Treasures of the RAS: Starry Messenger by Galileo Galilei


In this edition of Treasures of the RAS, Librarian Jenny Higham introduces Starry Messenger by Galileo Galilei.

In 1610 Galileo published this book describing his observations of the sky with a new invention - the telescope. In it he describes his discovery of the moons of Jupiter, of stars too faint to be seen by the naked eye, and of mountains on the Moon.

This book was the first scientific publication to be based on data from a telescope. It was an important step towards our modern understanding of the solar system.

The Latin title is Sidereus Nuncius, which translates as Starry Messenger or Sidereal Message.