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Chasing Galileo: the Pleiades

Galileo’s Pleaids

My sketch of the Pleiades

Galileo’s sketch of the Pleiades was published in Sidereus Nuncius in 1610.

Galileo identified four levels of stellar magnitude. He represented the six naked eye stars he could see with a large star symbol. These 6 stars were listed in Ptolemy’s Star Catalog. Next come seven stars [...]

Chasing Galileo - sketches of the moon

Folio page 28 manuscript copy of Sidereus Nuncius

sketch of 3-day old waxing moon 2-28-09

sketch of 5-day old waxing moon

sketch of 14-day (full) moon 3/11/09

Galileo’s watercolor drawings were made with brown ink wash on watercolor paper. To me, these are the most beautiful of Galileo’s astronomical renderings. When I look at the [...]