400 years ago Galileo discovered the 'Medicean stars': the four moons of Jupiter

It was January 7, 1610 when Galileo Galilei, turning one of his telescopes to Jupiter, was faced with a new wonder of the world around the world the great Galileo noticed the presence of its four largest satellites, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

. In three days, Jan. 7, recounts ADNKRONOS Gianluca Masi, astrophysicist, founder and project manager Virtual Telescope "will make this remarkable discovery 400 years." Galileo, recalls the scientific curator of the Planetarium of Rome, "shares with the community of his time on this and other great discoveries, confiding in particular the 'Starry Messenger', which culminates with his astronomical experience, which began in 1609, when for the first Once an optical instrument directed towards the Universe. "

For this reason, "the UN and UNESCO, have just celebrated the International Year of Astronomy in 2009 'which will end officially the day after the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the major moons of Jupiter." "Throughout the 2009-continues-the international astronomical community and lovers of the sky around the world have remembered such an extraordinary milestone in human history and knowledge with an unprecedented range of activities, initiatives and events. The message, loud, was that of the sky as the common heritage of humanity, far beyond the borders of the modern science of Urania: a firmament in which man relies for millennia indelible traces of their culture and on which we 'read', between the stories and legends of the stars and constellations, the testimonies of civilizations and the remotest corners of the earth. "

"A landscape, the starry-complaint-Masi at risk of extinction, while advancing tide of light pollution, a clear sign of our inability to intelligently use artificial light, in spite of the respect for the environment and energy saving ". A great feast of heaven lasted a whole year, "in the name of Galileo, to recover the scientist-says-the perception of a context and a relationship between man and the universe and its wonders, generous ideas, emotions of suggestions. A recurrence of which is time now to begin to collect the inheritance, not to reduce everything to a simple cold and biographical details. It would be a pity to waste the full potential, the results of the activities that have marked the whole of 2009. "

"In the name of the International Year of Astronomy project Virtual Telescope , based in Ceccano, near Frosinone-fa-Masi know, you are very busy, organized over 40 international events, shared by its internet technology: observations of 'Live universe, inspired by Galileo's experience highlights, meetings, debates, conferences, totaling about 100 000 participants from over 100 countries. An extraordinary result, which pays the enormous organizational efforts. "

On January 7, 2010, 20:30 pm, Masi announces, "just to remember the historic discovery of the Medicean satellites of Galileo, will be open on the site www.virtualtelescope.it final event, which will close the project activities for 'Year of Astronomy. "

For the occasion, "high-tech tools will show live images of some of the most fascinating celestial bodies observed by Galileo, along with other wonders. All with the help of an astrophysicist, who will comment live this tour 'cosmic'. " "It has been traveled by road from the January 7, 1610-sigh-Gianluca Masi. We observed celestial bodies billions of light years distant, discovered planets around other stars, reached the moon and hovered in space. Yet the momentum of the new vision of Galileo has not exhausted all his energy. There is to be hoped that it will boost beyond 2009, a sincere interest in science and nature, attracting attention and curiosity about 'this great book which stands continually open to our eyes (I mean the universe)', as literally reads the great Galileo Galilei '' The Assayer '".

Source: adncronos.com

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