On this night in science
Galileo looks at the Moon
November 30, 1609
On this evening in 1609, Galileo Galilei pointed his new telescope at the Moon. Over the next few weeks he drew what he saw: mountains, craters and shadows, along a line between light and dark that wasn't smooth at all.
Why it mattered
Many people believed the Moon was perfectly smooth. Galileo's drawings showed a rough, rocky world, with mountains like ours.
Wonder together
Next time the Moon is up, can you find the line between its bright part and its dark part?