 |
|
Looking through Galileo's eyes
January 08, 2009In 1609, exactly four centuries ago, Galileo revolutionised humankind's understanding of our position in the Universe when he used a telescope for the first time to study the heavens, which saw him sketching radical new views of the moon and discovering the satellites orbiting Jupiter.
In synch with the International Year of Astronomy (IYA), which marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's discoveries, a group of astronomers and curators from the Arcetri Observatory and the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, both in Florence, Italy, are recreating the kind of telescope and conditions that led to Galileo's world-changing observations, reports January's Physics World.
Astronomers will be using the recreated apparatus to catalogue all the objects recorded in Galileo's 'Sidereus Nuncius' (or, in English, "Starry Messenger"), the treatise that Galileo published in 1610 which included many of his early observations.
The team has already observed the Moon and Saturn and are now recording images of Jupiter's moons and the phases of Venus, both of which provided crucial evidence to confirm the heliocentric hypothesis and prove that the Earth is not the centre of the Universe.
To recreate the apparatus, the team undertook a painstaking investigation of the nature of the lens of a telescope given to Galileo's patron, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II, in 1610. That work involved measuring the shape and refractive index of the lens, and using X-ray fluorescence to determine the condition of the glass. The group now plans to put the images seen by the telescope online. Sadly, the team has not been able to build a replica of the telescope actually used by Galileo to make the observations reported in Sidereus Nuncius as only one lens of that instrument survives.
The project, however, is more ambitious than just recreating one of Galileo's telescopes. The ultimate aim is to catch what Galileo himself might have seen. It is known that Galileo died blind and the researchers are keen to open Galileo's tomb to retrieve DNA and diagnose his optical affliction in order to create conditions that resemble looking through Galileo's very own eyes. At present, though, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Florence, where the tomb lies, is refusing the researchers access to Galileo's remains.
This project is just one of many activities being undertaken by professional and amateur astronomers during the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
This month's Physics World also describes highlights from some of the events due in 2009, including IYA 2009's opening ceremony at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris; GLOBE at night, a fortnight in March devoted to recording the magnitude of visible stars to measure light pollution in locations around the globe; and early April's 100 Hours of Astronomy, hoping to encourage as many people as possible to pick up a telescope and observe the stars just as Galileo did 400 years ago.
Also in the January edition of Physics World:
* The ability to predict earthquakes could save thousands of lives every year, but for most scientists it is a pipedream. Jon Cartwright tells the story of one physicist who believes that earthquake warnings will soon be possible.
* Artificial and natural shock waves can cause incredible damage and havoc, so a better understanding of the physics of shocks could save lives - or even the entire planet. Neil Bourne describes the common thread connecting antiterrorism measures, desk toys and the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Institute of Physics
The team has already observed the Moon and Saturn and are now recording images of Jupiter's moons and the phases of Venus, both of which provided crucial evidence to confirm the heliocentric hypothesis and prove that the Earth is not the centre of the Universe.
To recreate the apparatus, the team undertook a painstaking investigation of the nature of the lens of a telescope given to Galileo's patron, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II, in 1610. That work involved measuring the shape and refractive index of the lens, and using X-ray fluorescence to determine the condition of the glass. The group now plans to put the images seen by the telescope online. Sadly, the team has not been able to build a replica of the telescope actually used by Galileo to make the observations reported in Sidereus Nuncius as only one lens of that instrument survives.
The project, however, is more ambitious than just recreating one of Galileo's telescopes. The ultimate aim is to catch what Galileo himself might have seen. It is known that Galileo died blind and the researchers are keen to open Galileo's tomb to retrieve DNA and diagnose his optical affliction in order to create conditions that resemble looking through Galileo's very own eyes. At present, though, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Florence, where the tomb lies, is refusing the researchers access to Galileo's remains.
This project is just one of many activities being undertaken by professional and amateur astronomers during the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
This month's Physics World also describes highlights from some of the events due in 2009, including IYA 2009's opening ceremony at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris; GLOBE at night, a fortnight in March devoted to recording the magnitude of visible stars to measure light pollution in locations around the globe; and early April's 100 Hours of Astronomy, hoping to encourage as many people as possible to pick up a telescope and observe the stars just as Galileo did 400 years ago.
Also in the January edition of Physics World:
* The ability to predict earthquakes could save thousands of lives every year, but for most scientists it is a pipedream. Jon Cartwright tells the story of one physicist who believes that earthquake warnings will soon be possible.
* Artificial and natural shock waves can cause incredible damage and havoc, so a better understanding of the physics of shocks could save lives - or even the entire planet. Neil Bourne describes the common thread connecting antiterrorism measures, desk toys and the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Institute of Physics
Galileo Current Events and Galileo News RSSNAE announces award winners John Casani and Sheila Widnall
During its 2009 annual meeting, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) will present two awards for extraordinary impacts on the engineering profession.
Small gems in space
A combination of small satellites can, with innovative methods, use the signals of the navigation satellite systems GPS and Galileo to significantly improve remote sensing of the System Earth.
Galileo's notebooks may reveal secrets of new planet
Galileo knew he had discovered a new planet in 1613, 234 years before its official discovery date, according to a new theory by a University of Melbourne physicist.
Scientists create first comprehensive computer model of sunspots
In a breakthrough that will help scientists unlock mysteries of the sun and its impacts on Earth, scientists have created the first-ever comprehensive computer model of sunspots.
Four of Saturn's moons parade by their parent
On 24 February 2009, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured a photo sequence of four moons of Saturn passing in front of their parent planet.
Jupiter's rocky core bigger and icier, model predicts
Jupiter has a rocky core that is more than twice as large as previously thought, according to computer calculations by a University of California, Berkeley, geophysicist who simulated conditions inside the planet on the scale of individual hydrogen and helium atoms.
Cosmic connections: Imperial scientist locates the origin of cosmic dust
The research, published in the journal Geology, shows that some of the cosmic dust falling to Earth comes from an ancient asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. This research improves our knowledge of the solar system, and could provide a new and inexpensive method for understanding space.
Storm Winds Blow in Jupiter's Little Red Spot
Using data from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft and two telescopes at Earth, an international team of scientists has found that one of the solar system's largest and newest storms - Jupiter's Little Red Spot - has some of the highest wind speeds ever detected on any planet.
New discovery at Jupiter could help protect Earth-orbit satellites
Radio waves accelerate electrons within Jupiter's magnetic field in the same way as they do on Earth, according to new research published in Nature Physics this week. The discovery overturns a theory that has held sway for more than a generation and has important implications for protecting Earth-orbiting satellites.
A new window on the universe
Using new tools to look at the universe, says Patrick Brady, often has led to discoveries that change the course of science. History is full of examples.
More Galileo Current Events and Galileo News Articles
 |
Galileo by Bertolt Brecht (Author), Eric Bentley (Editor), Eric Bentley (Editor), Charles Laughton (Editor) Considered by many to be one of Brecht's masterpieces, Galileo explores the question of a scientist's social and ethical responsibility, as the brilliant Galileo must choose between his life and his life's work when confronted with the demands of the Inquisition. Through the dramatic characterization of the famous physicist, Brecht examines the issues of scientific morality and the difficult relationship between the intellectual and authority. This version of the play is the famous one that was brought to completion by Brecht himself, working with Charles Laughton, who played Galileo in the first two American productions (Hollywood and New York, 1947). Since then the play has become a classic in the world repertoire. "The play which most strongly stamped on my mind a sense of Brecht's... |
 |
NOVA - Galileo's Battle for the Heavens Starring: Stacy Keach; Peter Thomas (VI); Don Wescott Directed By: Nova At a time when heretics were burned alive for dissent, scientist Galileo Galilei risked his life to advance his revolutionary concepts of the universe. British actor Simon Callow (Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral) brings Galileo to life, humanizing the great thinker’s passion, intelligence, and arrogance while depicting his frustrations with fellow philosophers and scientists, and with Roman Catholic church leaders. Based on Dava Sobel’s best-selling biography Galileo’s Daughter, this two-hour film offers a vivid re-imagining of Galileo’s incredible achievements that forever changed the way we view our place in the universe. It also investigates the momentous personal and spiritual conflicts Galileo faced- most especially in defending the controversial... |
 |
The Essential Galileo by Galileo Galilei (Author), Maurice A. Finocchiaro (Editor) Spanning Galileo's entire career, this new collection presents an annotated translation of Galileo's most important writings as judged by their historical impact from the seventeenth century to the present. It thus presents not only those writings that bear most closely on key developments in physics, astronomy, epistemology, and scientific methodology, but those most relevant to general culture as well, including writings on the relationship between science and religion. |
 |
Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (Modern Library Science) by Galileo (Author), Stillman Drake (Translator), John Heilbron (Translator), Albert Einstein (Translator) Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, published in Florence in 1632, was the most proximate cause of his being brought to trial before the Inquisition. Using the dialogue form, a genre common in classical philosophical works, Galileo masterfully demonstrates the truth of the Copernican system over the Ptolemaic one, proving, for the first time, that the earth revolves around the sun. Its influence is incalculable. The Dialogue is not only one of the most important scientific treatises ever written, but a work of supreme clarity and accessibility, remaining as readable now as when it was first published. This edition uses the definitive text established by the University of California Press, in Stillman Drake’s translation, and includes a Foreword by Albert... |
 |
Galileo Starring: Topol, James Aubrey, Colin Blakely, Robert Bridges, Georgia Brown Directed By: Joseph Losey Also With: Joseph Losey (Writer), Ben Baker (Producer), Ely A. Landau (Producer), Les Landau (Producer), Barbara Bray (Writer), Bertolt Brecht (Writer), Margarete Steffin (Writer) Studio: Kino International Release Date: 11/11/2003 Run time: 138 minutes |
 |
Chaney Instrument Galileo Thermometer with Glass Ball Barometer by Chaney Instruments This handsome unit uses a blend of old and new technology to interpret the weather. The Galileo thermometer is filled with a clear liquid that suspends multiple colored weights. As the liquid within the weights changes temperature their density changes allowing the weights to rise or fall. The lowest weight at the very top of the Galileo reflects the temperature. The glass water barometer indicates changes in the air temperature. A low fluid level in the glass spout generally means fair weather while a higher fluid level in the glass spout means foul weather approaches. |
 |
Along Came Galileo by Jeanne Bendick (Author), Jeanne Bendick (Illustrator) One of the most important figures to come out of the awakening world of the Renaissance was Galileo Galelei. Often referred to as the "Archimedes of his time" Galileo was forever asking questions. Is it possible to measure heat? Is it possible to weigh air? Does the earth stand still or does it move? How fast do objects fall to the earth? His questions led to some of the most important answers of the scientific world and to his contributions to astronomy, physics, and mathematics. Galileo also advanced the astronomical telescope and invented the compound microscope. He measured the rotation of the sun, invented the thermometer, a geometrical compass and the pendulum clock. He was a man of faith, a lover of art and an accomplished artist. He played the lute and enjoyed working in his... |
 |
Genius - Galileo Starring: Various This is the story of the brilliant Italian astronomer and mathematician who dared to challenge the accepted teachings of his day. Galileo’s work brought him to the attention of the Inquisition and one of history’s greatest minds was forced to work his last years under house arrest. Featuring specially-filmed dramatized depictions and rare contemporary images, this program vividly recreates Galileo’s life and work. It also includes expert commentary and analyses by eminent historians. This DVD features: • Exact Mathematical Measurement • Gravity and Flotation • The Principle of Inertia • The Telescope • Controversy with the Church • Motion and Acceleration. |
 |
Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo by Galileo Galilei (Author), Stillman Drake (Translator) Directing his polemics against the pedantry of his time, Galileo, as his own popularizer, addressed his writings to contemporary laymen. His support of Copernican cosmology, against the Church's strong opposition, his development of a telescope, and his unorthodox opinions as a philosopher of science were the central concerns of his career and the subjects of four of his most important writings. Drake's introductory essay place them in their biographical and historical context. |
 |
Galileo in Rome: The Rise and Fall of a Troublesome Genius by William R. Shea (Author), Mariano Artigas (Author) Galileo's trial by the Inquisition is one of the most dramatic incidents in the history of science and religion. Today, we tend to see this event in black and white--Galileo all white, the Church all black. Galileo in Rome presents a much more nuanced account of Galileo's relationship with Rome. The book offers a fascinating account of the six trips Galileo made to Rome, from his first visit at age 23, as an unemployed mathematician, to his final fateful journey to face the Inquisition. The authors reveal why the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, set forth in Galileo's Dialogue, stirred a hornet's nest of theological issues, and they argue that, despite these issues, the Church might have accepted Copernicus if there had been solid proof. More interesting, they show how... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |