Lippershey and another lens-maker Zacharias Janssen
began making telescopes
in the fall of 1608. Within a year, Galileo Galilei
had made more powerful telescopes
and had turned them to the heavens.
Thereupon, Galileo,
discovering
that the moon had mountains
that Jupiter had moons
that the constellations were crowded
with stars that the eye could not see
that the Milky Way was composed of stars
and that planets had a measurable width,
became the first “starry messenger.”
Verifiable
Disbelief and hostility
followed Galileo’s assertion
that the heavens were not perfect.
Surely if Galileo were not mad
then his telescope had optical defects
that created the illusion of moons.
The Grand Duke paid Galileo to make telescopes
and had them sent to courts throughout Europe
so that others could verify his observations.
Several astronomers published
confirmations of the existence
of the moons of Jupiter within the year.
What one cannot see
Limited by nature,
one cannot see what one cannot see
how strange plants and animals grew and died
in distant and unfamiliar times and places,
how distant worlds suffered the ravages of time
cratered by unknowable asteroids,
how the infinite makes the universe impossibly old,
so it’s only common sense, not fear or
faith,
to meet foolish assertions with scorn.
Galileo Galilei rushed a full description of his findings into
print, publishing Sidereus Nuncius (“Starry
Message”) in March 1610. Other astronomers were not far
behind him, confirming his observations. The Catholic Church was
upset with Galileo’s confirmation of Copernican
heliocentrism, banning his books for over two hundred years.
Galileo Galilei rushed a full description of his findings into print, publishing Sidereus Nuncius (“Starry Message”) in March 1610. Other astronomers were not far behind him, confirming his observations. The Catholic Church was upset with Galileo’s confirmation of Copernican heliocentrism, banning his books for over two hundred years.
See also in The book of science:
Readings on wikipedia: