Galileo's 400-year-old lie is FINALLY exposed: Doctored letter showing how astronomer tried to escape jail found in Royal Society's library

A letter penned by Galileo in the 17th century showed he did tone down his anti-religious beliefs to fool the Catholic Church.

In the letter, which had been lost in the Royal Society's library for 250 years, Galileo Galilei set down his argument against the church's belief that the sun orbits the Earthm reports the Daily Mail.

It was written to a friend on 21 December 1613 and provides the strongest evidence yet that Galileo toned down his scientific claims to fool the Inquisition and escape jail. 

The letter has parts crossed out and new words added as Galileo attempted to soften his arguments, scientists have revealed.  

The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat public heresy.

However, a letter that was written 19 years earlier to Benedetto Castelli, a mathematician at the University of Pisa shows that Galileo had initially toned down his beliefs to dupe the church. 

This letter was found by Salvatore Ricciardo of the University of Bergamo in the Royal Society library.