How did Galileo use a principle like Occam’s razor to support heliocentrism?

Galileo Galilei utilized a principle similar to Occam’s razor—the philosophical heuristic that favors simpler explanations over more complex ones—to argue for the plausibility of heliocentrism over the traditional geocentric model of Ptolemy.1

Galileo contended that the relative simplicity of the Sun-centered model made it a more compelling and plausible description of the universe than the geocentric system, which had dominated scientific thought for approximately 1,400 years. By positioning the Sun at the center, the heliocentric model offered a level of qualitative simplicity and systemic harmony that the Ptolemaic system lacked.123

While Galileo used this principle of simplicity to support his arguments, it is important to note that he also relied on empirical evidence gathered through his use of the telescope, such as observing mountains on the Moon and satellites circling Jupiter, to challenge the established Aristotelian view of the world. Thus, his support for heliocentrism was grounded in both logical analysis regarding the elegance of the system and direct observational criticism of the existing cosmological framework.4