Galilean Nights - New Zealand Gets Ready to Stargaze

Wind the clock back 400 years and see what Galileo saw the first time he looked through a telescope – the moons of Jupiter.

Over the next few weeks astronomical societies throughout the world, and here in new Zealand, will share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the Universe by opening up their observatories to the public and encouraging as many people as possible to look through their telescopes. The focus for the Galilean Nights is on the observations made by the Italian astronomer Galileo 400 years ago, who revolutionised science with his discoveries using the telescope. By recording the changing positions of the ‘stars’ he saw around Jupiter, he proved that they were orbiting the planet, incontrovertible evidence that Earth was not the centre of the Universe.

Astronomy – and cosmology – has come a long way since then, and we know a lot more about Jupiter and its moons. However the planet with its bright bands and the largest of its many moons are easily visible with a modest telescope and the public are invited to take this opportunity to share the as Galileo’s experience and see Jupiter through a telescope as well as other celestial treasures.
Galilean Nights (www.galileannights.org) is part of a suite of global events organised for International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009).

From an IYA 2009 NZ Press Release.