With eight planets in our solar system, more than 200 moons surround those natural satellites.
Jupiter, one of the most recognizable planets, has 80 such moons.
On this day, January 7, 1610, Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter, making it the first observation of this planet.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JANUARY 6, 1941, FDR DELIVERS THE 4 FREEDOMS SPEECH, PREPARING AMERICANS FOR WORLD WAR II
Galileo Galilei was an Italian philosopher and astronomer born in 1564 in Pisa, Italy, according to Britannica.
After moving to Florence as a child, Galileo attended school and then went to the University of Pisa to study medicine.
Galileo Galilei, Italian philosopher, first discovered the moons of Jupiter. (AP Newsroom)
While there, he became interested in mathematics and eventually left university without a degree to work on his own.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DEC. DECEMBER 11, 1972, THE APOLLO 17 ASTRONAUTS BECOME THE LAST HUMANS TO WALK ON THE MOON
Still, Galileo was always teaching himself new skills and facts, according to Britannica.
Galileo was best known for producing powerful telescopes and used one of them to discover four moons surrounding Jupiter.
A view of Jupiter from the beginning of the Voyager 1 mission. You can also see the two Galilean moons of Io and Europa (from left to right). (CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
On January 7, 1610, Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter, a discovery that would change his life forever.
These four moons are Jupiter’s largest satellites (Lo, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto), also known as the Galilean moons, according to National Geographic.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JULY 29, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER SIGNED THE LAW THAT CREATED NASA
This discovery helped him demonstrate that the Earth did indeed revolve around the sun, a fact that was not accepted at the time.
Galileo built a telescope that was used to view the moons of Jupiter. (AP Newsroom)
Years later, Galileo faced charges for believing and defending the Copernican theory: the idea that the Earth revolves around the sun.
This theory largely went against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church at the time.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
He eventually pleaded guilty and was placed under house arrest indefinitely by Pope Urban VIII, according to History.com.
On this day, January 7, 1610, Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter. (CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images/AP Newsroom)
He spent the rest of his life in a villa near Florence before his death on January 8, 1642.
Jupiter is fifth in line from the Sun and is by far the largest planet in the solar system, according to NASA.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
As for the planet’s giant red spot?
It is a massive storm larger than Earth and has been growing for hundreds of years, according to NASA.
For more lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
