The scientist you are looking for is Galileo Galilei.

Quick Scoop

  • Galileo Galilei supported and defended the heliocentric model, which says the Sun is at the center of the solar system and the Earth moves around it.
  • In 1633, the Roman Inquisition tried him for heresy because of his promotion of this idea, and he was found “vehemently suspect of heresy.”
  • He was forced to recant his views and spent the rest of his life under house arrest, which is the “arrest” people usually refer to in this context.

Why not Copernicus?

  • Nicolaus Copernicus first presented the heliocentric model in full in 1543, but he was not arrested or executed for it.
  • Opposition to heliocentrism became much sharper later, and Galileo’s outspoken defense and style of argument brought him into direct conflict with Church authorities.

TL;DR: The scientist associated with being arrested for arguing that the Sun, not the Earth, is at the center of the solar system is Galileo Galilei , not Copernicus.

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