Who invented and used the world's first telescope, contributing to the heliocentric model of the solar system?

Galileo Galilei is credited with inventing and significantly improving the early telescope, and he was the first to use it for astronomical purposes. His observations through this instrument, including the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, and the details of the lunar surface, provided strong evidence for the heliocentric model of the solar system, which posits that the Earth and other planets orbit around the Sun.

Prior to Galileo, the concept of the heliocentric model was proposed by Copernicus, but it lacked the observational support that Galileo's findings provided. Newton contributed to the understanding of gravity and the laws of motion but did not invent the telescope or initially advance the heliocentric theory. Kepler built on the work of both Galileo and Copernicus with his laws of planetary motion, yet he had no role in the invention or first use of the telescope. Hence, Galileo's unique contributions through his use of the telescope played a vital role in popularizing and confirming the heliocentric theory in the scientific community of his time.