Galileo observed all of the following. Which observation offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun?
A)four moons of Jupiter
B)phases of Venus
C)patterns of shadow and sunlight near the dividing line between the light and dark portions of the Moon's face
D)The Milky Way is composed of many individual stars.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Galileo's observation of the phases of Venus offered direct proof of a planet orbiting the Sun because these phases were only possible if Venus was orbiting the Sun and not Earth. This observation supported the heliocentric model of the solar system proposed by Copernicus. The other observations listed did not provide direct proof of planets orbiting the Sun.

Galileo Observed All of the Following