Experience Your own Galileo Moment in 2009
Published Saturday January 3rd, 2009
This is a happy new year for stargazers, for UNESCO has declared 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. Amateur and professional astronomy associations across the globe are gearing up to give as many people as possible a "Galileo Moment," an inspiring encounter with the night sky.
Four centuries ago, Italian mathematician Galileo Galilei heard of an invention developed in Holland, a tube with lenses that allowed one to see distant objects up close. Such an instrument had obvious benefits for the military but Galileo had greater visions of its value. He built his own in 1609 and pointed it skyward.
Although he was not the first to discover the sky was full of previously unseen stars and the moon was pocked with craters, he published his findings and understood the importance of what he observed.
Galileo's studies of the ever-changing positions of Jupiter's moons indicated not all heavenly bodies circled the earth. His discovery that Venus exhibits phases like the moon could be explained if that planet orbited the sun.
Such explanations were contrary to beliefs of the church, and eventually Galileo's persistence in supporting the Copernican theory of a sun-centred universe brought him before the Inquisition.
Wisely, he recanted his views publicly and was sentenced to house arrest rather than to a personal barbecue.
Imagine the excitement Galileo must have felt when he observed sights in the night sky that no one had seen before. Thanks to the telescope, the door to the universe had been opened. Even though we have all seen the spectacular images of space taken through giant telescopes located on remote mountaintops or in orbit, your first look at the moon or a planet through a backyard telescope will be unforgettable.
As one who has spent hundreds of hours peering through an eyepiece, I can tell you the excitement does not subside. Nor does the thrill of hearing the "wow" from people having that first look experience, their Galileo Moment.
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is one of the many organizations worldwide that will be promoting the joys of stargazing this year. Along with other associations and local astronomy clubs, they have set a lofty goal of inspiring one million Canadians with Galileo Moments.
Much of this will be accomplished through organized and impromptu sidewalk observing sessions, setting telescopes up wherever people are likely to be found. Streetlights and urban settings will not diminish the splendour of the moon and planets when seen through a scope. Some sessions will even be in daylight for observing Venus and safely filtered views of the sun.
Although observing sessions may be offered any time the sky is clear, more focused efforts are planned during the "100 Hours of Astronomy" from April 2 to 5, and International Astronomy Week, April 27 to May 3. Galileo Moments may also be experienced through presentations, displays and other astronomy-themed activities.
For more information, visit the national website for IYA2009 events at www.astronomy2009.ca or the RASC site at www.rasc.ca.
If you see someone with a telescope set up in a public area, stop by for your Galileo Moment and information on astronomy. Members of RASC NB and local astronomy clubs are also eager to give presentations to school classes, youth groups and any other organizations. Visit the RASC NB website at www.rasc.nb.ca for more information, or contact me through the methods below.
I had my first Galileo Moment with a spyglass I received on my 11th birthday, looking at the moon through our living room window. To be on the safe side, I continued to attend Sunday school for several years.
The Saint John Astronomy Club meets on the first Saturday of the month. Contact Curt Nason (648-9063, nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca) or visit the website at http://sjacnb.tripod.com.
Curt Nason is a health physicist in the nuclear industry. His column appears the first Saturday of the month.
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