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BACK
In the heavens, the emanating celestial body that Galileo points toward is a sun crowned by six surrounding planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. These six spheres also represent the Medici coat of arms, announcing Galileo’s dedication to the Florentine ruling family. Galileo discovered the four largest satellites of Jupiter and named them the "Medicea Siderea," or Medicean Stars, represented here as the rings crowning the uppermost planet of the six. The discovery dealt a major blow to the geocentric, or Earth-centered worldview supported by the Church, and led to the infamous condemnation of Galileo by the Roman Catholic Inquisition. Here Galileo’s gesture firmly asserts his adherence to the heliocentric, or sun-centered worldview as a loyal gesture to his political patron.
The story of the telescope is not as straightforward as one might think. In fact, it started as military equipment in the Netherlands and was used largely for terrestrial observation on the battlefield. Before its astronomical career, the telescope was called a spyglass. In the summer of 1609, Galileo received the news of these marvelous inventions and soon endeavored to grind his own lenses in Venice.
While his ultimate aim was to observe the lunar surface through the instrument, Galileo presented his telescope to the Venetian Senate under a different pretext. In his letter addressed to Leonardo Donato, the Doge of Venice, he wrote:
This telescope has the advantage of discovering the hulls and
sails of the enemy two hours before they can be seen with the
natural vision.
Although the print emphasizes the astronomical use of the telescope, allusions to its earthly fortune are also present. In the background, behind a cropped disc that resembles a sundial, the presence of a large sailing ship and a soldier operating a cannon by the shore attest to the military use of the telescope.
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