AstroMan - G Is For Galileo

Introduction to Galileo and Telescopes

0:00It's the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, coming in 3, 2, 1.

0:20Hello and welcome to AstroMan, the Naskai Guardian, the podcast where we explore the wonders of the universe and explore the latest in astronomy and space phenomena. I'm your host, Exodus Chenon Seitz, Transmedia Astronomy Educator from Hong Kong, China, and today's episode is all about G for Galileo. When we think of names that revolutionize astronomy, one name stands out above all others. Galileo, born in Italy in 1564, Galileo is known as the father of observational astronomy,

1:00though he did not invent the telescope, he proved it dramatically and was the first person to turn it towards the sky systematically, changing forever how we understand the universe. The story begins in 1608, a Dodge eyeglass maker named Hans Lippershey accidentally placed two lens together and discovered that distant objects appeared much closer.

1:30This was the birth of the reflecting telescope. News of this invention spread quickly across Europe. In 1609, hearing about this new device, Galileo decided to build his own reflecting telescope. He tried to improve the lens quality and adjust the design to achieve higher modifications. His version, known as the Galilean telescope, could show for cure image that's anything before.

2:05Imagine holding a small tube and suddenly you are able to see details and distant celestial objects that he can experience.

Groundbreaking Observations of the Cosmos

2:17He makes groundbreaking discoveries that challenge everything people believe about the cosmos. Firstly, he observed the moon and saw that in the surface it was not smooth and not perfect. However, it's really different from what the ancient philosophers claimed. Instead, it was covered with mountains, valleys, and craters, a bit like the craters that we observe on Earth.

2:50This was revolutionary that the moon was not a fallosphere, but a world with terrain, a bit like our planets. Besides that, he also tried to observe the surface of the sun, and he turns his telescope to the sunspot, a dark area on the surface of the sun. By tracking their movement, he understood that the sun rotates, challenging the ideas that all celestial bodies were not perfect and they might change.

3:24One of the most famous discoveries was watching, observing the Jupiter in different nights. He noticed that there are four small dots that are moving around this planet. They were the Jupiter's four major moons, and now we call them as the Galilean moons, and it also demonstrated that not everything in the universe observed the Earth.

3:56He discovered that some moons observed of beating the Jupiter, that's direct as the direct evidence against the traditional geocentric model. And Gennadier also observed the Saturn, and noticed that there are some strange bobs on its size. This was actually the Saturn's ring, for his telescope wasn't powerful enough to see them clearly.

4:26He couldn't quite understand what they were, but he known that Saturn was really different from other planets that people know. He also looked at the Milky Way, he saw that it wasn't a continuous scroll, but it's that, composed of countless individual stars, the universe was far bigger than anyone has imagined. While this observation gave powerful support to the helocentric model,

5:00the theory that the Sun, not Earth, is at the center of the solar system, and this idea has been proposed earlier, but still lacking of evidence, however, Galileo's telescope and his discovery provides the really impactful evidence about that.

Conflict with the Church and Later Physics

5:23However, supporting the helocentric idea might become dangerous, because, which are, in the contrast of what the Church proposed, that the Earth was the center of everything. And Galileo findings challenge that view directly, eventually he was forced by the Church and the governments that he had to weekend his views

5:54and spend the rest of his life until under the house arrest in Florence, Italy. And despite this pressure, Galileo never stopped doing science. Even after being silenced publicly, he continues his research and writing in private. He also made important contributions to physics and legend has it, that he dropped different ways

6:26from the Lening Tower of Pisa and discovered that happy and light objects fall at the same ways, that's challenging the ancient teachings and building up the foundations for modern physics. And Galileo emphasizing the experimentations and observations make him that he proposed a lot of different new findings

6:56and new scientific methods that have still been used until today.

Legacy and Modern Astronomy

7:00And what makes Galileo so important to astronomy today? Firstly, he shows us that observation changed our understanding. He didn't just speculate, he looked, he measured and test. And secondly, he also discovered proof that our intuitions and view of the universe could not be true. Earth is not the center of the universe.

7:32We are part of a much larger system.

7:37And these humble realizations opened the door to modern science. Thirdly, Galileo demonstrated courage. He stood by evidence even when it cost him his freedom, knowing the truth was much important than comfort or popularity. He could even try to connect that we can also try to connect with Galileo works ourselves. We can try to build some telescope by using two lens

8:08to really build a simulated telescope. That's what Galileo tried to reinvent it and redesigned. And whenever you look at the Jupiter and see the tiny dots under our binoculars, remember one thing that you are seeing that Galileo saw over 400 years ago. The same moon still orbits. The same universe is still odd inspires.

8:41Galileo reminds us that astronomy is an adventure of discovery. the telescope wasn't just a tool. It was a key that unlocked the door to the cosmos. And what that key, humanity began exploring the universe as we truly understand it. So tonight, when you look at the moon and you see its craters, or you're able to observe the Jupiter with the little moons dancing across it, think of Galileo,

9:12think of a man who dared to question, to observe, and to discover, even when the world told him not to. Until next time, keep looking out and stay curious. And this is Exodus CLC. Your Dark Sky Guardian, and see you next time. You are listening to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast

9:51is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Audio post-production is by me, Richard Drumm. Project management is by Aviva Yamani. And hosting is donated by LibSyn.com. This content is released under a Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial 4.0 international license. Please share what you love, but don't sell what's free. This show is made possible thanks to the generous donations of people like you. Please consider supporting our show

10:23on patreon.com forward slash CosmoQuestX and get access to bonus content. Without your passion and contribution, we won't be able to share the stories that inspire the world. We invite you to join our community of storytellers and share your voice with the listeners worldwide. As we wrap up today's episode, we're looking forward to unraveling more stories from the universe. With every new discovery from ground-based and space-based observatories and each milestone

10:54in space exploration, we come closer to understanding the cosmos and our place within it. Until next time, let the stars guide your curiosity. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe.

The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe. The Earth is a production of the universe.