Final answer:
Galileo Galilei is credited with the discovery of Jupiter's moons in 1610, a pivotal moment that supported the heliocentric model and challenged the geocentric view. These moons are known as the Galilean moons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The moons of Jupiter were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. His observations of Jupiter's moons — Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto — provided powerful support for the heliocentric model of the solar system, challenging the prevailing geocentric view of the time. Notably, this discovery underscored that celestial bodies could revolve around a center that was itself in motion, as the moons orbited Jupiter while the planet itself orbited the Sun. These moons, because of their discoverer, are often referred to as the Galilean moons,
Galileo's findings demonstrated that not all celestial bodies revolved around Earth, arguing against the Ptolemaic model and supporting the Copernican system that placed the Sun at the center. Furthermore, the precision of Galileo's observations, along with the work of other great astronomers like Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and eventually Isaac Newton, greatly advanced the scientific understanding of our solar system. The Galileo spacecraft, named in honor of Galileo's contributions, further expanded human knowledge about Jupiter and its moons.