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Galileo
Galileo Eyes Only Certification: This is a partial certification available for the Galileo Observing Program. For those completing the Naked-Eye requirements a certificate is available. It is suitable to meet the requirements of the For Your Eyes Only Observer Award and a certificate will be issued, but it is not suitable for the other Master Observer Progression Awards. No telescope or binocular observations may be included in the Eyes Only Galileo Certification. You must observe at least three (3) of the targets marked with an (*E*) on the list of targets.
Repeat Galileo’s Observations of the Heavens:
2. November 30 through December 19, 1609 – The Moon: The objective is to show that the moon is not a flawless sphere; it has mountains. Observe and sketch the moon. It may be done at any phase where enough detail can be seen to show that there are mountains and valleys on the moon. Near the first or last quarter phases is the best time for this observation. Include only the details that you can see.
(*E*)
5. 1610 – Orion’s Head Nebula: The objective is to show that there are more stars visible through a small telescope than there are with the naked eye. Observe and sketch the region at the head of Orion (the star is called Meissa or Lambda Orionis). You will note that what looks like 1 star naked eye is actually 3 bright stars and many lesser ones. Sketch what you see. Galileo was able to see 20 in a region about 2 degrees across.
(*E* assuming you can see more than one star)
From my Northern Constellation Log:
Orion
Date: 4/9/2012
Time: 9:30 PM CDT
Location: Broemmelsiek
Seeing: ‘7/10
Transparency: ‘5/10
RA Center: 05 hrs
Dec Center: +5 deg
It took me the longest time to figure out how to do this and M45...what scale, how much sky, how big, etc. Then one night I woke up from a sound sleep and realized that the way I'd done it for the Northern Constellations was the best...show the entire constellation!
Only two stars seen for Meissa
7. Pleiades Nebula: The objective is to show that there are more stars visible through a small telescope than there are using just the eyes. Observe and sketch the area of M45 in Taurus.
(*E* if you can see more than one star)
From my Northern Constellation Log:
Taurus
Date: 4/5/2012
Time: 9:45 PM CDT
Location: Broemmelsiek
Seeing: ‘7/10
Transparency: ‘5/10
RA Center: 05 hrs
Dec Center: +20 deg
Back in the days my eyes were a whole lot better than they are in 2025!
13. 1619 – Aurora (Optional): Galileo coined the term Aurora Borealis for the Northern Lights. He was mistaken in that he thought it was sunlight reflecting off of the Earth’s Atmosphere. Observe and sketch either the Aurora Borealis or the Aurora Australis. (*E*)
In the summer of 2013 I served as an AstroVIP for a month in Glacier National Park.
Date: 7/14/2013
Time: 12:15 a.m. MDT
Location: Apgar Transit Center parking lot in Glacier National Park during one of our nightly AstroVIP star parties @ latitude 48.5o N.
Seeing: 9/10
Transparency 9/10
A clearly visible thin greenish spike rose from above the tree line into Ursa Major’s “back” legs that persisted for five minutes. It caused quite a stir in the audience.
Aurora were frequent on the east side of the park in St. Marys Lake with the good view to the north. It was more difficult on the west side in Apgar Village due to the surrounding mountains and lodgepole pines to the north towards Lake McDonald.
Not attempted:
10. May 1611 – Sunspots: The objective is to show that the sun is not perfect (has sunspots) and is rotating. Observe one large spot that completes one complete rotation of the sun. Note that sunspots are renumbered each time they appear, even if it is a spot that was visible on the previous rotation. Use ONLY pinhole projection to meet this requirement. Other forms of observation will not be counted. Full-face sketches should be made about once per week. Sunspots measured should be fairly close to the solar equator and measurements should be done from meridian crossing to meridian crossing. What is the rotational period for the sun near its equator? For more information on Safely Observing the Sun, click here.
(*E* if they are visible using Pin-Hole Projection)
*** WARNING ***
Before you start any solar observing program, make absolutely certain that you have safe filters and a safe set-up. Only use filters from reputable sources, and never use a “solar filter” that screws into an eyepiece. As Richard Hill states in Observe and Understand the Sun: “Observing the sun is the only inherently dangerous observing an amateur astronomer can do. Be aware of this at all times and take all necessary precautions. If you do not know a filter or procedure is safe then do not use it! Always err on the side of safety. An eye once damaged is forever damaged. Filters that let too much INFRARED light through can burn an eye if used visually. There is NO PAIN when this happens. Burned retinas can not be repaired. Excessive ULTRAVIOLET light has been shown to cause cataracts. So be very careful.”
For more information on ways to safely observe the sun and how to use pinhole projection, click here.
11. October 1618 – Comets: The objective is to show that the path of a comet is not a straight line through the sky. Make at least three observations of a comet and plot its progress among the stars. Although you will not do the calculations, this data is enough to show that the comet is not moving in a straight line through space.
(*E* if visible naked-eye)
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