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GALILEO
GALILEI
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Portait
of Galileo Galilei |
The
first person to realise the importance of the telescope was Galileo Galilei
(1564-1642). In 1609 he got hold of a Dutch instrument, examined it and
understood its basic principles. At first he reproduced the instrument,
then, by putting together weak convex objective lenses with stronger and
stronger eye lenses, he considerably increased its magnification. Galileo
managed to build telescopes of eight, twenty, and may be even thirty times
magnification. In contrast with his contemporaries, Galileo did not limit himself to observing objects on earth. Towards the end of 1609 he pointed the telescope to the heavens to observe the moon and the stars. The outcome was so surprising that at the beginning of 1610 in Venice he published the Sidereus Nuncius, which describes his discovery of four new planets in orbit around Jupiter, which he baptised 'Medicean' in honour of the Florentine family. Subsequent discoveries - sunspots, the phases of Venus, Saturn's "triple-bodied" appearance, allowed Galileo to contribute to reviving the debate on the Copernican system. |
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Related
objects
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Inv.
2427 V.1 Galileo's telescope c.1610 [attr.] Galileo Galilei Wood, paper, copper Length 1360 mm |
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Inv.
2428 V.2 Galileo's telescope c. 1609-1610 Galileo Galilei Wood, leather Length 980 mm |
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Inv.
2429 IV.1 Galileo's objective lens Lens: early 17th century / Frame: 1677 Lens: glass, gilt brass / Frame: ivory, ebony Lens diameter 30 mm / Frame 410x300mm |
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