![]() All of these discoveries contributed to and solidified Galileo’s suspicions that the Aristotilean understanding of the universe was not as accurate as the scientific world had long believed and that Copernicus and his heliocentric theory may not be so far off base after all. With his new instrument, dubbed a telescope, Galileo observed for the first time the rocky, mountainous surface of the moon, sunspots on the sun’s surface, the phases of Venus and four of Jupiter’s moons, among other things. He immediately began experimenting with lenses and within months had improved the magnification to 20 times. In 1609, Galileo heard of a Dutch lensmaker named Hans Lippershey who had developed an instrument that could magnify distant objects up to 3 times with two lenses. His new tomb, which is conveniently located within walking distance of the Museo Galileo, boasts an impressive and extravagant mausoleum and shares the space with the tomb of Michelanglo.Ĭontrary to public belief, Galileo neither invented the telescope nor was he excommunicated by the Catholic Church because of what he saw through it, but his life was certainly exciting and makes for a fascinating study in the philosophy of science and the intersection of science and religion. Croce by the last of the Medici Grand Dukes. Galileo died in 1642, but the middle finder of his right hand remaining intact until 1737 when his body was relocated to its current resting place in the Basilica St. As exciting as it may be to see the finger that adjusted that legendary objective lens to bring into focus so many wonders of our solar system for the very first time, you can’t deny that it’s just a little bit odd. The somewhat shriveled, spindly finger contrasts oddly with its ornate Easter egg-like pedestal, making the whole scene that much more surreal. ![]() Croce Basilica stands out from a bird’s eye view of FlorenceĪccording to its website, the museum may “display more than 1,000 instruments and devises of major scientific importance and exceptional beauty,” but let’s be serious, you’re going to make a beeline straight to the disembodied finger. The museum houses the only remaining instruments designed and built by Galileo himself and the extensive collections of the Medici family and the House of Lorraine, the two dynasties that once ruled Florence, which represent the scientific landscape from which Galileo emerged and his ensuing effect on modern science, respectively. Perched along the Arno River and just around the corner from the magnificent Uffizi Gallery is the Museo Galileo: Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (Galileo Museum: Institute and Museum of the History of Science). Photo Credit: Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza and NASA Jet Propulsion Lab Galileo’s middle finger preserved and on display Make your way to Florence, Italy, and you will find nothing short of a Galileo Disneyland, including his tomb, an entire museum devoted to him and, you guessed it, his middle finger! But you know what would be an exciting way to interact with famous people, especially those long since deceased? Go check out their petrified middle finger! Ok, maybe that isn’t the most widely available option, but you Galileo fans out there are in luck. It’s just their name in squiggly, illegible handwriting, after all – not worth hours waiting in line, if you ask me. To be honest, I’ve never really understood why people go to crazy lengths to get the autographs of celebrities. If you only see one petrified middle finger in your life…
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