400 Years Ago, Galileo Discovered Four Jovian Moons

krswan writes "OK, the moons themselves are much older, but on January 7, 1610 Galileo first observed '4 fixed stars' surrounding Jupiter. Observations of their changing positions led Galileo to postulate they were really moons orbiting Jupiter, which became further evidence against Aristotelian Cosmology, which led to problems with the Roman Catholic Church, etc... Jupiter will be low in the southwest (in the Northern Hemisphere) after sunset this evening — nothing else around it is as bright, so you can't miss it. Celebrate by pointing binoculars or a telescope at Jupiter and checking out the moons for yourself."

Comments

Cue the wrath of amazing atheists

[Anonymous Coward]

It is a very modern thinking by a very small group of churches to believe that science is anything more than a spiritually commendable exposition of the motion of the finger of God. And it is a very tedious and oft repeated error of atheist militants that religions are antiscience.

For the hundredth time: the Church did not like Galileo because he mocked the powerful leaders of the Church. Throw a shoe at George, draw Mrs Barack as a monkey, and see how long it is before your mouth shut or your abdomen injured.

Re:Happy Io Discovery Day, /.

[SomeJoel]

Wikipedia is wrong on one point.

So fix it.