this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2023
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[–] cyd 47 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Fun fact about Galileo and the Moon. Late in life, Galileo discovered the librations of the moon, small oscillations in the Moon's orientation that allow us to peek at small bits of the dark side. At the time of this discovery, he was already 68 and in the process of going blind. He went completely blind a few years later.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fun fact

He went completely blind a few years later.

this got progressively less fun as it went along

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

yep, it took a dark turn.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Really cool. Are there any details about it?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here's the article on the pamphlet that Galileo published the pictures in:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereus_Nuncius

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Thanks, interesting read.

Can you imagine seeing for the first time Jupiter through a telescope?

And then he was put under house arrest by the catholic Church!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is this in a museum somewhere? Would be cool to see up close

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I found a great scan of the original book on the Smithsonian website but I'm still unsure where it is located today.

https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/sidereusnuncius00gali

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Something about these is so calming, thanks Gal Gal.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Galileo Galileo