Galileo Galilei

NEWS - ITALY

The 1635 portrait of astronomer Galileo Galilei by Dutch painter Justus Sustermans hangs in the Palazzo Pitti art gallery in Florence January 22, 2009. Italian and British scientists want to exhume the body of 16th century astronomer Galileo for DNA tests to determine if his severe vision problems may have affected some of his findings. The scientists told Reuters on Thursday that DNA tests would help answer some unresolved questions about the health of the man known as the father of astronomy, whom the Vatican condemned for teaching that the earth revolves around the sun.