http://galileo.rice.edu/index.html

-- Edward Tufte

I happened to see your site because I wanted to point someone to yr books, which (as you plainly but reasonably are aware) are terrific. The Galileo remark caught my eye. I think G. mades a passing remark about his intent to write a book about the motion of the earth in his book on the telescope (1611). When he wrote the Dialog (after consulting with the pope about it) he was indeed careful throughout to avoid flatly making the claim, and the preface asserts he is just showing that good Catholics know the arguments on both sides. But in 1611, before the Church took any position, he left no doubt where he stood, though Drake is narrowly correct.

-- Howard Margolis (email)

Additional Galileo literature is at:

Galileo Galilei's notes on Motion are being digitized at the National Library of Florence. You can view the folios at:

http://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/Galileo_Prototype/index.htm

At the History of Science Department (University of Oklahoma) you'll find a handy on-line exhibits page covering a range of topics and researchers. This includes a digitized copy of Galileo's Siderevs nuncius (Venice, 1610), containing his early observations with a telescope.

http://hsci.cas.ou.edu/exhibits/exhibit.php?exbid=1

"The Works of Galileo" can be found here: http://hsci.cas.ou.edu/exhibits/exhibit.php?exbgrp=1

then click on any of the topics and then look to the right hand sidebar to see a link for Siderevs nuncius (Venice, 1610).

In Florence, the Institute and Museum of the History of Science has a number of digitized manuscripts.

http://www.imss.fi.it/biblio/ebibdig.html

The Galilean Telescope Page has great instructions for accessing the Institute and Museum of the History of Science web site (above)

http://www.pacifier.com/~tpope/Accessing_Manuscripts.htm

Be sure to visit their web page reproducing images from replicas of Galileo's telescope:

http://www.pacifier.com/~tpope/Photo_Drawing_Comparison_Page.htm

For an interesting read: David Freedberg (2002) The Eye of the Lynx: Galileo, His Friends, and the Beginnings of Modern Natural History.

-- Daniel Meatte (email)