Astronomy.com blog : Galileo

Correction to November “Observing Basics” column

Matt Quandt — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:55:00 GMT

Guest post from Contributing Editor Glenn Chaple

In the November edition of my “Observing Basics” column, I wrote that Galileo would be “relieved to know that the Roman Catholic Church, which excommunicated him for his heretical teachings, has since exonerated him.”

Three readers — Chris Cuoco (Grand Junction, Colorado), Ed Hahnenberg (Lake Leelanau, Michigan), and Fr. Ronald Gripshover (Fredericksburg, Virginia) — sent e-mails pointing out that Galileo had, in fact, not been excommunicated.

I apologize for the error. Some “facts” of astronomical history appear so often, we begin to take them as truth, much as we accept without question the concept of Earth being the “third rock from the Sun.”

Interestingly, I called a local parish priest for his perception of Galileo’s status after the Inquisition. He was under the impression that Galileo had been excommunicated. Apparently this astronomical urban legend is assumed to be true even by members of the Catholic clergy!

I have since consulted several reliable sources — all of which state that, while Galileo got into a lot of trouble with the Catholic Church, excommunication wasn’t part of his punishment. Now to check to be sure Earth really is the “third rock from the Sun!”

Will we have another Galileo?

Bill Andrews — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:40:00 GMT

An interesting story on Slate.com takes this, the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first telescope, to wonder why we call him by his first name. After all, its subhead points out, “We don’t go around saying ‘Albert’ discovered relativity.” (Briefly, it’s “because that's how he referred to himself.”)

But reading it, I wondered if we’d ever have another Galileo. Or, for that matter, if we’d ever see another Albert (Einstein) or even another Stephen (Hawking). As science becomes increasingly devoted to group work, with whole labs and teams making discoveries instead of individuals, is it likely a single scientist will ever be responsible for as much as these luminaries were?

It’s a question I remember asking just over 10 years ago, to the then-director of the Buehler Planetarium in Davie, Florida, when I was just a wee high school volunteer. Well, actually, I asked her who the next Einstein or Hawking might be, and she said it seemed pretty unlikely we’d see anyone of their caliber willing to go it alone again. Over the years, I’ve come to agree that that’s how things seem to be going.

But can that really be true? No more super-famous, game-changing scientists? What about Neil deGrasse Tyson, the six-time guest on The Colbert Report? Or even Carl Sagan, arguably the most successful popularizer of science ever? Both are pretty super-famous dudes, and both legitimately advanced science and have made significant contributions to their fields.

Well, great as they are (and as much as I love them), their fame is more the result of their efforts to popularize science, and not so much the science itself. These guys, in addition to being scientists, are authors and public speakers, but Einstein pretty much just did physics and an occasional patent office clerkship. And sure, Galileo did more than just build his telescope and work out some physics, but it’s his science that makes him memorable.

So what do you think? Will no more groundbreaking work come from a single genius? Or will we see another of Einstein’s or Galileo’s ilk? If so, can you name any contemporary candidates?

On the road preview: Apollo Rendezvous 2009

David Eicher — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:46:00 GMT

Tomorrow I’ll travel to my old home grounds in southern Ohio to attend the 2009 Apollo Rendezvous meeting in Dayton. I’ll give a talk about Galileo’s telescopes and observations in this 400th anniversary year. Apollo Rendezvous is a nice meeting, held at Dayton’s Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and sponsored by the Miami Valley Astronomical Society. It’s a special event for me; the very first astronomy convention I ever attended was the 1976 Apollo Rendezvous, and the staff at the host Dayton Museum of Natural History (which became the Boonshoft) allowed me to use its printing press for several years to produce the magazine I started in high school, Deep Sky Monthly.

This year the event will feature talks, observing at John Bryan State Park, and an astrophotography and telescope contest. During the trip I’ll also get the chance to roll down to Cincinnati for a tour of the Cincinnati Observatory Center, one of the oldest astronomical facilities in the United States and winner of Astronomy's 2009 Out of this World award for astronomy outreach. I’ll keep you posted with blogs from Apollo Rendezvous.

Related video: The day Galileo changed the universe

“400 years of the telescope” documentary airs

Daniel Pendick — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:27:00 GMT

Telescopes have extended the human senses to unimaginably distant and inhospitable parts of the universe. A documentary beginning to air this week on public television stations in the United States tells the story of the telescope and its unveiling of the cosmos — starting with that simple little tube Galileo pointed at the Sun, Moon, and stars.

The 60-minute documentary is called 400 Years of the Telescope: a journey of science, technology, and thought. Writer/director Kris Koenig of Interstellar Studios produced it with support from the National Science Foundation. Check out www.400Years.org for times when you can watch it in your area.

One of the film’s strengths is the narration by astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History on Manhattan's Upper West Side. He’s a master explainer and keeps the flow moving briskly through a broad panorama of people, places, and telescopes.

I also appreciated the writing. It’s clear, accurate, and compelling. Tight editing and the music feed the flow.

Another bright spot for me was the handling of the historical period in which the infamous “Galileo affair” occurred. Galileo’s encounter with the Catholic Church is often oversimplified. The historical section includes commentary by two world-class historians of science, Owen Gingrich and Albert Van Helden (the latter also a member of the writing team for the film).

The core of the film is a tour through the evolution of telescopes as a tool for astronomy. You’ll see many of the world’s greatest instruments and hear from the scientists who developed them.

The tour covers the invention of astrophotography (which banished the human eye from astronomical research) and the birth of astrophysics.

The story continues up through the discovery of “dark energy,” the mysterious quantity invented to explain why the expansion of space appears to be speeding up. The film also introduces us to megascopes on the horizon, like the Thirty Meter Telescope.

The sheer number of different stops in the tour may seem overwhelming to some viewers. But the payoff includes a lot of insight into what astronomers do and how they do it. All seen through the lens of the things they do it with — telescopes.

Image courtesy Interstellar Studios

Related:

Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe, part one," with Astronomy magazine Editor David J. Eicher
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe, part two," with Astronomy magazine Editor David J. Eicher
Blogs: International Year of Astronomy
Blogs: Galileo

On the road: Galileo’s Italy, Day Six

David Eicher — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:40:00 GMT

On Wednesday, April 1, our group of Astronomy magazine travelers on the Galileo tour experienced our last day of enjoying Italy’s sights. We concentrated on several more spectacular areas of Florence, setting off in the morning for the famous Uffizi Gallery (pictured at right), one of the greatest art galleries in the world.

Editor's note: We've posted more images from Dave's trip in our Online Reader Gallery's "Trips and Tours" gallery. Click on "Italy: Galileo's Tuscan Sky 2009" to see all his pictures.

Located in former office buildings used by the Medici (thus the name, which means “office”), the museum contains thousands of historic paintings including the finest collection of Florentine works from the Renaissance in existence. Among the many works we saw were:

Sandro Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”
Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Annunciation” and “The Adoration of the Magi”
Filippo Lippi’s “Madonna with Child and Two Angels”
Giotto’s “The Ognissanti Madonna” and “Badia Polyptych”
Michelangelo’s “The Doni Tondo”
Raphael’s “Madonna with a Goldfinch”
Titian’s “Venus of Urbino”
Carvaggio’s “Medusa”
And several Rembrandt self-portraits

You get the picture.

Following the Uffizi, we walked across the Ponte Vecchio, the Medieval bridge that survived Nazi destruction in World War II, and made our way to yet another palace: Palazzo Pitti.

Constructed in 1458, the Pitti Palace has served as home for the Medici, center of activity for the ruling Grand Duke of Tuscany, target of a brief excursion by Napoleon, palatial estate for the rulers of the newly united Italy in the 19th century, and now a spectacular art museum. Here the parade of important works of art just kept coming until our heads started spinning.

I then returned to the main building of the city, the Duomo, and thoroughly explored the inside of Florence’s main church. In the crypt I saw ancient ruins, tombs, and the final resting place of Filippo Brunelleschi, the dome’s architect. Across the street, I explored the Opera del Duomo Museum, which contains many artifacts from the Duomo, the Baptistry, and Giotto’s Campanile, including the original segments of the famous Baptistry doors in gilded bronze.

Our tour leader and organizer, Melita Thorpe, bid the group farewell after the Uffizi to fly back to San Francisco. Tonight I gave a lengthy talk with many questions from our participants about how Astronomy magazine works, its staff, and the magazine-making process. We then explored all sorts of questions about astronomy, cosmology, life in the universe, the cosmic distance scale, and lots more. We were especially thankful for our expert and highly interesting local tour organizer, Giuseppe Tarzia, who is a true professional.

Tomorrow we fly back to the United States, and we’ll be home by Friday. It has been a long and sensational trip, and Galileo will now always be a little closer to our hearts.

Related:

Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Five
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Four
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Three
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Two
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day One
Blog: Galileo's Italy, preview
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe," by Astronomy editor David J. Eicher
More Astronomy magazine "Trips and Tours"

Photo credit: David J. Eicher

Special Galileo issue web extras for subscribers

Karri Ferron — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:56:00 GMT

Now that your May 2009 issue of Astronomy is in hand, we’ve updated Astronomy.com with our newest web extras to give subscribers exclusive complementary information on this special collector’s edition that celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning his telescope to the sky.

Take a sneak peek inside the May 2009 Astronomy magazine.

If you subscribe to Astronomy, make sure you’re registered with Astronomy.com so you can access these great extras.

Here are the highlights:

Associate Editor Liz Kruesi compares the optics of the first three telescope designs — Gregorian, Newtonian, and Cassegrain — in “The early reflectors.”
Associate Editor Daniel Pendick asks “Experience Galileo’s Italy” author William Sheehan about his appreciation for the great astronomer's life and work.
Senior Editor Michael E. Bakich details a night of galaxy hunting from Animas, New Mexico, in “Observing Ursa Major galaxies through a large scope.”
Associate Editor Daniel Pendick answers the “Ask Astro” question: “What is the difference between an open cluster and a globular cluster?”
Columnist and Contributing Editor Phil Harrington recommends some targets in Hydra and Corvus and offers a tip on holding your binoculars in “More southern-sky treasures.”
And we’ve included a few more Q&As with Geoff Marcy, Jay Gallagher, and Sara Seager in “Astro Confidential: Extending the conversations.”

Of course, we’ve also posted “Bob Berman’s Strange Universe,” “Glenn Chaple’s Observing Basics,” “Phil Harrington’s Binocular Universe,” and “Stephen James O’Meara’s Secret Sky” columns for the May issue, in addition to “The Sky this Month” and “Ask Astro.”

Related:

Blog: "On the road: Galileo's Italy," — Editor David J. Eicher's daily accounts of his experiences on the Galileo's Tuscan Sky tour, March 27–April 3, 2009
Image gallery: "Italy: Galileo's Tuscan Sky tour" — Images from Editor David J. Eicher's trip.
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe" — Editor David J. Eicher talks about how Galileo turned a telescope toward the Moon
Subscribe to Astronomy magazine

On the road: Galileo’s Italy, Day Five

David Eicher — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:10:00 GMT

On Tuesday, our fifth major day of activities, Astronomy’s Galileo our group set out on an ambitious and long day focused squarely on Galileo himself. We began by traveling about a half hour outside Florence to Arcetri and the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, an institution founded in 1872. We explored the observatory’s grounds, discussed astronomical subjects with some of the institution’s astronomers, and explored the 14-inch refractor (image at right) — taking a quick peek by solar projection at the Sun.

Editor's note: We've posted more images from Dave's trip in our Online Reader Gallery's "Trips and Tours" gallery. Click on "Italy: Galileo's Tuscan Sky 2009" to see all the pictures.

Then came our encounter with Galileo’s last inner sanctum. Driving a winding path around a valley, we approached a tight network of narrow streets in the village of Arcetri, parked our Mercedes bus at a crossroads, and walked down a lane no wider than an alleyway to find the front entrance area of Galileo’s villa. Here the great scientist spent the last years of his life, following his heresy trial, under house arrest. We examined the gates, the building, the yard, the surrounding streets, and although the house is closed for reconstruction, we sensed the world in which Galileo lived and felt it hadn’t changed much over the past 4 centuries.

A long walk down another narrow street, past the Galileo Galilei Elementary School for Girls (!), brought us to the modest-appearing frontage of the Monastery of San Matteo, where both of Galileo’s daughters spent most of their lives. We explored the chapel inside the convent, familiar space to Galileo’s family (although the interior has been remodeled significantly since that time). We were feeling the spirit of Galileo quite strongly as we soaked up the atmosphere.

Following a wonderful Tuscan lunch back in Florence, we headed for another big spot in Galileo’s life, Pisa. Not only was Galileo born in Pisa, but also he taught mathematics at the university there. Finally, the luck with weather we had experienced on the trip ran dry (or should I say ran wet). By the time we rolled into Pisa, we were in the midst of a steady rain.

Nonetheless, the group’s enthusiasm powered us through bus rides and a walk to get to the Piazza del Duomo, the city’s cultural center, which contains the massive and amazingly impressive Duomo, the Baptistry, the Camposanto (Monumental Cemetery), and the Campanile, which the world knows as the “Leaning Tower of Pisa.”

The rain challenged us, but never mind. About half the group, myself included, scurried up the worn, wet marble steps to the top, 186 feet above the ground. What a spectacular view we had! It was a quick journey up the 296 steps, which spiral their way up the tower, making the plane of gravity seem to change relative to the walls as you walk up. Started in the year 1173 and completed in 1372, the tower was certainly the world’s original “funhouse,” making climbers feel disoriented long before they get to the top. The inadequate, loamy, soft soil at the base was the problem: recent work has completely stabilized the tower at a lean of about 4°.

The long bus ride back to Florence gave us plenty of time to dry out, laugh, share stories about Galileo, and look forward to more in Florence tomorrow.

Related:

Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Six
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Four
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Three
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Two
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day One
Blog: Galileo's Italy, preview
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe," by Astronomy editor David J. Eicher
More Astronomy magazine "Trips and Tours"

Photo credit: David J. Eicher

April IYA2009 events

Karri Ferron — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:24:00 GMT

April includes a key Cornerstone Project for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), which commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning the telescope to the heavens. Here’s what’s in store for you:

April 2009
NASA Theme: Galaxies and the distant universe

Featured object in the sky: The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)

April 2-5:
Spend time trying to bring astronomy to a worldwide public with the 100 Hours of Astronomy IYA2009 Cornerstone Project. There are global events as well as local activities taking place at observatories, colleges, amateur astronomy clubs, planetariums, and museums around the world, and one major goal is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope. To learn more about global online events and activities to attend in your area, visit www.100hoursofastronomy.org.

April 7:
Saturn and an almost Full Moon are close (6° apart) in the night sky. See their exact positions in your night sky using Astronomy.com’s interactive star chart, StarDome.

April 10:
Watch the first U.S. broadcast of 400 Years of the Telescope on PBS television. I’ve had the opportunity to preview the program, and it’s definitely something to DVR and watch with the entire family.

April 21/22:
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks.

Related:

Blog: On the road: Galileo's Italy, day four," by Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe, part one," with Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe, part two," with Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher
News: What did Galileo actually do?
News: NASA's great observatories celebrate International Year of Astronomy

On the road: Galileo’s Italy, Day Four

David Eicher — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:05:00 GMT

Well, a few hours in Florence convince you why it’s one of the most historic and beloved spots on the planet. Our Astronomy Galileo tour group of 19 enjoyed our first day in the historic city Monday, and it was a long one. We were on the move, walking briskly and efficiently, moving from site to site, like a well-oiled machine.

Editor's note: We've posted more images from Dave's trip in our Online Reader Gallery's "Trips and Tours" gallery. Click on "Italy: Galileo's Tuscan Sky 2009" to see all the pictures.

First we explored the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, near our hotel, the first great basilica of Florence and the city’s main Dominican church. Construction of this art treasure house began in 1246 and lasted until 1360, and the interior contains a vast repository of frescoes by a spectrum of painters who were followers of Giotto.

Next, we walked to the city’s most famous church, the Duomo, or Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, with its mammoth dome (third largest in the world), and adjacent Baptistry and Giotto’s Campanile. This spectacular complex is one of the great historic and religious sites in the world.

We also ventured to pay respects to the Medici, the powerful Florence family who shaped the region and the Renaissance for 300 years beginning before 1400. Our group was fortunate to explore the Palazzo Medici, the massive stone structure that served as the Medici family palace and a place Galileo frequented. The inner sanctum, the palace’s small but ornate Chapel of the Magi, was a remarkable work of art.

Leaving our allegiance for the Medici and moving to the competing family, we arrived at Palazzo Strozzi, a palace, a few blocks away. There, a massive and almost unbelievable exhibition is underway showcasing dozens of artifacts relating to Galileo and the rise of observational and theoretical astronomy from well before his time to the next era that followed him. We spent several hours entranced by this sensational and unprecedented display made possible from the collections of numerous museums.

The obvious and most stunning centerpieces were there:

The lens from Galileo’s first telescope, cracked and framed as a present to Cosimo II de Medici.
The original and complete second telescope from 1610, in excellent condition.
Weirdly, Galileo’s skeletonized right middle finger, mounted in a glass display case as if he were a saint and the relic adorned some holy reliquary. The finger was removed as a relic when Galileo was reburied in Santa Croce in 1737.
And stunning ephemera that made your head spin: the original diary showing pages wherein Galileo sketched his first observations of the moons of Jupiter, a letter first describing his observation of Saturn as a “triple star,” his first fat notebook jammed with drawings of the Moon, and pages of sketches following the motions of spots across the Sun.

Many other important artifacts from other eras were present. They included Egyptian and Greek artifacts depicting the cosmos, frescoes from Pompeii showing constellation figures, numerous astrolabes, sundials, celestial spheres and globes, orreries, paintings, maps, charts, and atlases. It was an astronomy enthusiast’s dream and may never be recreated exactly in this way. If you can get to Florence by August 30, the exhibition’s last day, I urge you to see it. For more information, see palazzostrozzi.org.

We also visited yet another church, the Basilica of Santa Croce, where we saw Galileo’s tomb (pictured above), staring straight across the church from the tomb of Michelangelo. Standing in the presence of Galileo’s remains, particularly in this special year, gave us all a magical feeling.

Tomorrow we will travel to Arcetri to visit Galileo’s villa. More to come.

Related:

Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Six
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Five
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Three
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Two
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day One
Blog: Galileo's Italy, preview
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe," by Astronomy editor David J. Eicher
More Astronomy magazine "Trips and Tours"

Photo credit: David J. Eicher

On the road: Galileo’s Italy, Day Three

David Eicher — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:51:00 GMT

Astronomy’s Galileo tour group left Rome this morning and stopped today in Orvietro, in southwestern Umbria, where we explored a fascinating and often-overlooked town that was built up originally as an Etruscan fortress. The town (pictured at right) then changed hands repeatedly, with the Romans taking over until Goths and Lombards preceded a self-governing commune that took over the town in the 10th century.

Editor's note: We've posted more images from Dave's trip in our Online Reader Gallery's "Trips and Tours" gallery. Click on "Italy: Galileo's Tuscan Sky 2009" to see all the pictures.

The city is built atop a huge volcanic tufa shelf that extends to 900 feet above sea level and requires visitors to take a funicular railway to get to the top.

The most magnificent building in town is the Duomo, which had its foundation stone laid in 1290. Striped in white travertine and greenish-black volcanic basalt, the structure is huge and impressive. A 5-year project to adorn the facade with amazing decoration ended in 1456.

The town is an amazing, somewhat little-known treasure of Italy. After enjoying this quiet retreat, we sped into Florence and will start a slew of Galileo-related activities Monday.

Related:

Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Six
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Five
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Four
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day Two
Blog: Galileo's Italy, Day One
Blog: Galileo's Italy, preview
Video: "The day Galileo changed the universe," by Astronomy editor David J. Eicher
More Astronomy magazine "Trips and Tours"

Photo credit: David J. Eicher