From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Thu Jul 12 2001 - 18:23:46 MDT
> I'd suggest the anniversary of the day that Galileo first turned his
> telescope to the heavens in 1610.
>
> Russell
Couldn't find exact date he first used telescope.
How about the day he published: March 12.
http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/starry/galtele.html
Galileo gradually improved the power of his telescope, grinding lenses
himself, and began observing the heavens. In the first two months of 1610, he
was writing The Starry Messenger, and by 12 March, the book was already
printed at Venice, dedicated to Cosimo de' Medici. Galileo continued his
The Telescope
http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/Things/telescope.html
Verifying Galileo's discoveries was initially difficult. In the spring of 1610
no one had telescopes of sufficient quality and power to see the satellites of
Jupiter, although many had weaker instruments with which they could see some
of the lunar detail Galileo had described in Sidereus Nuncius. Galileo's lead
was one of practice, not theory, and it took about six months before others
could make or obtain instruments good enough to see Jupiter's moons. With the
verification of the phases of Venus by others, in the first half of 1611,
Galileo's lead in telescope-making had more or less evaporated. The next
discovery, that of sunspots, was made by several observers, including Galileo,
independently.
=====================
Stay hungry,
--J. R.
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, CYC, and ELIZA
We won't move into a better future until we debunk religiosity, the most
regressive force now operating in society.
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