To Galileo (1564-1642)
this song was composed on July 16, 1994, the day of the``collisions``of Shoemaker's comets on Jupiter
Between us and Galileo stands Jupiter, like a witness of the past when he observed the same planet with his freshly made telescope and discovered its satellites in 1524.
Jupiter is by far the biggest planet of our solar system and produces twice as much energy than it gets from the sun. It has sixteen satellites and measures 142 796 km in diameter. (In comparison, the earth's diameter is 12 756 km.)
Galileo was born in Pisa. Physician and astronomer, he is considered the father of modern science. He has greatly contributed to the world of astronomy and mechanics. His adherence to the Copernican system was not appreciated by the court of Rome. In 1632, he was condemned to abjure his theory and was sent to exile. He was later allowed to retire to his villa in Arcetri. He died on January 8, 1642
