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Galileo's Battle for the Heavens
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Program Overview
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NOVA explores the story of Galileo Galilei—his scientific
contributions, his clash with the Catholic Church, and his
correspondence with his convent daughter.
The program:
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provides an historical backdrop of 17th-century Italy, including
the spread of the bubonic plague, the role of the Inquisition,
and the influence of powerful court families.
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examines Galileo's astronomical discoveries, including four of
Jupiter's moons, sunspots, and the rotation of the Sun.
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highlights Galileo's role as founder of modern physics due to
his studies of motion and his experiments with inclined planes.
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shows Galileo's talent as an inventor with his improved
telescope design.
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tells of Galileo's correspondence with his illegitimate
daughter, Maria Celeste, who embraced the tenets of the Catholic
Church and became a nun.
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chronicles Galileo's clash with the Catholic Church following
publication of his
Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems, a rhetorical
masterpiece in support of the Copernican Sun-centered system.
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