Abstract
In an earlier chapter, we turned our telescopes towards the satellites of Jupiter. In this we were following Galileo’s example, making an observation that changed the place of humanity in the Solar System. So why go back to Jupiter? In part, because the planet is an enduringly enjoyable observation, with lots of detail to observe, sketch and image. It is also the nearer of the two gas giants, and its structure and processes, very different from our own, demonstrate how all the planets came together by accretion. It also stretches our definition of a planet, introducing us to new kinds of stars. Above all, it was by careful observation of Jupiter that astronomers first identified evidence for light having a finite speed.
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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Marett-Crosby, M. (2013). The King of the Planets. In: Twenty-Five Astronomical Observations That Changed the World. The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6800-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6800-4_14
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