What effect did Galileo's observations of Venus phases have on astronomy?

Galileo's observations of the phases of Venus were pivotal in the history of astronomy because they provided clear evidence for the heliocentric model of the solar system, where the Sun is at the center rather than the Earth. When Galileo observed that Venus exhibited a full set of phases similar to those of the Moon, it suggested that Venus orbits the Sun, passing through phases depending on its position relative to both the Sun and Earth. In a geocentric model, where Earth is the center of the universe, Venus would not show all these phases as observed; it would only appear as a crescent or a gibbous depending on its position. This phenomenon could only be effectively explained if Venus was orbiting the Sun, thus supporting the heliocentric theory proposed by Copernicus. The evidence gathered from these observations played a significant role in the eventual acceptance of the heliocentric model among astronomers and contributed greatly to the scientific revolution that transformed our understanding of the cosmos.