomy, enabling significant advancements in the field. Before Galileo's observations, astronomy was largely based on philosophical reasoning and limited observations made with the naked eye. By improving the design of the telescope, Galileo was able to make detailed observations of celestial bodies that had never been seen before.

With this tool, he discovered the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, and the intricate details of the lunar surface, demonstrating that celestial bodies were not smooth, featureless spheres as previously thought. These findings provided crucial support for the heliocentric model of the solar system, which posited that the Earth and other planets orbit the Sun, challenging the long-held geocentric view that placed the Earth at the center of the universe. This shift in perspective laid the groundwork for modern astronomy and transformed humanity's understanding of its place in the cosmos.

In contrast, while computational mathematics and the sextant played important roles in navigation and understanding celestial movements, they did not directly contribute to the observational revolution in astronomy like the telescope did. The microscope, on the other hand, is primarily a tool for studying small, minute objects, rather than those in the vastness of space. Therefore, the