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| Face to faith: Galileo's lunar work drew on another Christian iconoclast who had lived 1,000 years earlier, says Mark Vernon Face to faith: Galileo's lunar work drew on another Christian iconoclast who had lived 1,000 years earlierGalileo's earliest surviving drawing of the moon can be dated to 30 November 1609, almost exactly 400 years ago. In the months before he made his observations, he'd become aware of an extraordinary new instrument that brought the far away much nearer: the telescope. Immediately, he'd seen its potential for science. And now, having polished up the original designs, and improved on its power, he turned the new instrument to the starry heavens and the still lunar surface. On that night – armed with his watercolours, ink and brushes too – he was the first to capture that most extraordinary of celestial sights: the details of an alien world.What he experienced can still be enjoyed today. For it is easy to capture the wonder of the moment by focusing a telescope or binoculars on our heavenly companion. As an undergraduate I studied physics, and for one project I had to measure the heights of lunar mountains – a task that Galileo himself undertook. I had to take photographs of the shadows that fell across the peaks, valleys and plains. My efforts were, of course, utterly trivial so far as science is concerned. However, the experience was invaluable. I rose at 3am on dark, frosty mornings to ensure that there'd be clear skies. It reminded me of the monks who say the office of matins at similar hours while the world sleeps. What awaited was the gift that comes with contemplating the lunar surface, if through bleary eyes. The moon is a high-contrast place of greys and whites. Pitted like pumice, it feels close even when viewed through a relatively low-powered instrument.Galileo's exploration of the moon was aesthetic as well as cartographical. In the book he wrote about his observations, The Sidereal Messenger, he commended his readers to the "great and marvellous sights" he'd seen. He also included one image painted in 1609 that was adjusted to make it more beautiful. "Galileo is much more interested in the play of light and shadow than in accurate mapping," explains Owen Gingerich of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics. "He is interested in the heights and depths that reveal an earthlike moon."And that, in fact, is the lasting legacy of Galileo's work. He imagined the moon as earthlike. That could not be more significant. According to Aristotelian cosmology, the objects that filled the heavens were perfect, nestling among crystalline spheres. Rendering the moon with apparent flaws, such as craters and peaks, shattered those assumptions. Galileo's drawings were another nail in the coffin of the old cosmology.Only, Galileo was far from the first to think like this. In order to interpret what he saw, he drew on an Alexandrian philosopher, John Philoponus, who'd lived 1,000 years before him. John was a Christian thinker who wrote about physics and theology. He challenged Aristotelian cosmology too, by reasoning that the earth and the heavens must be alike, and his ideas were known to many. But they were resisted by the establishment, perhaps because John had been declared a heretic by the church – not for his scientific views but because of his speculations about God. So, it is fascinating to ponder whether Galileo felt John was a kind of soulmate, as the Italian too headed for trouble with the church. He certainly cites John frequently in his writings. When he sketched his first images of the moon, he must have been thinking of the older iconoclast.What they surely had in common was this powerful wonder at the natural world. It was a sense of religious awe coupled to a critical attitude, which is why they both challenged the received wisdom. As Galileo himself put it: "I shall concede to you indeed that the way in which God knows the infinite propositions of which we know so few is exceedingly more excellent than ours."ReligionAstronomyPhilosophyMark Vernonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Analysis: Climate talks a halting step toward goal COPENHAGEN (AP) -- The Copenhagen climate conference "failed" long before it even opened. It may not "succeed" until long after it ends. For the moment, then, negotiators must satisfy themselves with something in between, an "outcome," one whose shape Thursday was in the hands of the United States and China.... hosted.ap.org |
Turns out, sunshine states really are happiest WASHINGTON (AP) -- People in sunny, outdoorsy states - Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida - say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why. A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine.... hosted.ap.org |
Mystery object to whizz by Earth Wednesday WASHINGTON (AP) -- A mystery object from space is about to whizz close by Earth on Wednesday. It won't hit our planet, but scientists are stumped by what exactly it is.... hosted.ap.org |
UN climate report riddled with errors on glaciers WASHINGTON (AP) -- Five glaring errors were discovered in one paragraph of the world's most authoritative report on global warming, forcing the Nobel Prize-winning panel of climate scientists who wrote it to apologize and promise to be more careful.... hosted.ap.org |