Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564–8 January 1642), an Italian physicist,astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. He is noted for his improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations, and also for his support for Copernicanism. The motion of uniformly accelerated objects, taught in nearly all high school and introductory college physics courses, was studied by Galileo as the subject of kinematics. His contributions to observational astronomy include the telescopic confirmation of the phases of Venus, the discovery of the four largest satellites of Jupiter (named the Galilean moons in his honour), and the observation and analysis of sunspots. Galileo also worked in applied science and technology, developing an improved military compass and other instruments. Galileo has been considered the "father of modern observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics",the "father of science", and "the Father of Modern Science".