Galileo: Revealing the Universe
Giuseppe Bertini, Galileo Galilei Showing the Doge of Venice How to use the Telescope, 1858.
"… for the Galaxy is nothing else but a mass of innumerable stars planted together in clusters."
—Galileo Galilei, Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger), 1610
In the 2nd century CE, a Roman astronomer named Ptolemy refined this view, stating that all planets moved in perfect circles, attached to perfect spheres, all of which rotated around the Earth: a theory that predicted the paths of the planets fairly well. This view, accepted for 1,400 years, was challenged by new astronomers, aided by instruments that enabled them to see the skies as they had never been seen before. Chief among them was Galileo, bolstering his observations with a revolutionary telescope he invented.
He carefully explored the night sky, turning his telescope to what looked like “dark” parts and discovering that they were filled with stars too dim to be seen without the telescope’s enhancement. In 1610, he published his observations of the solar system and distant stars in a volume called Sidereus Nuncius, or Starry Messenger. In this lesson, students will practice close reading of passages from Galileo’s Starry Messenger concerning his observations of the stars and constellations through a telescope. They will develop an understanding of how he constructed his arguments to challenge the established views of his time using new technology and logical reasoning.
Guiding Questions
What did Galileo see when he looked at the sky through his telescope?
How did Galileo’s observations change our view of the universe and the Earth’s place in it?
Learning Objectives
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of a passage from Galileo’s Starry Messenger dealing with his observations of stars, constellations, and the Milky Way.
Explain the significance of Galileo’s ideas to our understanding of the stars and the universe.