Galileo Galilei observed that the moon's surface is the not smooth.

Only a few centuries before Galileo had risked ridicule when, based on telescopic observations, he suggested that the moon's surface was not smooth. ... Nonetheless Galileo did not see perfection when he looked through his telescope at the moon in the early 17th century. He saw instead a surface that reminded him of earth.

what experimental evidence led scientists to change from the previous model to this one?

a few of the positive particles aimed at a gold foil seemed to bounce back.

the colors of light emitted from heated atoms had very specific energies.

experiments with water vapor showed that elements combine in specific proportions.

cathode rays were bent in the same way whenever a magnet was brought near them.